pay 20. shillings for a vertuous purpose And perhaps the same would lessen the exaction of the rest in the mercie of God To this furtherance of money I would haue those Brokers and extorting Iackes receiue corporall punishment who shall by indirect tricks and monthly bills exact vpon pawnes more interest then euer the Iew of Malta tooke of his deadly enemies After him the Lawmaker Solon discoursed as followeth I haue heard this day sundry pretty proiects pronounced by my Colleagues for the enriching of Great Britaine But if all these fall out happily and the Deuill still continue to sow his seeds of dissention in mens hearts to goe to Law one with another for a Goats haire by the procurement of Makebates and the aduice of some couetous Lawiers to what end shall his Maiestie spend his time to succour and supply them with money and they presently after to bestow the same on others for the molesting of Innocents This were to make our great Appollo accessary and priuie to iniurious dealings First let my good Ilanders weed out or at least wise restraine the insolencies deceits and equiuocations of Lawiers and then seeke for remedies to heale their indispositions Shall the mild Comforter of humane soules minister an occasion of scandall to reprobates and fewell to their iniquities If they get wealth men as I see haue not the wit to keepe it Therefore I thinke fit and it is a treasure inualuable to tame the Lawiers before any more riches be giuen as swords in mad mens hands to offend the seruants of God What intolerable knaueries haue beene exercised of late yeares by fellowes of this ranke against honest men yea against whole Countries whose blood like that of Abell doth cry for vengeance I know one poore Lordship in Wales which was persecuted by them and forced for foure thousand pounds to compound for their natiue freehold which by Records found in the Tower their Ancestors had enioyed 300. yeares and all vpon that farre fetcht maxime Nullum tempus occurrit Regi that no prescription of time might barre the Prince of his Right And if the wise King Iames of blessed memory had not set a period to their insinuations by limiting 60 yeares to his titulary demand God knowes to what euent their dangerous positions would haue issued vnto It is an easie thing for a man to find a staffe to beat a dog and for a cunning Lawier with the crochet of his braine to circumuent harmelesse people How many thousand pounds are yearely spent in Wales alone to maintaine suites at Law which might be well spared if the fountaine were dam'd vp Let the King of Great Britaine shut vp the spring which enuenomes multitudes of his poore subiects who grone vnder their burthen worse then the Israelies vnder the bondage of Egypt and Wales alone shall saue aboue 40. thousand pounds a yeare which row they consume besides their dear time not to be redeemed in vnnecessary suits at Law CHAP. 11. Apollo not throughly contented with the proiects of the seuen wise men of Greece commands others viz. Cornelius Tacitus CoÌ„minaeus the Lord Cromwell Sir Thomas Chaloner Secretary Walsingham Sir Thomas Smith and William Lord Burleigh who were knowne to be farre more Politicke Statesmen to deliuer their opinions how Great Britaine might be inriched APollo liked reasonable well of the inuentions demonstrated by the Seuen wise men of Greece But for all that some of them hee deemed to be more theoricall then really practick and therefore He caused some of his vertuous Attendants which had been famous for their Actiue diligence in managing matters of State to discouer more proiects whereby Great Britaine might attaine to a present fruition of Treasure For as his Imperiall Maiestie said Philosophers being Clinickes and retired to close chambers delighting more to be as Persius notes of them Esse quod Arcesilas arumnosique Solones Obstipo capite figentes lumine terram Like to Arcesilas or Solons found With down bent heads eies vpoÌ„ the ground then personally to bestirre themselues as men of motion ought in bringing their purposes and plots to execution they could not proue so necessary members to act what he intended as those which had by their industry got the start of them in actuall businesse The euent his Maiestie saw in Cicero and Caesar which moued our most prudent Apollo to referre these Pragmaticke affaires of Great Britaine to the experienced Cornelius Tacitus to Philip Commâ—naus to the Lord Cromwell which flourished in King Henrie the 8. daies to Sir Thomas Chaloner sometimes Ambassadour in Spain author of those admirable books de repub Anglorum instaur to Sir Francis Walsingham to Sir Thomas Smith which wrote the Common-wealth of England and to William Lord Burleigh Treasurer of England Cornelius Tacitus as the most ancient was elected