he lanched from that lande and directed his course to Vraba by the Ilande Fortis Vrâ—â—a hauinge in his shippe a hundreth and fyftie fresshe men whiche were substitute in the place of suche as were deade Also twelue mates and manye swine and other beastes both males and females for increase Lykewyse Artâ—llerâ—e fyftie pieces of ordinaunce with a greate multytude of targettes swoordes iauelyns and suche other weapons for the warres But all this with euyl speede and in an euyll houre For as they were euen nowe enteringe into the hauen Ancisus ship wâ—acke the gouernour of the shippe which satte at the helme stroke the shyppe vppon the sandes where it was soo fast enclosed and beaten with the waues of the sea that it opened in the myddesâ—e and al lost that was therin A thynge surely miserable to beholde For of all the vytayles that they had they saued onely twelue barels of meale with a fewe chieses and a lyttle bysket breade Meale cheeâ—es bysket For al the beastes were drowned And they them selues scaped hardly and halfe naked by helpe of the brigantine ship boate caryeng with them only a fewe weapons Thus they fell from one calamitie into an other beinge nowe more carefull for theyr lyues then for golde Yet beinge browght alyue and in health to that land which they soo greatly desyred they coulde doo noo lesse then to prouide for the susteynynge of theyr bodyes bycause they coulde not lyue onely by ayer And wheras theyr owne fayled they must needes lyue by other mens Yet amonge these soo many aduersities one good chaunce offered it selfe vnto them For they founde not farre from the sea syde a groue of date trees A groue of date trees amonge the which also amonge the reke or weedes of the maryshes they espyed a multitude of wylde bores wylde bores with whose fleshe they fed the selues wel certeine dayes These they say to bee lesse then owres And with soo shorte tayles that they thought they had byn cutte of They dyffer also from owres in theyr feete for theyr hynder feete are hole vndiuided and also withowte any houfe But they affirme that they haue proued by experience theyr flesshe to bee of better taste more holsoome then owres Durynge this tyme they fedde also of dates and the rotes of younge date trees which they eate like wyse in Ciuile and Granata where they caule them Palmitos of the leaues wherof they make biesomes in Rome Sumetymes also they eate of the appels of that Region Apples of a strange kynd whiche haue the taste of prunes and haue also stones in them and are but lyttle and of redde coloure I suppose them to bee of that kynde wherof I eate in the citie of Alexandria in Egypt in the moneth of Aprell The trees wherof the Iewes that dwel there beinge lerned in the lawe of Moyses affirme to bee the Ceders of Libane Ceders of Libane which beare owlde fruites and newe all the yeare as dothe the orange tree These apples are good to bee eaten and haue a certeyne sweetnes myxte with a gentell sharpnes as haue the frutes cauled Sorbes Sorbes are cauled in french Couâ—â—er they grow not in Englande Thinhabitantes plant these trees in theyr orchyardes and garedens and nooryshe theym with greate diligence as wee doo cheries peaches and quynses This tree in leaues heyght and trunke is verye lyke vnto the tree that beareth the frute cauled Zizipha which the Apothecaries caule Iuiuba But wheras now the wylde bores beganne to faile them they were ageyne enforced to consulte and prouyde for the tyme to coome Where vppon with theyr hole army they entered further into the land The Canibales of this prouince are moste experte archers The frute cauled â—iâ—ipha or Iuiuba Canibales Anoâ—sus had in his coompany a hundreth men They mette by the way with only three men of thinhabitantes naked Men of desperat boldnes and armed with bowes and venemous arrowes who without al feare assayled owr men fiercely wounded manye and slewe manye And when they had emptied theyr quyuers fledde as swyftely as the wynde For as we haue sayde they are excedynge swyfte of foote by reason of theyr loose goinge frome theyr chyldes age They affirme that they lette slyppe no arrowe owte of theyr bowes in vayne Owre men therfore returned the same waye that they came much more infortunate then they were before and consulted amonge them selues to leaue that lande especyally because thinhabitantes had ouerthrowne the fortresse which Fogeda buylded and had burnte thirtie houses of the vyllage as soone as Pizarrus and his company lefte of Fogeda had forsaken the lande By this occasion therefore beinge dryuen to seeke further they had intelligence that the weste syde of that goulfe of Vraba The goulfe of Uraba was more frutefull and better to inhabite Wherfore they sent the one halfe of theyr men thither with the brigantine and lefte the other nere to the sea syde on the easte pâ—rt This goulfe is .xxiiii. myles in bredth And howe muche the further it entereth into the firme lande it is soo muche the narower Into the goulfe of Vraba there faule many ryuers but one as they say more fortunate then the ryuer of Nilus in Egypte This ryuer is cauled Darien The great ryuer of DarieÌ„ fauleth into the goulfe of Uraba vppon the bankes whereof beinge verye frutefull of trees and grasse they entended to playnte their newe colonie or habitacion But thinhabitantes maruelynge at the brygantine beinge bygger then theyr canoas and specially at the sayles therof fyrst sente away theyr chyldren and weakeste sorte of theyr people with theyr baggage and housholde stuffe and assembled all suche togyther bothe men and women as were meete for the warres Thus beinge armed with weapons and desperate myndes they stoode in a redynes to feight and taryed the comminge of owre men vppon a lyttle hyl as it were to take thaduantage of the grounde Owre men iudged them to bee aboute fyue hundreth in nomber Then Ancisus the capitayne of owre men and Lieuetenaunt in the steede of Fogeda settinge his men in order of battayle array and with his hole coompany kneelinge on his knees they al made humble prayers to god for the victorie and a vowe to the Image of the blessed virgin whiche is honoured in Ciuile Prayer and vowes by the name of Sancta Maria Antiqua promysinge to sende her manye golden gyftes and a straunger of that contrey also to name the vyllage Sancta Maria Antiqua after her name lykewyse to â—erecte a temple cauled by the same name or at the leaste to dedicate the king of that prouince his palaice to that vse if it shulde please her to assiste them in this daungerous enterpryse This doone al the souldiers tooke an othe The souldiers make an othe that noo man shulde turne his backe to his enemies Then the capytayne commaundinge them to bee
whiche he named Baccallaos he sayth that he found the like course of the waters toward the west Baâ—â—â—llaos or Terra Baccalleaâ—um but the same to runne more softely and gentelly then tâ—e swifte waters whiche the Spanyardes found in their nauigations southeward Wherefore it is not onely more lyke to bee trewe but ought also of necessitie to bee concluded that betwene both the landes hetherto vnknowen there shulde bee certeyne great open places wherby the waters shulde thus continually passe from the East into the weste which waters I suppose to bee dryuen about the globe of the earth by the vncessaunt mouynge and impulsion of the heauens The mouyng of heuen causeth the sea to moue and not to bee swalowed vp and cast owt ageyne by the breathynge of Demogorgon as sume haue imagined bycause they see the seas by increase and decrease Demogorgon is the spirite of the earth to flowe and reâ—â—owe Sebastian Cabot him selfe named those landes Baccallaos bycause that in the seas therabout he founde so great multitudes of certeyne bigge fysshes much lyke vnto â—umes which thinhabitantes caule Baccallaos that they sumtymes stayed his shippes He founde also the people of those regions couered with beastes skynnes People couered with beastes skâ—nâ— Yet not without thuse of reason He saythe also that there is greate plentie of beares in those regions whiche vse to eate fysshe howe beares take and eate fysshes of the sea For plungeinge theym selues into the water where they perceue a multitude of these fysshes to lye they fasten theyr clawes in theyr scales and so drawe them to lande and eate them So that as he saith the beares beinge thus satisfied with fysshe are not noysom to men He declareth further that in many places of these regions Perhappes this laton is copper which hoâ—deth gold For latoÌ„ hath no myne and is an artificiall metal and not natural Cabot cauled owt of Englands into Spayne he sawe great plentie of laton amonge thinhabitantes Cabot is my very frende whom I vse famylierly and delyte to haue hym sumtymes keepe mee company in myne owne house For beinge cauled owte of England by the commaundement of the catholyke kynge of Castile after the deathe of Henry Kynge of Englande the seuenth of that name he was made one of owre counsayle and assystance as touchynge the affayres of the newe Indies lookynge dayely for shippes to bee furnysshed for hym to discouer this hyd secreate of nature This vyage is appoynted to bee begunne in March in the yeare next folowynge The Second viage of Cabot beinge the yeare of Chryst M. D. Xâ—I What shall succeade yowre holynes shal be aduertised by my letters if god graunte me