first to certifie his censure who with a free Romane candour framed this discourse There is asmuch difference betwixt the face and state of Great Britane at this day and the fashion as it stood in Domitian time when I liued there with my victorious father in law Iulius Agricola as we see betwixt it and the Countrey of the Crime Tartare Then there was elbow roome for the Inhabitants sufficient without multiplicities of Law-suites subtle shifts conycatching or contagious thronging and hudling together But now Sunt homines alij natura Britannica differt In Britanes Isle both men and Land are chang'd We Romanes by our Legionary Cities wonne them to ciuility which they according to their quicke capacities speedily apprehending embraced the Christian Faith paid tribute to Caesar and continued in loyall obedience vnder his Lieutenants vntill our Monarchy became translated to Constantinople that so the fulnesse of time might inuest Antichrist in old Rome the Babylon of the West Since which time as the Children of Israel were sometimes aloft sometimes cast downe this Iland indured sundry changes But in my iudgement next vnto suits at Law which the wise Solon obserued to begger both Towne and Country the populousnesse of some chiefe Cities and specially of London doth impouerish the Royall Chamber of that Empire insomuch that it is in a manner impossible to inrich them before the Drones and yong hungry Bees bee remoued to some forraigne Places by an Act of Parliament and so prest by transcendent authority The people which I would haue thus prest are the Inmates the Cottagers the needy and needlesse numbers An honest Minister assured me that in his Parish at London there were many which perished of want being ashamed to begge and that he knew tenne persons hauing but a roome of twelue foot square to containe them but one bed for them all Many of the like calamity might bee found in that City two or three housholds crept into one house that I haue diuers times wondred that they are not euery second year visited with the Plague or Purples considering the multitudes of Channels Iakes and other vnpleasing places which
enuying at those hopefull attempts like those which repined at the rebuilding of Ierusalem would needs inioy the fruits of our labours despoyling vs of our Stages and the plaine plats of ground bounding on the Sea and not thus content they would cut downe a tree worth forty shillings fit for a Mast where a tree of two shillings might serue their turne Sometimes they would either of despite to the Planters or in a wanton vnbrideled humour set fire on the woods two or three miles together We neuer gaine-said them to fish vpon our Coast but on the contrary we were very glad of the occasioÌ„ Only we sought to curbe their in solencies which committed these outrages We endeuoured to hinder their wilfull casting their ballast into the harbours which in small time will quickly decide this present controuersie when the harbours shall by this outragious abuse bee choakt and dammed vp without any hope of recouery As for the Trade of Furs how can this be a grieuance more then it is in England where the petty Lords of Mannors clayme a farre greater Iurisdiction there to enlarge their Forrests and games yea and some haue obtained a Free Warren that none whatsoeuer should hawke or hunt vpon their Lands or within their Precincts If this be allowed in Old England much more ought we to stand vpon out Royalties in New England in lieu of our infinite charge and paines taken in our voyages and setling there our new inhabitants What Gentlemen of fashion will forsake their Country except they shall haue a larger extent of command and more hopes of benefit then at home To suffer such barbarous insolencies to bee done on a mans Free-hold cannot but trouble the meekest man on the earth yea another Moses another Iob. To this I adde how some of these Antiplanters led by an vnheard-of greedinesse of gaine haue sold vnto the Sauages Muskets Fowling-Peeces Powder Shot Swords Arrow-heads and other Armes wherewith the Sauages slew some of those Fishermen which had so inconsiderately sold such dangerous wares to Infidels By which means they are now become dangerous formidable to the Planters themselues And farre more fearefull would they haue proued vnto vs if the King of Great Britain our Soueraign had not strictly made a Proclamation to the contrary that no Subiect of his should presume to sel theÌ„ any such vnlawfull ware Vp on the brute of which Proclamation the Sauages being hopelesse euer to receiue of our Nation more Gunpowder they very circumspectly sowed in the best cornefields they had all the Powder which remained with full expectation to reape a goodly haruest thereof as of Mastard or other seedes Apollo according