lyfe Sume of the Spanyardes denye that Cabot was the fyrst fynder of the lande of Baccallaos And affirme that he went not so farre westewarde But it shall suffice to haue sayde thus much of the goulfes strayghtes and of Cebastian Cabot Let vs nowe therefore returne to the Spanyardes At this tyme they let passe the hauen of Carthago vntouched with all the Ilandes of the Canibales there aboute The Ilandes of the Canybales whiche they named Insulas Sancti Bernardi Leauynge also behynde theyr backes all the region of Caramairi Heare by reason of a sooden tempeste they were caste vppon the Ilande Fortis The Ilande Fortis beinge about fyftie leagues distante from the enteraunce of the goulfe of Vraba In this Ilande they founde in the houses of thinhabitantes many baskets made of certeyne greate sea reedes ful of salte For this Ilande hath in it many goodly salte bayes by reason whereof they haue greate plentie of salte which they sell to other nations for such thynges as they stande in neede of Salte Not farre from hense A straunge thynge a great curlewe as bygge as a storke came flying to the gouernours shippe and suffered her selfe to bee â—easely taken which beinge caryed about amonge all the shippes of the nauie dyed shortly after They sawe also a great multytude of the same kynde of foules on the shore a farre of The gouernour his shyppe whiche we sayde to haue loste the rudder beinge nowe sore broosed and in maner vnprofytable they lefte behynde to folowe at leasure The nauie arriued at Dariena the twelfth day of the Calendes of Iuly how Petrus Arias with the kynges nauy arriued at Dariena and the gouernour his shippe beinge voyde of men was dryuen a lande in the same coastes within foure dayes after The Spanyardes whiche nowe inhabited Dariena with theyr Capitayne and Lieuetenant Vuschus Nunnez Balboa of whom we haue largely made mention before beinge certified of tharryual of Petrus Arias and his coompanye howe Uaschus receaued the new gouernour wente foorthe three myles to meete him receaued him honorably religiously with the psalme Te deum Laudamus giuing thankes to god by whose safe coÌ„ducte they were brought so prosperously thether to al theyr confortes They receaued them gladly into theyr houses builded after the maner of those prouinces I may well caule these regions Prouinces whye these regions are cauâ—ed proâ—â—â—ces a Procul victis that is such as are ouercome farre of forasmuch as owre men doo nowe inhabite the same all the barbarous kynges and Idolatours beinge eiected They enterteyned them with such chere as they were able to make them as with the frutes of those regions and newe breade bothe made of rootes and the grayne Maiâ—ium Other delicates to make vp the feast were of theyr owne store whiche they brought with theym in theyr shyppes as poudered flesshe salted fysshe and breade made of wheate For they brought with them many barrelles of wheate meale for the same purpose Barrelles of meale Here maye yowre holynes not withowt iuste cause of admiracion beholde a kynges nauie and great multitude of Christians inhabytinge not onely the regions situate vnder the circle of heauen cauled Tropicus Cancri but also in maner vnder the Equinoctiall lyne habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall lyne contrary to thopinion of the owlde wryters a fewe excepted But after that they are nowe mette togyther let vs further declare what they determyned to doo Therefore the daye after that the nauie arriued there assembled a coompany of the Spanyardes thinhabitoures of Dariena to the number of foure hundreth and fyftie men Petrus Arias the gouernour of the nauie and his coompany conferred with them bothe priuilie and openlye of certeyne articles wherof it was the kynges pleasure he shulde enquire And most especially as concernyng such thynges wherof Vaschus the fyrste fynder and Admirall of the Southe sea made mentioÌ„ in his large letter sent froÌ„ Dariena to Spayn In this inquisition they founde all thynges to bee trewew herof Vaschus had certifyed the kynge by his letters And there vppon concluded that in the dominions of Comogra Pocchorrosa Tumanama at thassignement of Vaschus certeine fortresses shuld bee erected
contrary parte of the sayde lande discouered The sayde master Antonie wrote furthermore that by the opinion of men well practised there was discouered so greate a space of that countrey vnto the sayd sea that it passed .950 leaques The sea from new Fraunce or Terra Britonum to Cathay which make .2850 myles And doubtlesse yf the Frenche men in this theyr newe Fraunce wolde haue passed by lande towarde the sayd northwest and by north they shuld also haue founde the sea wherby they myght haue sayled to Cathay But aboue all thynges this seemed vnto me moste woorthy of commendation A notable booke that the sayde master Antonie wrote in his letter that he had made a booke of al the natural and marueylous thynges whiche they founde in searchynge those countreys with also the measures of landes and altytudes of degrees A worke doubtlesse which sheweth a princely and magnificall mynde wherby wee may conceaue that yf god had gyuen hym the charge of the other hemispherie he wolde or nowe haue made it better knowen to vs. The which thynge I suppose no man doth greatly esteeme at this time beinge neuerthelesse the greatest and most glorious enterprise that may bee imagined A great and glorious enterprise And here makynge a certeyne pause and turnynge hym selfe towarde vs he sayde Doo yow not vnderstande to this purpose howe to passe to India toward the northwest wind as dyd of late a citizen of Uenese so valiente a man and so well practysed in all thynges perteynynge to nauigations and the science of Cosmographie that at this present he hath not his lyke in Spayne in so much that for his vertues he is preferred aboue all other pylottes that sayle to the west Indies Sebastian Cabote the graÌ„d pylot of the west Indies who may not passe thyther withowt his licence and is therfore cauled Piloto Maggiore that is the graunde pylote And when wee sayde that wee knewe him not he proceaded sayinge that beinge certeyne yeares in the citie of Siuile Commendation of Sebastian Cabote and desyrous to haue sum knowleage of the nauigations of the Spanyardes it was toulde hym that there was in the citie a valient man a Uenecian borne named Sebastian Cabote Sebastian Cabote tould me that he was borne in Brystowe that at .iiii. yeare owld he was caried with his father to Uenice and so returned ageyne into England with his father after certeyne yeares Wher by he was thought to haue bin born in Uenice who had the charge of those thynges being an expert man in that science and one that coulde make cardes for the sea with his owne hande And that by this reporte seekynge his acquaintaunce he founde hym a very gentell person who enterteyned hym frendly and shewed him many thynges and amonge other a large mappe of the worlde with certeine particular nauigations aswell of the Portugales as of the Spanyardes And that he spake further vnto hym in this effecte When my father departed from Uenese many yeares sence to dwell in Englande to folowe the trade of marchaundies he tooke me with him to the citie of London whyle I was very yonge yet hauynge neuerthelesse sum knowleage of letters of humanitie and of the sphere And when my father dyed in that tyme when newes were browght that Don Christopher Colonus Genuese had discouered the coastes of India whereof was great talke in all the courte of kynge Henry the seuenth who then reigned In so much that all men with great admiration affirmed it to bee a thynge more diuine then humane to sayle by the Weste into the East where spices growe by a way that was neuer knowen before By which fame and reporte there increased in my harte a greate flame of desyre to attempte sum notable thynge And vnderstandyng by reason of the sphere that if I shulde sayle by the way of the northwest wynde I shulde by a shorter tracte coomme to India I thereuppon caused the kynge to bee aduertised of my diuise who immediatly commaunded two carauels to bee furnysshed with all thynges apperteynynge to the vyage The fyrst vyage of Sebastian Cabote which was as farre as I remember in the yeare .1496 in the begynnynge of sommer Begynnyng therfore to saile towarde Northwest not thynkyng to fynde any other lande then that of CATHAY and from thense to turne towarde India But after certeine dayes I founde that the lande ranne towarde the Northe which was to me a great displeasure Neuerthelesse sayling alonge by the coast to see if I could fynde any goulfe that turned I founde the lande styll continent to the .56 degree vnder owre pole And seinge that there the coast turned toward the East dispayringe to fynd the passage I turned backe ageyne and sayled downe by the coast of that lande towarde the Equinoctiall euer with intent to fynde the sayde passage to India and came to that parte of this firme lande whiche is nowe cauled FLORIDA The landâ— of Floridâ— Where my vyttayles fayling I departed from thense and returned into England where I founde great tumultes amonge the people and preparaunce for warres in Scotlande by reason whereof there was no more consideration had to this vyage Wheruppon I wente into Spayne to the Catholyke kynge The seconde vyage of Cabote to the land of Brasile and Rio â—ella Plata and queene Elizabeth who beinge aduertised what I had doone interteyned me and at theyr charges furnysshed certeyne shyppes wherwith they caused me to sayle to discouer the coastes of Brasile where I founde an exceadynge great and large ryuer named at this present Rio della Plata that is the ryuer of syluer into the which I sayled Cabote tould me that in a region within this ryuer â—e sowed l. â—raynes of weate in September and gathered therof l. thousand in December as wryteth also Francisco Lopes and folowed it into the firme lande more then syxe hundrethe leaques fyndynge it euery where veryâ— fayre and inhabited with infinite people which with admyration came runnynge dayly to owre shyppes Into this ryuer runne so many other riuers that it is in maner incredible After this I made many other vyages which I now pretermitte And wexynge owlde I gyue my selfe to rest from such trauayles bycause there are nowe many younge and lusty pylotes and mariners of good experience by whose forwardenesse I doo reioyse in the frutes of my labours and rest with the charge of this office as yowe see And this is as much as I haue vnderstoode of master Sebastian Cabote as I haue gathered owte of dyuers nauigations wrytten in the Italian toonge And whereas I haue before made mention howe Moscouia was in owr tyme discouered by Richard Chanceler in his viage toward Cathai by the direction and information of the sayde master Sebastian who longe before had this secreate in his mynde The vyage to Moscouia I shall not neede here to describe that viage forasmuche as
by the handes of this noble prince in this newe world among these newe gentyles The warres of kynge Ferdinando ageynst the Sarasens Is it not well knowen to alâ— the world what a defence and brasen wall he hath byn to all Chrystendome in that he hath quite dryuen out of Spayne the Moores or Sarasens and Iewes which so many hundreth yeares possessed a greate parte of Spayne to no smaule daungioure of the hole Christian Empire and yet coulde neuer before bee cleane vanquysshed vntyll the dayes of this noble and Catholyke prince so named for his warres ageynste the infidelles whom God raysed for a Capitayne of his people as an other Gedion vnder whose banner they myght ouercome theyr enemies and pourge his vineyarde from suche wycked weedes The which thynge doubtelesse may seeme so much the greater and more difficulte forasmuch as in the myddest of the chiefe heate of his chargeable warres ageynste the Moores of Granada he euen then and at the same tyme sente furth shyppes for the conquestynge of the Indies The conqueste of the Indies as thowgh he and the nation of the Spanyardes had byn appoynted by god eyther to subdue the enemies of the fayth or to bringe theym to Christes religion The selfe same kynge Ferdinando also abowte the yeare of Chryst. 1503. sent a nauie of shyppes into Italy where they vanquysshed chased and sâ—ewe the Frenchemen and recouered the kyngedome of Naples with all the dominions belongynge thereunto The conqueste of Naples By which noble victory his succession and posteritie as themperours maiestie and nowe his sonne the kynge owre master and soueraigne lorde haue euer sence enioyed thinheritaunce of the same as of antiquitie by iust and ryght tytle dewe to them and theyr predicessours And as it is the nature of god not only to shewe his loue and fauour to such as haue pleased hym but also to poure furth the plentie of his grace vppon theyr succession from generation to generation so hath he with lyke fecilitie prospered the reigne of Themperours maiestie who by his wisdome and prowes hath not onely pollitikly gouerned The Emperours maiestie but also augmented and inlarged such dominions as fel to hym by discente of inheritaunce What shuld I speake of his warres and conquestes in India in Aphrike in Italie in Fraunce in Germanie and in Flaunders all the which to be declared accordyngely wolde rather require hole volumes then fewe sheetes of paper Yet hath one in fewe woordes effectually expressed his dominions and conquestes in these verses folowynge Impiger expauit rapidas transire per vndas Oceani Alcides continuitque gradum Maximus at Caesar PLVS VLTRA tendere curâ—um Ausus et ignotis est dare iura locis Et domita aurifera nunc victor gente reuersus Caetera sub sceptro ponat vt ipse suo Nam pater omnipotens vt famam terminet astris Iussit et imperium fineat Oceano ¶ An other also breefely hath declared the same in these verses Consortem Imperij voluit quia Iuppiter orbis Astra Deo cedunt Carole terra tibi And certes who so well considereth the progenie of kynges that in so shorte a time haue linially descended from Don Ferdinando and howe many kyngedomes they possesse may see that God hath fulfylled in hym also the promises and blessynges of Abraham Gen. 17. as to make hym the father of many nations and his seede to growe great vpon the earth Also that many kynges shulde come furth of his loynes and to make a perpetuall league and conuenaunt with hym and his posteritie to bee theyr god for euer And here to omytte to speake of other Was there euer better hope or more likenes then now that these blessynges and promyses of god shulde continewe in this princely progenie syth the vertues and felicitie of theÌ„ al doo so shyne and florisshe in owr noble and gratious prince kynge Phylyppe The kinges maiestie to whom euen in his youth his father occupied in the warres of Italye and Aphrike commytted the hole gouernaunce of the kyngedomes of Spayne and the Indies Of his behauour in Englande his enemies which canker vertue neuer lacked They I say if any such yet remaine haue greatest cause to reporte well ye so well that yf his naturall clemencie were not greater then was theyr vnnaturall indignation they knowe them selues what myght haue folowed The properties of â—ooles and wyse men are declared in these owld verses Quid stulti proprium Non posse et velle nocere Quid sapieâ—tis opus Non velle et posse nocere That is to say What is the propertie of a foole To wyl to doo hurte and can not What is the woorke of a wyse man Not to wyll to hurte though he may But whether he hath lacked poure or wyll it is knowen to barbers and blere eyde men Who lamented theyr folly more then he Who more humbly admytted theyr sutes and supplications Ye who obteyned theyr pardon but he Beynge a Lion he behaued hym selfe as a lambe Apostrophe to Englande and strooke not his enemie hauynge the swoorde in his hande Stoope Englande stoope and learne to knowe thy lorde and master as horses and other brute beastes are taught to doo Be not indocible lyke Tygers and dragons and such other monsters noyoâ—s to man kynde God by the mouth of Isaias the prophet reproueth the Israelites that they knewe not so well theyr dewtie towarde hym as dyd the brute beastes the mangiers of theyr masters Isai. 1. The oxe and the asse sayth he knoweth the mangier of theyr master but Israell knoweth not me For shame let vs not be woorse then oxen and asses lyke vnto horses and mules in whom is no vnderstandynge But O vnthankefull Englande and voyde of honest shame Who hath geuen the the face of a hoore and toonge of a serpent withowt shame to speake venemous woordes in secreates ageynst the annoynted of god O paynted hoore that hast Chryste in thy mouth and the deuyl in thy harte Hath not the pocke of thy licentiousnesse brusâ—e furth in maner to thyne owne destruction Howe longe wylt thou nurysshe in thy boosome that serpente whose nature is to deuoure her moother Take a vomyte in tyme least thy disease become vncurable What neede I rehearse vnto the thy manyfolde infirmities and deformities whiche thou arte faulen into by thyne owne owtragiousnesse If the greefes of them bee to thee vnsensible by reason of thy feeblenesse and longe sickenes take vnto the that glasse wherin thou gloryest with the Iewe and thynkest that thou seest at thynges and â—â—nst iudge all mysteries Looke I say in that pure glasse and beholde thy owne deformities which thou canste not or wylt not feele I feare greatly that if thou looke therein diligently and looke euen throughe thy selfe â–ª thou wylte abhorre thy selfe to see howe many monsters lye hid in the vnder the shape of man Monstrouâ— byrthes There is euen nowe great