to his wonted manner hauing paused and meditated on the Plaintiffes and Defendants allegations about one quarter of an houre at last pronounced this definitiue sentence Forasmuch as wee conceiue both this Plantation and the Fishing Trade to be very expedient to Great Britaine we order both of them like Hippocrates Twinnes to consociate together in brotherly amity and to assist one another without malicious emulation That the Fishermen haue conuenient places for the drying of their Fish on the land with as much woods as will serue for their fewell during their abode in that Country and for their returne homewards by the way and also as much woods as will build vp on repaire their Ships Stages prouided that the common sort of Marriners shall not of their owne heads without their Master of the Ship and one of the chiefe of the Planters be present cut or cast down any woods but what by them shall be seene fit for those necessary vses Secondly that none of the Fishermen shall throw their Ballast into the Harbours to deface the same Thirdly that for some few yeares they shall not traffique with the Sauages but shall leaue the same to the Planters vntill the Plantations be compleately strengthened and of sufficient power to liue of themselues and bee conueniently armed against those barbarous people Fourthly that all such plats of plaine lands neere to the Harbours which the Planters shall from henceforth rid of woods and make apt for Stages to dry fish vpon shall belong to the Planters And that all such places which the Fishermen haue already rid and built Stages vpon shall appertaine to them for euer As also al such Stages which they shall hereafter build for that purpose In lieu of which priuiledges euery Ship shall transport a Tunne of such prouisions which the Plantations want receiuing for the same tenne shillings towards the fraught and the price of the goods by them disbursed in England Fiftly that both the Planters and the Fishermen shall ioyne and suddenly assemble all their forces together with their best endeuours to expell Pirates and their Countries enemies if any arriue on that Coast with intent to prey vpon eyther of them Sixtly if any dissention happen betwixt the Fishermen and the Planters the matter shall be compromitted to twelue mens arbitrement sixe of the one side and sixe of the other and if they misse to accord the parties difference then the chiefe person in the Plantation and the Master of the Ship whereof the Fisherman is to end the businesse as Vmpires and principall Iudges CHAP. 6. Apollo moued to pitty vpon a Petition preferred vnto him by certaine Saylers Widowes whose Husbands perished in the voyages vnder the East Indies Company causeth foure famous Knights of Great Britain Sir Francis Drake Sir Mâ—â—â—in Furbisher Sir Henry Middleton and Sir Thomas Button to signifie their opinions whereabout the best passage to the East Indies did lye VPon the Feast day of Saint Marke the Euangelist last past 1626. as Apollo was conferring with certaine Cosmographers for the aduancing of the East Indy Trade the Lady Pallas whispered his Maiestie in the eare to admit some into that conference which had beene principall Nauigators imployed for discoueries towards those Coasts For said she though speculation bee the most noble Science in Philosophy yet for the atchieuement of a reall and beneficiall Trade it serues to no other vse then as a Preparatiue in Phisicke to make the humours pliable and tractable for the insuing Purgation the which notwithstanding may proue erroneous and deceiueable if it meetes with a malignant stubborne or peruerse matter For who can by a coniecturall knowledge pierce into more hidden occurrences There is as much difference betwixt speculation and practise as is betwixt a clinicall scholler discoursing of Countries by his Map or Globe on a Table as a Mariner trauersing the Ocean where oftentimes he meetes with such difficulties that hee is forced to returne home and to wait for a more seasonable opportunity Therefore if you meane to hold vp and continue this Company it were good you sent for some choyse and well experienced Nauigators which may direct this businesse associated with the Gentlemen aboue named Apollo liked very well of this aduise and presently caused these foure famous Knights to
Great Britaines Monarchy might in a short time arriue to as great riches as the Spanish After these applauses his Maiestie beckned to Orpheus Iunior that hee should proceed in his discourse But suddenly the Lady Pallas interrupted him saying that it were requisite all his Nobles and Gouernours of Prouinces should be present at the discouery of the Golden Fleece whereby some timely order might bee taken for the guarding of the Coast which produced this pretious increase of Trade Apollo liked very wel of this wise admonition against that day seuennight required his Pegasean Postmasters to summon his Prouinciall Gouernours all other businesses set aside that they should appeare before him in the great Hall of the Court of Audience at Parnassus CHAP. 2. Orpheus Iunior particularizeth the manifold benefits of the Golden Fleece which might serue to repaire the decay of Trade lately complained of in Great Britaine and to restore that Monarchy to all earthly happinesse IVst on the prefixed day the afore-mentioned Gouernors appeared before his Maiestie at the place appointed where Apollo the Lady Pallas the Muses the Graces the Nymphs of Great Britaine and Ireland and all the wise Councellors of State with the choise spirits of his Empire attending on his Maiestie hee commanded Orpheus Iunior particularly to certifie vnto them the necessity and commodity of the Golden Fleece which might supply the defects of Great Britaine and restore it to the most flourishing estate wherein it euer stood in former times Orpheus Iunior after some few excuses of his disability proceeded to epitomize the singular properties of the Golden Fleece so much expected in this wise Most redoubted Emperor and next to our great Creator the prime Author of our worldly happinesse I am glad after the manifold crosses which I haue sustained by sundry accidents that God hath reserued me an Instrument this day to discouer that gaine which helpes our Commerce personall betwixt party and party and the Prouinciall betwixt our Kingdomes and the foraigne and both in the scale and ballance of Trade But before I declare the Commodities of this Trade I wil first shew the Necessity wherein we stand if it be not suddenly aduanced forwards To begin with my Natiue Countrey Wales Although many strange sicknesses haue diuers times of late yeares afflicted vs yet notwithstanding the multitudes of people are here so great that thousands yearly doe perish for want of reliefe Yea I haue known in these last deare yeares that 100. persons haue yearly died in a parish where the Tithes amounted not to fourscore pounds a yeare the most part for lacke of food fire and raiment the which the poorer sort of that Country stand in greater need of then the Inhabitants of the Champion Countreyes by reason of their Mountaines and hills which cause the winter there to be most bitter with stormy winds raine or snow and that for the space of eight moneths As also experience teacheth that Mountainous people require more store of nourishment for their bodies then they which dwell in the plaines or vallies which was the reason that in the North parts of England Seruants vsed to couenant heretofore with their Masters to feed them with bread made with Beanes and not of Barly from Allhalontide vntill May. Another point of Necessity to procure vs to set forwards this most hopeful Plantation and consequeÌ„tly the Fishing proceeds of the want of woods For the Ironmongers vpon what warrant I cannot learne haue lately consumed our woods and those fit for timber within lesse theÌ„â— miles to the Sea so that we must shortly repaire to other Countryes for woods to be employed towards shipping building husbandry c. which poore men are not able to do The decay of these woods also wil cause our breed of Cattle to decrease which heretofore stood as a shelter vnto them against tempestuous blastes Thirdly this maine businesse is to be promoted in regard of the Generall Populousnesse of Great Britaine which is the cheife cause that Charity waxeth cold Euery man hath enough to doe to shift for his owne maintenance so that the greatest part are driuen to extremities and many to get their liuing by other mens losses witnes our Extortioners Periurers Petâ—ifoggers at Law Conycatchers Theeues Cottagers Inmates vnnecessary Alesellers Beggers burners of hedges to the hindrance of Husbandry and such like which might perhaps proue profitable members in the Newfoundland But aboue all the state of younger Brothers is to the pitied who by the rigour of our Norman Lawes being left vnprouided of maintenance are oftentimes constrained to turne Pyrats Papists fugitiues or to take some other violent course to the preiudice of the Common-wealth For these important reasons arising out of meere necessity Pantations ought suddenly to be erected And where with lesser charge then in the Newfoundland Where can they liue to helpe themselues and benefit their Country better then in ioyning to encrease the reuenewes of the Crowne of Great Britaine by the rich trade of Fishing The Commodities whereof I will here cursorily repeat First this Trade of Fishing multiplyeth shipping and Mariners the principall props of this Kingdome It yearely maintaineth 8000 persons for 