the Iberians in subiection The Carthaginenses inriched by the syluer of Spain which was the cause that theyr poure afterwarde increased For with monye hyringe the best and moste expert◠souldiers they kepte greuous warres ageynst theyr enemies And not vsynge the ayde eyther of theyr owne souldiers or theyr associates they were a terrour to the Romanes Sicilians and Libyans whom they browght into great daungiour by reason they passed them al in abundaunce of golde and syluer With better fortune therefore and greater hope of gayne are ryche metals sought in Spayne the goodnesse of whose soyle yeldeth cloddes of earth conteynynge much golde and syluer And these be the very wordes of Diodorus Siculus which the later wryters doo also confirme For Iulius Solinus in his Polyhistor compareth Spayne to the best contreys in plentie of grayne vyttayles oyle syluer golde and Iron Likewyse Strabo Statius and Claudius do no lesse commende it It were to longe here to speake of the greate plentie of fine woolles lyttle inferiour vnto owrs also abundaunce of sugar The commodities of Spain vines pome granates limondes and orangies in such plentie that they suffice not only Spayne but also in maner all Europe whereas the apples and crabbes of Englande are scarsely able to serue it selfe And althowghe here summe wyll obiecte that they lacke corne woodde and certeyne other thynges yet are theyr commodities so greate otherwyse that al such thynges are browght them owt of other countreys for theyr wares and that in such plentie that they are there better chepe then euer they were in Englande sence the signe of the steeple the poore mans Inne was pulled downe in all places The sygne of the steeple Summe for lacke of other matter fynde greate faute that in trauaylynge in Spayne men shal be serued with halfe a henne and go to the cookes for theyr meate and to the tauerne for theyr drynke And what then I praye yow What inconuenience enseweth hereof Is it not better so to doo then to pay thryse for one thinge as is the maner to doo in summe of owre Innes and in tauernes where all that eate roste meate are beaten with the spitte as where they that of late in Barthelmewe fayre payde fortie pense for a pygge where the good man of the house was not a shamed to make his vaunte that he had made foure shyllynges of a pygge and had in one day taken foure pounde for pygges But if I shuld here particularly and at large declare howe Englande is in fewe yeares decayed and impouerysshed England impouerisshed Spayne inriched and howe on the contrary parte Spayne is inryched I shulde perhappes displease more in descrybyng the myserie of the one then please other in expressynge the florysshynge state of the other which by all reason is lyke dayly to increase aswell for the great rychesse that are yearely browght thyther from the Indies as also for the ryche syluer mynes that are founde of late in Spayne in the countrey of Asturia as I was credably informed by the woorthy and lerned gentelman Augustinus de Ceratta Siluer mines founde of late in Spayne Contador that is the auditour of the kynges myntes who had longe before byn surueyoure of the golde mynes of Peru Syluer brought frome Peru into Englande and browght from thense and from Rio de Plata .xiii. thousand pounde weyght of syluer which was coyned to the kinges vse in the towre of London where neuer so much hath byn seene at once as suche as haue byn owlde officers in the mynte doo affirme What shulde I heare speake of the golde which themperours maiestie receaueth frome all the Indies Thēperours reuenues from the Indies wheras onely in the two meltynge shoppes of the gold mines of the Ilande of Hispaniola is molten yearely three hundreth thousande pounde weyght of .viii. vnces to the pound wherof the fyfte parte is dewe vnto hym whiche amounteth to three score thousande weyght yearely Yet doo I not here speake of the golde mines of the other Ilandes and the firme lande reachynge .viii. thousande myles from the north to the south Neyther of the ryche Ilandes of the south sea cauled Mare del Sur The Ilandes of the South-sea where the kynge of one lyttle Ilande named Tararequl Margaritea or de las Perlas lying in the goulfe of Saynt Michael payeth yearely for his tribute a hundreth pounde weight of perles Neyther yet of the fyfte parte of other thynges as precious stones brasile gossampine cotton spices and dyuers other thynges wheras also the ryche Ilandes caused the Maluchas perteyne to the inheritaunce of Castile The Ilandes of Maluca althowgh the kynge of Portugale enioy them for certeyne yeares by composition But the Indies haue rebelled say they and there commeth no more golde from thense But what if summe of them haue rebelled dooth it therby folowe that there commeth no more gold from the other that lyue vnder obedience But if thou wylte say that they haue al rebelled at once thou must proue that thou sayest eyther by hystorie or wytnesse of such as know the truth herof as I hauing made diligent searche for the same am able to proue the contrarie and that suche talke is onely imagined by busie headdes Ageyne what if they haue rebelled in summe prouinces dooth it folowe that they maye not ageyne be browght vnder subiection as were oftentymes the prouinces of the Romanes and as were in owre dayes dyuers countreys of Englande whiche haue byn sore afflicted with that plage But whether the sandes of the ryuers and the mountaynes of the Indies bee so emptied with golde that no more can be founde there I thinke it here superfluous to answere to this obiection forasmuch as it is hereafter confuted in the booke of metals where yow shall fynde by experience that metals growe and increase and that after certeyne yeares suche owlde caues of the mynes as haue byn dygged are ageyne replenysshed with vre Also that the sprynges of suche mountaynes turnynge theyr course and breakynge furth in other places brynge with them greate plentie of such golden sande as is founde in the ryuers into the which they faule What impudencie is it therfore with woordes of reproche to caule hym poore whose poure is so greate his treasure so infinite and his doinges so chargeable that I beleeue that when so euer it please almyghtie God to caule hym frome this lyfe to the greate domage of all Chrystendome it shal be harde to fynde an other that shall in all poyntes bee so well able to supplye that roome and maynteyne thimperiall dignitie Let al honest natures therfore learne to speake well of princes accordynge to the sentence De Principibus nil nisi bonum forasmuch as they are the ministers of god who hath theyr hartes in his hande and ruleth the same as seemeth beste vnto hym For there is no poure neyther good nor badde but of god and he that resysteth or
sepulchers in their owne houses Sumwhere also they drye them spyce them adourne them with precyous iewells and ouches and so reuerently place them in certeyne tabernacles made for the same purpoâ—e in their owne palayces When owre men had many of their tabellets braslettes collers and suche other ouches whiche they caule Guanines they founde them rather to bee made of laton then of golde Ouches of laton Gonzalus Ouiedus sayth that they gilt marueloâ—â—â—y with the iuse of a certeyne herbe wherby they suppoâ—e that they haue vsed to exchaunge their ware with summe craftie straungers whiche broughte theÌ„ those counterfect ouâ—hes to defraude them of their golde For euen owre menne perceaued not the deceate vntyll they came to the meltynge Furthermore certayne of owre buylders wanderynge a lyttell way from the sea coastes chaunced to fynde certayne pyeces of white marble whyte marble Wherby they thynke that in tyme paste summe straungers haue coome too those landes whiche haue dygged marble owte of the mountaines and lefte those fragmentes on the plaine There owre men learned that the ryuer Maragnonus descendeth frome the montaynes couered with snowe cauled Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata The great ryuer Maragnonus This ioyneth with the myghty ryuer cauled Flumen Amazonum found of late And the same to bee encreased by many other ryuers whiche faule into it throughowte all the lowe and watelye regions by the whiche it runneth with so longe a tracte from the sayde montaynes into the sea And this to bee the cause of the greatnesse therof These thynges beyng thus brought to passe the gouernour coÌ„maunded the trumpitour to blowe a retraite Whervppon they whiche were sente to lande beynge fyue hundreth in noumber makynge a great shoute for ioye of their victory sette them selues in order of battayle and so keping their array returned to the shippes laden with spoyle of those prouinces and shynynge in souldiers clokes of fethers Clokes of fethers with faire plumes and crestes of variable colours In this meane tyme hauynge repaired their shyppes and furnysshed the same with all necessaries they loosed anker the xvi daye of the Calendes of Iuly directynge their course to the hauen of Carthagena in the whiche viage they destroyed and wasted certayne Ilandes of the Canibales lyinge in the waye accordynge as they were commaunded by the kynge But the swifte course of the water deceaued bothe Iohannes Serranus the chiefe Pilet of the gouernours shyppe The swyfte course oâ— the water and all the other althoughe they made their boste that they perfectely knewe the nature therof For they affyrme that in one night they were caried forty leaques beyonde their estimation xâ— leaques in one nyght The syxte booke of the thirde Decade HEre muste we sumwhat digresse from cosmography and make a philosophicall discours to searche the secreate causes of nature For wheras they al affyrme with on coÌ„sent that the sea runneth there from the Easte to the weste as swyftly as it were a ryuer faulinge from hyghe mountaynes Sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft course from the East into the west I thoughte it not good to lette so great a matter slyppe vntouched The whiche while I consyder I am drawen into no smaule ambyguitie and doute whether those waters haue their course whiche flowe with so contynuall a tracte in circuite from the Easte as thowghe they fledde to the west neuer to retourne and yet neyther the weste therby any whitte the more fylled nor the Easte emptied If we shall saye that they faule to their centre as is the nature of heuye thynges and assigne the Equinoctiall lyne to be the centre as summe