6. moneths in the Newfoundland which were they at home would consume in Tobacco and the Ale-house twice as much as they spend abroad It releeues after their returne home with the labour of their hands yearely their wiues and children and many thousand families within this Kingdome besides which aduentured with them or were employed in preparing of nets caskes victualls c. or in repayring of ships for that voyage Secondly It is neer vnto Great Britane the next Land beyond Ireland in a temperate Aire the south part thereof being of equall Climate with Little Britaine in France where the Sunne shines almost halfe an houre longer in the shortest day in the yeare then it doth in England Thirdly it will be a meanes for vs to reape the rest of the commodities of that Countrey which now we cannot enioy for want of people to looke after them and also for want of leasure our men there being busied in the Summer about the fishing or in preparing of their stages and boats and afterward returning home against winter The commodities of the Land are Furres of Beuer Sables Blacke Foxes Marternes Musk-rats Otters and such like skinnes as also of greater beasts as Deere and other wild creatures To this I adioyne the benefit which may be made by woods being pine birch spruce Furre c. fit for boords Masts barke for tanning and dying Charcoales for making of Iron Out of these woods we may haue pitch Tarre Rosen Turpentine Frankinscence and honey out of the hollow trees as in Muscouy and heretofore in our owne woods before they were conuerted to the Iron Mills There is great store of Mettals if they be lookt after The Plantations well and orderly there once erected will helpe vs to settle our Fishing Trade farre
throats with Cods-heads In what a case thinke you will your Iasons bee with their Fishing for the Golden Fleece if some of these Raggamuâ—â—ins make hauocke of their Ships Mariners Goods and Plantations Before you borrow the personal presence of those Gentlemen who are here wanting it were fit you tooke some order to secure that Coast from Piraticall rouers The Lord Vicount Falkland looketh vnto his great Gouernement in Ireland to see the same well fortified and guarded The Lord Baltimore is likewise busie in supplying his Colony at Feriland Sir William Alexander attends on the valiant King of Great Britaine night and day taking care by what meanes he may most commodiously transport his Scottish Colonies into those parts Sir Francis Tanfield and Sir Arthur Aston two generous Knights which to their immortall glory doe imploy their times in building and manuring that new ground cannot be spared from their Plantations lest the wild Boares breake into their Gardens I thinke said Apollo I must send for Hercules from his starry Spheare or get another Medusa whose very sight shall turne these Dunkirkes into stones before my vertuous followers shall endure the least affront at the hands of malicious Erynnis that Patronesse of barbarous Pirates In the mean time we will thinke on some conuenient course to restraine these threatned thunders and blustering blasts And seeing that you my deare seruants are here assembled at this time I must haue you to satisfie the wauering world whether the Golden Fleece be in greater plenty and abundance in this Iland or in New England Virginia the Summer Iles or in some other forraigne Coast which your Nation may easily possesse At these words there was much muttering among the English and Scottish For some contended on the behalfe of Virginia others contested for New England Euery man had his opinion according to his imaginary obiect wherein most preferred priuate fantasies before the intellectuall facultie His Maiestie hauing patiently awayted for their vnanimous resolution like Brethren of the same Iland borne vnder the same Prince Religion and Gouernement and seeing no end of their disputes hee willed Captaine Mason to breake the Ice in respect he had beene sixe yeares acquainted with ice and frosts at Cupert Coue one of the coldest places of those Countries and boldly without partiality feare or sinister regard to disclose the secrets of the Soile the benefits of the Land and whether this Plantation were such an inestimable iewell as Orpheus Iunior had deliuered or to be had in more estimation then any other place Captaine Mason after some complementall excuse of his disability answered in this wise I could haue wishe that Mr. Iohn Guy my predecessor in Britannioll a man both learned experienced in these exploits had spared me the relation which your Maiestie hath imposed on me But seeing the lot is falne into my share I will repeat those passages which hee and others here know better then my selfe This Iland now in question is altogether as large as England without Scotland And