affyrme what centre shall we appointe to bee able to receaue so great aboundaunce of water The equinoctiall lyne why all waters moue towarde the south or Equinoctial â—reade Cardanus de subtiliâ— lâ—ber .ii. de Eâ—ementis Or what circumference shal be founde weate They whiche haue searched those coastes haue yet founde no lykely reason to be trewe Many thynke that there shoulde bee certeyne large straightes or enterances in the corner of that great lande whiche we described to bee eyght tymes bygger then Italye Strayghtes and the corner therof to be full of goulfes wherby they suppose that summe strayghtes shulde passe through the same lyinge on the weste syde of the Ilande of Cuba And that the sayde straightes shoulde swalowe vp those waters and so conuey the same into the weste and from thense ageyn into owre Easte Ocean or north seas as summe thynke As by the strayght of Magellanus The north landes Other wyll that the goulfe of that great lande bee closed vppe and the land to reache farre towarde the northe on the backe syde of Cuba so that it embrace the northe landes whiche the frosen sea encompaseth vnder the northe pole And that all the lande of those coastes shoulde ioyne togyther as one firâ—e lande Wherby they coniecture that those waters shulde bee turned aboute by the obiecte or resystaunce of that lande so bendynge towarde the north as we see the waters â—courned aboute in the crooked bankes of certeyne ryuers But this agreeth not in all poyntes For they also whiche haue searched the frosen sea The frosen sea and sayled frome thense into the weste do lykewyse affyrme that those northe seas flowâ— contynually towarde the weste although nothing so swiftely These northe seas haue byn searched by one Sebastian Cabot a Uenetian borne Sebastian Cabot whom beinge yet but in maner an infante his parentes caryed with them into Englande hauyng occasion to resorte thether for trade of marchandies as is the maner of the Uenetians too leaue no parte of the worlde vnsearched to obteyne richesse The venetians He therfore furnisshed two shippes in England at his owne charges The viage of Sebastian Cabot from Englande to the froâ—en sea And fyrst with three hundreth men directed his course so farre toward the northe pole that euen in the mooneth of Iuly he founde monstrous heapes of Ise swimming on the sea Frost in the moneth of Iuly and in maner continuall day lyght Yet sawe he the lande in that tracte free from Ise whiche had byn molten by heate of the sunne Thus seyng suche heapes of Ise before hym he was enforced to tourne his sayles and folowe the weste so coastynge styll by the shore that he was thereby broughte so farre into the southe by reason of the lande bendynge so muche southward that it was there almoste equall in latitude with the sea cauled Fretum Herculeum Fretum herculeum diuideth Spayne the Moores and is nowe cauled the strayghtes of Marrok hauynge the north pole eleuate in maner in the same degree He sayled lykewise in this tracte so farre towarde the weste that he had the Ilande of Cuba his lefte hande in maner in the same degree of langitude As he traueyled by the coastes of this greate lande
goulfe of Bothia â–ª but as nowe by owr commentaries brought to light And hauâ—ng sayde has much in maner of a preface we wâ—ll nowe procede to wryte of the north regions ¶ Schondia SChondia Sâ—hondama or Schondenmarchia is as much to say as fayre Dania or fayre Denmarke Scone is fayre in the duch toonge Plinie in one place nameth it Scandia and in an other Scandinauiâ— if there bee no fauce in the templers It was named Schondia by reason of the fayrenesse and true fulnesse therof And this aswell for that in beneficiall heauen fertilitie of gronnde The fertilitie of â—condia commodite of hauens and marte townes abundaunce of ryuers and fysshe plentie of beastes great quantitie of metall as golde syluer copper and leade diligent culturynge the grounde with townes and cities wel inhabited and gouerned by ciuile lawes it gyuethe place to none other fortunate region This was in maner vnknowen to the owlde Greekes and Latins as may appeare by this argomente that with one consente they affirmed that in these north regions the could zonâ— or clime was condemned to perpetuall snowe intollerable to all lyuynge creatures For few of theÌ„ haue made mention hereof as to be inhabited Amonge whom Plinie as one of the chiefe sayth in his fourth booke that Schondania is of vnknowen byggenesse and only that portion therof to be knowen which is inhabited with the nation of the Hilleuiâ—nes in fiftie vyllages Neyther yet is Eningia lesse in opinion he meaneth Diodorus Siculus Other more auncient then Plinie haue placed most fortunate regions with men of longe lyfe whiche the Greekes caule Macrobios and of moste innocente behauour vnder the tracte of those landes and that there came from thence to Delphos certeyne religious virginnes with vowes and gyftes consecrated to Apollo And furthermore that that nation obserued this institution vntyll the sayde virgins were violated of them of whome they were receaued as straungers These are most cleare testimonies of Antiquitie both of the greatnesse of Schondia and the people that inhabite the same althowgh they were sence vnknowen as lykewyse the Gothes departynge from these north landes althowghe they obteyned Thempire of the regions abowte the marisshes of Meotis and the coastes of the sea Euxinus â—hinuasions of the Gothes with the realme of Denmarke wherof that is thought to bee a portion which is nowe cauled Transiluania and the bankes of the ryuer of Danubius â—ransiluania and in fine inuaded the Romane Empire yet were not the regions wel knowen from whense they tooke theyr originall Therefore lyke as parte of the owlde wryters are vnsufficient wytnesses to testifie of owre narrations as touchynge these landes vnknowen to them Euen so the other parte which excluded the same as vnhabitable are to bee conuinced leaste theyr autoritie beinge admitted shuld ingender opinions not agreeable or conuenient to the nature of places Sigismundus Liberus in his commentaries of Moscouia wryteth thus Scandia or Scondia is no Iland as sume haue thought but parte of the continente or firme lande of Suetia which by a longe tracte reacheth to Gothlande And that nowe the kynge of Denmarke possesseth a great parte therof But wheras the wryters of these thinges haue made Scondia greater then Suetia that the Gothes and Lumbardes came frome thense The Gothes and Lumbardes they seeme in my opinion to comprehende these three kyngedomes as it were in one body only vnder the name of Scondia forasmuch as then that parte of lande that lyeth betwene the sea Balthrum whiche floweth by the coastes of Finlandia and the frosen sea was vnknowen And that by reason of so many marisshes innumerable ryuers and intemperatnesse of heauen it is yet rude vncultured and lyttle knowen Which thynge hath byn the cause that summe iudged all that was cauled by the name of Scondia to bee one great Ilande ¶ Gronlande GRonlande is interpreted greene lande so cauled for the great increase and frutefulnesse of pasture Frutefull pasture By reason wherof what great plentie of cattayle there is it may hereby appere that at such tyme as shyppes may passe thyther they set furth great heapes of cheese and butter to bee sould wherby wee coniecture that the lande is not rowgh with barren mountaynes It hath two Cathedrall Churches vnder thordinaâ—ion of Nidrosia To one of these was of late yeares a bysshop appoynted onely by the tytle of a suffragane in consideration that while the metropolitane dooth neglect the direction of religion for the distance of the place and difficult nauigation the people is in maner faulne to gentilitie Religion neglected beinge of them selfe of mouable wyttes and gyuen to magical artes For it is sayde that they as also the people of Laponia doo rayse tempestes on the sea with magical inchauntmentes Inchaunters and brynge such shippes into daungeour as they intâ—â—de to spoile They vse lyttle shyppes made of lether and safe ageynste the brusynge of the sea and rockes and with them assayle other shippes Peter Martyr of Angletia writeth in his Decades of the Spanisshe nauigations that Sebastian Cabote sayling from Englande continually towarde the north The vyage of Sebastian Cabote to the frosen sea folowed that course so farre that he chaunsed vppon greate flakes of Ise in the mooneth of Iuly and that diuertynge from thense he folowed the coaste by the shore bendynge towarde the South vntyl he came to the clime of the Ilande of Hispaniola aboue Cuba an Iland of the Canibales Which narration hath giuen me occasion to extende Gronlande beyonde the promontory or cape of Huitsarch to the continente or firme lande of Lapponia aboue the castell of Wardhus Gronlande wardhus which thynge I did the rather for that the reuerende Archebysshoppe of Nidrosia constantely affirmed that the sea bendethe there into the forme of a crooked elbowe It agreeth herewith also that the Lapones consent with them in the lyke magical practises and doo neyther imbrase the Christian religion nor refuse it wherby I haue thowght this lykenesse of customes to bee betwene them bycause they ioyne togyther in one continent Lapponia Gronlande The distance lykewyse seemeth not to disagree For betwene both these people Schoeni the distance is not full twoo hundreth Schâ—ni euery one being a space of grounde conteinyng .lx. furlonges which make .vii. myles and a halfe It furthermore agreeth with this coniecture that Cabote chaunsed into such Ise. And albeit as touchynge the mooneth of Iuly Cabote tould me that this Ise is of fresshe water and not of the sea I wyll contend it is not well rehersed no althowghe he had sayled vnder the pole for such reasons as wee haue declared before to the contrary neuerthelesse that at sum tyme he sayled by Ise this testifieth in that he sayled not by the mayne sea but in places nere vnto the lande comprehendyng and imbrasyng the sea in forme of a goulfe A commixtioÌ„ of