at the degree of 51. of Northerly latitude Where England ends there this blessed Land beginnes and extends it selfe almost as farre as the degree of 46. iust in a manner as the climate lieth from Caleis to Rochell The weather in the winter somewhat like vnto it in Yorkeshire but farre shorter for the Sun shines aboue halfe an houre longâ—r in the shortest day then it doth in London The Summer much hotter then in England and lasteth from lune vnto Michaelmas specially in the Southerly part I haue knowne September October and Nouember much warmer then in England But one thing more I found worthy of an Astrologers search wherefore the Spring begins not there before the end of Aprill and the winter comes not in before December or Ianuary the causes I know not vnlesse Nature recompenceth the defect of the timely Spring with the backward and later winter Or else because our Plantations lay open to the Easterly windes which partaking of the large tract of the Sea and of the icie mountaines which flote there being driuen by the current from the Northerly parts of the world might happily proue the accidentall cause of the Springs backwardnesse yet tolerable enough and well agreeing with our constitutioÌ„s Towards the North the land is more hilly and woody but the South part from Renoos to Trepassa plaine and champaine euen for 30. miles in extent It abounds with Deere as well fallow Deere as Ellans which are as bigge as our Oxen. And of all other sorts of wilde Beasts as here in Europe Beuers Hares c. The like I may say for Fowle and Fish I knew one Fowler in a winter which killed aboue 700. Partridges himselfe at Renoos But for the Fish specially the Cod which drawes all the chiefe Port townes in Christendome to send thither some ships euery yeare either to fish or to buy the same it is most wonderfull and almost incredible vnlesse a man were there present to be hold it Of these three men at Sea in a Boat with some on shoare to dresse and dry them in thirty dayes will kill commonly betwixt fiue and twenty and thirty thousand worth with the Traine oyle arising from them one hundred or sixe score pounds I haue heard of some Countries commended for their twofold haruest which here we haue although in a different kinde yet both as profitable I dare say as theirs so much extolld There is no such place againe in the world for a poore man to raise his fortunes comparable to this Plantation for in one moneths space with reasonable paines he may get as much as will pay both Land-lords Rent Seruants wages and all Houshold charges for the whole yeare and so the rest of his gaine to increase As for the other question whether the title of the Golden Fleece may bee conferred more deseruedly vpon this Iland then on any other forraigne place where his Maiesties Subiects of Great Britaine doe vse to Trade By the last part of my Discourse it is plaine that it goes farre beyond all other places of Trade whatsoeuer and iustly to be preferred before New England Virginia and other Plantations for these foure reasons First it lieth neerer to Great Britaine by three or foure hundred leagues then eyther of them For wee may saile hither within twelue or fourteene daies being not aboue sixe or seuen hundred leagues passage whereas Virginia lieth as far again Secondly it is better in respect of Trade and the concourse of people which with 500. or 600. Ships doe yearly resort thither By which meanes they augment their Princes Customes and doe maintaine many thousands of their fellow-subiects their wiues and children Thirdly he conueniency of transporting Planters thither at tenne shillings a man and twenty shillings the Tunne of goods And if the party be a Labourer it will cost him nothing for his passage but rather hee shall receiue foure or fiue pound for his hire to helpe the Fishermen on
a Patent deriued from his Earthly Soueraigne of great Britains Prerogatiue most vncharitably vnlawfully committed against them their Factors and Mariners on the Coast of New England in America Apollo willed them to declare their grieuances First they particularly shewed that this place was an Heathenish Coast vntilled and voyd of Christian Inhabitants in regard whereof they tooke it to be lawfull for them being Christians who in such remote wild Countreyes were to passe for Freemen and equal for right with Alexander the great that went into the East Indies as they into the West there to enioy the benefit of the Law of Nations to discouer new Countries to exchange wares for wares Cloath for Furres Ciuility for rudenesse and likewise to transport Fish which they laboured hardly for Pitch Tarre Masts and such like which they could not haue in Europe without a farre greater charge All this notwithstanding Sir Ferdinando Gorge by his Lieutenant and Agents opposed their Commerce forced them to compound for their Stages and pretended the Commodities of the Country to bee due to him and his Associates who first discouered the same and afterwards had obtained a Patent thereof of the Noble King Iames for their vse Likewise they intimated that the Sea was free and common to all men more common then Ergo in the Schooles or the word Homo which the Grammarians euen since Orbilius Quintilian and Priscians time haue stoutly maintained to bee a common name to all men ciuill and sauage yea and to all sorts of women the chast as the strumpet In respect of which Community warranted by the Lawes of the Rhodes the statutes of Oleron by the Constitutions of Holland and lastly by his transcendent authority which wrote the Booke called Mare liberum they hoped to settle a beneficiall Trading as well for Fishing on these forraigne Coasts as for such Land-Commodities which the Sauages would trucke with them Apollo vnderstanding of these oppositions tending in appearance to be a publike grieuance demanded of Sir Ferdinando Gorge wherefore hee sought to engrosse those merchandizes and to make a monopoly of the Furres which being bought of the Sauages might in time by this concourse of his fellow Christians proue a meane to ciuilize those rude Nations and specially his Maiestie askt him why he went about to appropriate the Sea Coasts to some few of his adherents which ought to be common which serued to exercise honest men in industrious courses and to make good his Law against the eating of flesh vpon prefixed dayes Sir Ferdinando Gorge answered Most dread Soueraigne the honour of a King consisteth as well in aduancing the building vp his Sauiours Church as the inlarging of his Territories which may proue an addition to the strengthening of his Forces and the inriching of his Crowne For the perfection of which glorious worke it pleased God to raise mee and others to aduenture our meanes for the discouery of this Country called New England which before lay vnknowne Hauing found it a habitable place commodious for the vse of many distressed people whom I saw to grone vnder the burthen of pouerty in my natiue Soile I resolued to imitate the painefull Bees to build houses like Hiues and therein to transplant them For which purpose to auoyd the confused state of an Anarchy I prepared the Plantation intended with the support of the Regall countenance and to that end got the Patent specified by my Aduersaries with large priuiledges immunities and power whereby our Planters might rest assured not onely of security against Drones but also of the quiet fruition of their profitable endeuours hazarded with their liues and not to bee attained without labours and the sweat of their browes Of what consequence not only this Plantation is but likewise all others of the like nature who knowes better then your Maiestie who once a yeare suruayes the vttermost parts of the earth euen to the Southerne Pole For what is it which renders a Nation vnhappy Next to the want of Gods knowledge which the Scripture termes Darknesse it is the want of necessaries for the sustentation of life as meat drinke and apparell And when through a long peace and their ouerspent fields their Country-men doe increase and mulply so that the extent of their natiue Land is not capable nor sufficient to maintaine them what poore soules shall they doe If they rob or steale they are hanged If they looke for worke perhaps they may meet with some couetous wretch that will retaine them during the haruest of Hay and Corne but in the Winter which in this Climat is longer then the Summer they may starue for lacke of food rayment and fyring This inconuenience was foreseene aboue 100. yeares since by Sir Thomas Moore who grieuously bewailes the ouer-sight of our Policies for condemning men to be hanged who robd of meere necessity whereas their Country like a prouident Mother ought rather to prouide them reliefe whereby they might liue like men borne of a wise and politike mother Some mothers haue loued their children that they haue hazarded their own liues to get heritages for their younger children yea and were content to suffer want themselues rather then their ofspring should miscarry Examples we can produce many How came the world first to be planted If the first Generations after Noahs Flood had all abode in Armenia Chaldea and Assyria the rest of the world had beene created in vaine Therefore God sundred them by confounding their languages at Babell that the glory of his power might be noised in all Regions and the sound of his Name throughout all Nations This made Saturne to plant in Italy This made Hercules to trauell to the Atlantique Iles and to ingraue his name on those memorable Pillars at the Straights