thereof folowe effectually Diuination Neuerthelesse althowgh such thynges as are spoken eyther by coniecture Coniecture or by thinstincte of nature or by naturall reason doo oftentymes take place and succede accordyngely yet are not such coniectures to bee accoumpted as certeyne as prophesies reueled by the spirite of god Prophesie which wee ought entierly to beleue but not so the other gathered only by certeine apparences similitudes reasons and demonstrations althowghe it bee greatly to bee maruailed to consyder howe they hytt e the truthe sumtyme which perhappes they doo accordyng to the prouerbe that sayth He that speaketh much shall sumtimes stumble on the truth So do the Egiptians All this I speake consyderynge the sayinge of the poet Seneca in his tragedie of Medea where his woordes seeme in all poyntes to agree with the discouerynge of the Indies founde of late by Chrystofer Colon the Spanyardes The woordes of Seneca The wordes of Seneca are these Venient annis Saecula seris quibus Oceanus Vincula rerum laxet et ingens Pateat tellus Tiphisque nouos Detegat orbes Nec sit terris vltima Thyle That is to saye There shall coomme worldes in late yeares in the which the Ocean shall vnlose the bondes of thynges and a great lande shall appeare Also Typhis that is nauigation shall discouer newe worldes And Thyle shall not bee the furthest lande Islande was in owlde time cauled Thyle as summe thinke ¶ The coppie of the duke of Moscouie and Emperoure of Russia his letters sent to kinge Edwarde the syxte The almighty poure of god and the incomprehensible holie Trinitie rightfull Christian beleefe we greatest Duke Ivan Uasileuich by the grace of god Emperoure of all Russia and greate duke of Uflademerskii Iuan Uasiliuich that is Iohn the soon of Basilius He conquered Casan therfore wryteth Lazanskii Moskouskii Nougorodskii Cazanskii Pskouskii Smolenskii Tuerskii Yougorskii Permskii Ueatsskii Bolgarskii with diuers other landes Emperoure also and greate duke of Nouagoroda and in the lowe countreys of Chermgouskii Rezanskii Uolotsskii Rzefskii Belskii Rostouskii Yaroslauskii Bclocherskii Oodorskii Obdorskii Condinskii and many other countreys Lord ouer all the north coaste Greetinge BEfore all right great and of honoure woorthy Edwarde kynge of Englande oure moste harty and of good zeale with good intente and frendly desyre and of owre holy Christian fayth of greate gouernaunce in the lyght of greate vnderstandynge Owre aunswere by thys our honorable writing vnto yowre kyngly gouernaunce at the request of yowre faithfull seruaunt Rycharde with his company as they shall let yowe wysely knowe is thus In the strengthe of the twentie yeare of owre gouernaunce be it knowen that at owre sea coastes arryued a shyppe with one Rycharde and hys company and sayd that he was desyrous to comme into owre dominions and accordynge to hys request hath seene owre lordshyppes and owre eys Seene owre eyes that is coomme to owr presence hathe declared vnto vs yowre maiesties desyre as that we shulde graunte vnto yowre subiectes to go and comme And in oure dominions and among owre subiects to frequente free martâ—s with all sortes of marchandies and vppon the same to haue wares for theyr returne And they haue also delyuered vs yowre letters which declare the same request And here vppoÌ„ we haue gyuen order that where soeuer your faythfull seruaunte Hugh Wyllobie lande or touche in owre dominions to bee well interteyned who as yet is not arryued as yowre seruaunte Rycharde can declare And wee with Christian beleefe and faythfulnesse and according to your honorable requeste and my honorable commaundement wyll not leaue it vndoone And am furthermore willynge that yow sende vnto vs with your shyppes and vessels when and as often as they may haue passage with good assurance on owre partie to see them harmelesse And if yow sende one of yowre maiesties counsaile to treate with vs wher by your countrey marchauntes may with all kyndes of wares and where they wyll make theyr market in our dominions and there to haue theyr free marte with all free liberties thorough my whole dominions with al kyndes of wares to come and goo at theyr pleasure without any lette domage or impediment accordynge to thys our letter our worde and our seale which wee haue commaunded to bee vnder sealed Wrytten in our dominion in our towne and our palesse in the Castell of Moscouia in the yeare .vii. thousande and syxtie the seconde moneth Febriarie Thys letter was wrytten in the Moscouian tounge in letters much lyke vnto the Greeke letters very fayre wrytten in paper with a brode seale hangynge at the same sealed in paper vppon wex Thys seale was much lyke vnto the brode seale of Englande hauyng in it on the one syde the Image of a man on horsebacke in complete harnes fighting with a dragon Under this letter was an other paper writteÌ„ in the duche toung which was thinterpretation of the other wrytten in the Moscouite Letters These letters were sent the nexte yeare after the data of Kynge Edwardes Letters ¶ Of the great Ilande which Plato cauled Atlantica or Atlantide THe Philosopher Plato wrytethe in his Dialoges of Timeus and Cricia that in the owlde time there was in the sea Atlanticke ouer agenst Affrica an Ilande cauled Atlantide greater then Affrica and Asia Plato sayth that these kynges were the sonnes of Neptunus affirmynge that those landes aâ—e from thense continent and greate And that the kynges of that Ilande gouerned a greate parte of Affrica and Europe But that in a certeyne greate earthequake and tempest of rayne An earthquake this Ilande soonke and the people were drowned Also that there remayned so much mudde of the drownynge or synkynge of that Ilande that that sea Atlantike coulde not bee sayled Sum take this for a fable and many for a trewe hystorie as doothe Marcilius Ficinus inducinge Proclus alleagynge certeyne hystories of the Ethiopians wrytten by one Marcellus Marcilius Ficinus Proclus who corfirmeth the same to bee trewe But there is nowe no cause why wee shulde any longer doubte or dispute of the Iland Antlantide forasmuch as the discouerynge and conquest of the west Indies do plainly declare what Plato hath wrytten of the sayde landes In Mexico also at this day they caul that water Atl. by the halfe name of Atlant Mexico or new Spaine as by a woorde remaynynge of the name of the Ilande that is not Wee may lykewyse say that the Indies are eyther the Ilande and firme lande of Plato or the remanent of the same and not the Ilandes of Hesperides or Ophir or Tharsis as sum haue thought of late dayes For the Hesperides are the Ilandes of Cabo Uerde and the Gorgonas from whense Hanon browght apes Albeit in conferrynge it with Solinus hesperides Capo Uerde Ophir Tharsis Gorgonas Solinus there is sum doubte by reason of the nauigation of fortie
of this smaule begynnynge and how Colon folowed this matter reueled vnto hym not withowte goddes prouidence ¶ What labour and trauayle Colon tooke in attemptyng his fyrst vyage to the Indies AFter the death of the pilot and mariners of the Spanyshe caruell that discouered the Indies Chrystopher Colon purposed to seke the same But in howe muche more he desyred this the lesse was his poure to accomplishe his desire For besyde that of him selfe he was not able to furnysshe one shyppe he lacked also the fauour of a kynge vnder whose protection he might so enioy the riches he hoped to fynde that none other myght take the same from hym or defeate hym therof And seinge the kynge of Portugale occupied in the conquest of Africa and the nauigations of the East which were then fyrst attempted The kinge of Portugale the kynge of Castyle lykewyse no lesse busyed in the warres of Granada The kyng of Castile he sent to his brother Bartholomewe Colon who was also priuie to this secreate to practise with the kynge of Englande Henry the seventh beinge very ryche and withowt warres Kynge Henry the seuenth promysynge to brynge hym great ryches in short time if he wolde shew him fauour and furnysshe hym with shippes to discouer the newe Indies wherof he had certeyne knowleage But neyther here beinge able to brynge his sute to passe he caused the matter to bee moued to the kynge of Portugale Don Alonso the fyfte of that name at whose handes he founde neither fauour nor money forasmuch as the licenciate Calzadilla the byshop of Uiseo Barnarde knewe not all thynges and one master Rodrigo men of credit in the science of Cosmographie withstoode him and contended that there neither was nor coulde any golde or other ryches bee founde in the west as Colon affirmed By reason whereof he was very sadde and pensiue but yet was not discouraged or despaired of the hope of his good aduenture which he afterward found This done he tooke shippinge at Lisburne and came to Palos of Moguer where he coÌ„muned with Martin AloÌ„so PinzoÌ„ an expert pylot who offered hym selfe vnto hym After this disclosynge the hole secreates of his mynde to Iohn Perez of Marchena a fryer of thorder of saynt Frances in Rabida and wel lerned in Cosmographie declarying vnto hym how by folowyng the course of the son by a temperate vsage rich and great landes myght be founde the fryer greatly commended his enterpryse and gaue him counsayle to breake the matter to the duke of Medina Sidonia Don Enrique of Guzman a great lorde and very ryche The duke of Medina Sidonia And also to Don Luys of Cerda the duke of Medina Celi The duke of Medina Celi who at that tymes had great prouision of shippes well furnyshed in his hauen of Santa Maria. But wheras both these dukes tooke the matter for a dreame and as a thynge diuised of an Italian deceauer who as they thought had before with lyke pretence deluded the kynges of Englande and Portugale the fryer gaue hym courage to go to the courte of the Catholyke princes Don Ferdinando and lady Isabell princes of Castile affirmynge that they wolde bee ioyfull of such newes And for his better furtherance herin wrote letters by hym to fryer Ferdinando of Talauera the queenes confessor Chrystopher Colon therfore repayred to the court of the Cathollike princes in the yeare M. CCCC.lxxxvi and delyuered vnto theyr handes the peticion of his request as concerninge the discouerynge of the newe Indies But they beinge more carefull and applyinge all theyr mynde howe they myght dryue the Moores owt of the kyngdome of Granade The coÌ„quest of Granada which great enterpryse they had alredy taken in hande dyd lyttle or nothynge esteme the matter But Colon not thus discouraged found the meanes to declare his sute to such as had sumtymes priuate communication with the kynge what men knowe not they count funtasticall Yet bicause he was a stranger and went but in simple apparell nor otherwyse credited then by the letter of a gray fryer they beleued hym not neyther gaue eare to his woordes wherby he was greatly tormented in his imagination Colon his interteinmente Only Alonso of Quintanilia the kynges chiefe auditour gaue hym meate and drynke at his owne charges and hard gladly such thynges as he declared of the landes not then founde desyrynge hym in the meane tyme to bee contente with that poore enterteynemente and not to despayre of his enterpryse puttynge hym also in good conforte that he shulde at one tyme or other coome to the speache of the Catholyke princes And thus shortly after by the meanes of Alonso of Quintanilia Colon was browght to the presence and audience of the Cardinall Don Pero Gonzales of Mendoza archbysshop of Toledo The archbysshop of Toledo a man of great reuenues autoritie with the kynge and queene who brought hym before them after that he well perceaued and examyned his intent Colon is brought to the kynges presence And by this meanes was his sute harde of the Catholyke princes who also redde the booke of his memorials which he presented vnto them And although at the fyrst they tooke it for vayne and false that he promysed neuerthelesse they put hym in good hope that he shulde bee well dispatched when they had fynyshed the warres of Granada which they had now in hand With which answere Colon beganne to reuyue his spirites with hope to bee better estemed and more fauorably to bee hard amonge the gentelmen and noble men of the court who before tooke hym only for a craftie felowe and deceauer and was nothynge dismayde or discouraged when so euer he debated the matter with them althowghe many iudged hym phantasticall The iudgement of ignorant folkes as is the maner of ignorant menne to caule all such as attempte any thynge beyonde theyr reach and the compaâ—se of theyr knowleage thinkyng the worlde to bee no bigger then the cagies wherin they are brought vp and lyue But to returne to Colon So hotte and vrgente was the siege of Granada that they presentely graunted hym his demaunde to seeke the newe landes Colon is dispatched and to brynge from thense golde syluer perles precious stones spices and suche other rych thynges They gaue hym also the tenth parte of all the reuenues and customes dewe vnto the kynge of al such landes as he shulde discouer Colon his rewarde not doynge preiudice in any thynge to the kynge of Portugale The particulars of this agrement were made in the towne caused Sanera Fe and the priuilege of the rewarde in Granada the .xxx. daye of Aprell the same yeare that the citie was woonne And wheras the sayde Catholyke princes had not mony presently to dispatch Colon Luys of s. Angell the kynges secretary of accomptes lente theym syxe quentes of marauedes whiche in a grosse summe make .xvi. thousande ducades Two thynges are herein chiefely to
doubtfull reason In sume regions the coulde is so extreme that greate ryuers are so frosen Extreme colde that laden cartes and armies of men passe ouer the immouable I se Wine also and other moist thynges are so conieled that they may bee cutte with knyues But this is more marueylous that thextreeme partes of suche apparell as menne weare are so bytten with coulde that they faule of Mens eyes are also dymmed the fyre gyueth not his natural bryghtnesse and brasen vesselles and images are broken Sumtime by reason of thicke cloudes thunders and lyghtnynges are neyther seene or harde in such regions Many other thinges more marueylous theÌ„ these hath nature wrought which may seeme incredible to the ignorant but easy to such as haue experience In the furthest partes of Egypt and Trogloditica the heate of the soonne is so extreme abowt noone Extreme heate that noo man can se hym that standeth by hym by reason of the thicke ayer caused by the vapoures and exhalations raysed by the heate None can go withowt shoos but haue theyr fiete suddeynly blystered and exulcerate Such as are a thyrst dye immediatly except they haue drynke at hande the heate so faste consumeth the moysture of theyr bodyes Meate put in brasen vesselles is sodde in short space by the heate of the soonne withowt other fyre The force of education Yet they that are borne and browght vp in such regions had rather wyllyngely susteyne these incommodities then bee inforced to lyue otherwyse such a loue of theyr natiue countrey hath nature gyuen to all men custome of continuance from younge yeares being also of force to ouer comme the maliciousnesse of the ayer Neuerehelesse Extreme heate colde in A smale distance these places of such contrary natures wherby suche strange effectes are caused are not farre in sunder or diuided by any great distance For from the marysshes of Meotis or Meotides where certeyne Scythians dwell in extreme coulde Frome Scythia to Ethiopia many haue sayled with shyps of burden to Rodes in the space of ten dayes and from thense to Alexandria in foure dayes From whense passynge throwgh Egypte by the ryuer of Nilus they haue arryued in Ethiopia in other tenne dayes So that the nauigation from the couldest partes of the worlde to the hottest râ—gions is no more then .xxiiii. continuall dayes Where as thâ—refore the varietie of the ayer is such in places of so smaul distance it is no marueyle that the customes and maners of lyuynge of the people of those regions with the complexions of theyr bodyes and such thynges as are engendered there do greatly dyffer from owres ¶ The preface to the bookâ— of Metals TO this booke of the Indies and nauigations I haue thowght good to adde the booke of metals for three causes especially me mouynge whereoâ— the fyrst is that it seemeth to me a thynge vndecent to reade so much of golde and syluer and to knowe lyttle or nothynge of the naturall generation thereof beinge neuerthelesse thynges not onely most desyred but also such withowt the which at this age the lyfe of man can not bee passed ouer withowt many aduersities forasmuch as pouertie is hatefull to all men and vertue no further esteemed then it is supported by ryches syth nowe that lady that reigned in Saturns dayes is becomme the slaue to hym that was then her bondeman in that golden worlde so named not for the desyre that men had to golde but for thinnocencie of lyuynge in those dayes when Mars was of no poure and men thought it crueltie by breakynge the bones of owre mother the earth to open a way to the courte of infernal Pluto from thence to get golde and syluer the seedes of al mischiefes and angels of such a god whom the antiquitie not without good consyderation paynted blynde affirmynge also that of hym golde and syluer haue receaued the propertie to blynde the eyes of men But syth it is nowe so that we shal be inforced to seke ayde by that which was sumtymes a myschefe it resteth to vse the matter as doo cunnynge phisitians that can mynister poyson in proportion with other thynges in such sort qualyfyinge the maliciousnesse therof that none shall therby bee intoxicate Forasmuch therfore as golde and syluer haue obteyned this prerogatiue that they are suche necessarie euyls which the lyfe of man can not lacke withowt detriment not only they but other metals also perhappes more necessarie althowgh not so precious are thynges woorthy to bee better knowen then only by name syth they are thinstrumentes of â—ll artes the prices of all thynges the ornamentes of al dignities and not the least portion of nature wherby the conteÌ„plation of them is no lesse pleasaunte then necessary But forasmuch as it is not here my intent to intreate much of metals I wyll speake of the seconde cause which is that if in trauaylyng strang and vnknowen countreys any mans chaunce shal be to arryue in such regions where he may knowe by thinformation of thinhabitauntes or otherwyse that suche regions are frutefull of riche metals he may not bee without sum iudgement to make further searche for the same The thyrde cause is that althowgh this owre realme of Englande be ful of metals not to bee contemned and much rycher then men suppose yet is there fewe or none in Englande that haue anye greate skyll thereof or any thynge wrytten in owr tounge whereby men maye bee well instructed of the generation and fyndyng of the same as the lyke ignorance hath byn amonge vs as touchynge Cosmographie and nauigations vntyll I attempted accordinge to the portion of my talent and simple lernynge to open the â—yrst dore to the enteraunce of this knoweleage into owre language wherin I wolde wyshe that other of greater lernynge wolde take sume peynes to accomplysshe and bringe to further perfection that I haue rudely begunne not as an autour but a translatoure leaste I bee iniurious to any man in ascrybyng to my selfe the trauayles of other And wheras as concernynge the knowleage of metals I was once mynded to haue translated into Englyshe the hole woorke of Pyrotechnia wherof I fynysshed .xxii. chapitures nowe more then three yeares sence and lefte the copie therof in the handes of one of whom I coulde neuer get it ageyne omyttynge to speake of other ingratitudes I was therby discouraged to proceade any further in that woorke Neuerthelesse sythe this hystory of the Indies hath ministred occasion to intreate sumwhat of metals I haue ageyne translated three of the fyrst chapitures of that booke which seeme most necessary to bee knowen in this case And hereof to haue sayde thus much in maner of a preface it may suffice Of the generation of metalles and their mynes with the maner of fyndinge the same written in the Italien tounge by Vannuccius Biringuczius in his booke cauled Pyrotechnia To his louynge frende Master Bernardino Moncellese greeting WHereas I promysed yow to wrytte of
of vehement wyndes nere vnto the Equinoctiall line and of the coloure of the earth of the golden mines Of the large and frutefull playne of zauana and of the ryuer Comogrus Also howe kynge Comogrus baptised by the name of Charles gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Of the good fortune of Uaschus and howe he was turned froÌ„ Goliath to Eliseus and frome Anteus to Hercules And with what facilitie the Spanyardes shall hereafter obteyne greate plentie of golde and pearles Of the Spanyardes conquestes and fiâ—rcâ—nesse of the Canibales Also an exhortacion to Chrystian princes to sette forwarde Chrystes religion ¶ The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 104 â–ª ¶ The fourth vyage of Colonus the Admitall frome Spayne to Hispaniola and to the other Ilandes and coastes of the firme lande Also of the florysshynge Ilande Guanassa Of seuen kyndes of date trees wylde vyues and Myrobalanes Also of byrdes and foules Of people of goodly stature which vse to paynt theyr bodyes And of the swyfte course of the sea from the east to the west Also of fresshe water in the sea Of the large regions of Paria Os Draconis and Quiriquetana And of greate Tortoyses and reedes Also of the foure frutefull Ilandes cauled Quatuor Tempora and .xii. Ilandes cauled Limonares Of sweete sauours and holsome ayer And of the region Quicuri and the hauen Cariai or Myrobalanus Also of certeyne ciuyle people Of trees groynge in the sea after a straunge sorte and of a straunge kynde of Moonkeys which inuade men and feight with wylde bores Of the greate goulfe of Cerabaro replenisshed with many frutefull Ilandes and of the people which weare cheynes of golde made of ouches wrought to the similitude of dyuers wylde beastes and foules Of fyue vyllages whose inhabitauntes gyue them selues onely to gatherynge of golde and are paynted vsynge to weare garlandes of Lyons and Tygers clawes Also of seuen ryuers in all the which is founde greate plentie of golde And where the plentie of golde ceaseth Of certeyne people which paynt theyr bodyes and couer theyr priuie members with shelles hauynge also plates of golde hangynge at theyr nosethrylles Of certeyne woormes which beinge engendered in the seas nere abowt the Equinoctiall eate holes in shyppes And how the Admirals shyppes were destroyde by them Howe the kynge of Beragua enterteyned the Lieuetâ—nant and of the great plentie of gold in the ryuer of Duraba and in al the regions there about Also in rootes of trees and siones and in maner in all the ryuers Howe the Lieuetenaunt and his coompany wolde haue erectâ—d a colonie besyde the ryuer of Beragua and was repulsed by thinhabitauntes Howe the Admirall fel into the handes of the barbarians of the Ilande of Iamaica where he lyued miserably the space of tenne moonethes And by what chaunce he was saued and came to the Ilande of Hispaniola Of holsome regions temperate ayer and continual spring al the hole yeare Also of certeyne people which honour golde religiously durynge theyr golden haruest Of the mountaynes of Beragua beinge fiftie myles in heyght and hygher then the clowdes Also the discription of other mountaynes and regions there about comparynge the same to Italy Colonus his opinion as touchynge the supposed continente and ioynynge of the noâ—th and south Ocean Also of the breadth of the sayde continente or firme lande Of the regions of Uraba and Beragua and the great riueâ— Maragnonus and the ryuer of Dabaiba or Sancti Iohannis Also of certeyne marysshes and desolate wayes and of dragons and Crocodiles engendered in the saâ—e Of .xx. golden ryuers abowt Dariena and of certeyne precious stones especially a diamunde of marueilous byggenesse bought in the prouince of Pâ—â—ia Of the heroical factes of the Spanyardes and howe they contemne effeminate plâ—asures Also a similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde and precious stones ¶ The contentes of the fyfth booke Fol. 113. ¶ The nauigation of Petrus Arias from Spayne to Hispaniola and Dariena and of the Ilandes of Canarie Also of the Ilandes of Madanino Guadalupea and Gatanâ—a Of the sea of herbes and mountaynes couered with snow Also of the swyfte course of the sea towarde the west Of the ryuer Gaira the region Caramairi and the porte Carthago and Sancta Martha Also of Americus Uesputius and his expert cunnynge in the knowledge of the carde compasse and quadrant Howe the Canibales assayled Petrus Arias with his hole nauie and shot of theyr venemous arrowes euen in the sea Also of theyr houses and housholde stuffe Howe Gonzalus Quiedus founde a saphire bygger then a goose egge Also emerodes calcidonies iaspers and amber of the mountaynes Of woddes of brasile trees plentie of golde and marchasites of metals founde in the regions of Caramairi Gaira and Saturma Also of a straunge kynde of marchaundies exercised amonge the people of Zunu That the region of Caramairi is lyke to an earthly Paradise And of the frutefull mountaynes and pleasaunte gardeynes of the same Of many goodly countreys made desolate by the fiercenes of the Canibales and of dyuers kyndes of breade made of rootes Also of the maner of plantynge the roote of Iucca whose iuise is deadely poyson in the Ilandes and without hurte in the continent or firme lande Of certeyne golden ryuers hartes wylde bores foules gossampine whyte marble and holsome ayer Also of the greate ryuer Maragnonus descendynge from the mountaines couered with snowe cauled Serra Neuata Howe Petrus Arias wasted certeyne Ilandes of the Canibales Also howe by the swyfte course of the sea his shyppes were caried in one nyght fortie leaques beyonde thestimation of the beste pylottes ¶ The contentes of the syxte booke Fol. 118. ¶ Of sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft a course from the Easte to the west and of the greate goulfe of the north parte of the firme lande The vyage of Sebastian Cabote from Englande to the frosen sea and howe beinge repulsed with Ise in the moonethe of Iuly he sayled farre westwarde Of people apparelled with beastes skynnes And howe beares take fysshes in the sea and eate them Howe Sebastian Cabote after that he had discouered the lande of Baccallaos or Baccallearum was cauled out of Englande into Spayne where he was made one of thassistaunce of the counsayle of th affayres of India of his second viage Of the Ilande Fortis And howe a great foule as bygge as a storke lyghted in the gouernours shyppe Also howe he arryued at Dariena with the kynges nauie Howe Uaschus receaued the newe gouernour And of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctial Howe Petrus Aries the newe gouernour distributed his army to conquere the south regions ryche in golde and to erecte newe colonies in the same Of the ryche golde mynes of Dabaiba and of thexpedition ageynst the kynge of that region Of the Uiolent course of the sea from the east to the west And of the difficulte saylynge ageynst the same Of the pestiferous and vnholsome ayer of Sancta