of Gibraltar This made Iasoâ— with his braue Fleete of Argonantickes to saile into Cholchos in hope of a perpetuall Trade for the Gold of that place with his Grecian Commodities How came the Iles the Iles of the Gentiles to be peopled but by Plantations transported vpon the charge of able and substantiall persons Marseiles was ciuilized and inhabited with a Greeke Colony From whence are we all come into these parts We are not Natiues but after many hands led into this Kingdome Wee came from Saxony our selues as the most of Italy doe descend from the Northerly parts of Germany The Spaniards deriue their pedegrees from the runnagate Gothes or from the Moores who likewise glory to bee a remnant of the fugitiue Arabes O what a shame is it vnto vs at this day to see whole numbers of our English and Scottish dispersed abroad in Popish and Moorish Countries turned Apostataes and in time forgoing the memory of their naturall Mother-tongue as of the tue Faith wherein they were baptized Now how easily might this monstrous and inhumane absurdity be preuented by a timely Plantation To this end haue I and my Copartners laboured But as we were laying the foundation these Antiplanters
needy and supply Nauigations and Plantations abroad As soone as Periander had done Thales the Milesian tooke his turne and spake Many small pieces of meat put into the Pot make fat pottage and as the other Prouerbe implieth many a small makes a great and mountaines were made of small motes or atomes which I alleadge in my defence at this present for though I cannot promise Golden Mountaines to augment the State of Great Britaine yet I dare auow that I shall reueale one Proiect which shall spare them sixty thousand pounds a yeare now of meere necessity transported into France and Spaine for Salt Why may not they erect good store of Salt-houses in England neere those places where Coales are digged about New-Castle in Lancashire and in Wales where lately an Alderman of London had one which supplied Bristow and those Westerne parts with very fine Salt I know not what makes men so backward now adaies vnlesse they are made to beleeue by the Spirit of Errour that a bare naked Faith will iustifie them with doing any deedes of Charity For besides their yearely gaine they may doe very meritorious deedes equall to Almes giuing which as S. Iames writes will couer a multitude of sinnes in setting the poore at worke If they think it much to erect so many Salt houses as will serue all the Ilanders by reason of the deare rate of Coales to be conuerted for other vses let them set vp some in Newfound land some in New England and others in New Scotland where they may haue plenty of woods And it is knowne that Wood fire without conuerting Wood into Charcoale wil serue to boile Salt as wel as Coal There Salt being at hand to be had for the Fishermens vse it will saue at the least twenty thousand pound vnto the English which now with the tunnage and the Salt they are forced to be at charge Captain Whithorne in his book of the CoÌ„modities of that Country among other exceeding good notes by him there deliuered writes that one Panne will make aboue 20. bushels of good Salt in euery 24. houres onely with mans labour and the Salt water and not as some doe vse to make Salt vpon Salt which so there made shall not stand in three pence the bushell to those that prouide in that manner Wheras Salt now stands them in twenty pence at the least euery bushell And as the said Captaine Whitborne further affirmeth that Salt thus orderly boyled doth much better preserue Fish whether it be Ling Codde or Herring and keepe it sweeter then if the same were seasoned with any other kind of Salt Yea and Fish preserued with this white fine Salt will sell dearer in Spaine or Italy then if it were salted with the other muddy Salt After Thales Chilon began his relation in this wise I thinke there is money enough in the Land if people would bring it forth to take the Aire that Aire which God made common for the poore as the rich What a deale of Plate is there in London and in rich mens houses which some had rather goe directly into Hell then to sell it for the common good It were fit that such creatures had Tutors or as the Ciuilians say Curators to mannage their Estates for them seeing they haue not the benefit of reason to distinguish what is conuenient for mortall men which must suddenly returne to the dust of the earth and then whose shall these Goods be which these Fooles haue prepared with curses disquietnes of mind If Commissioners and Presenters were vpon their oathes to sound search into euery mans ability Subsidies might be trebled on some and the needier sort eased But in vaine doe I speake of Tutors Commissioners and Iuries if Merchants bee not lookt vnto that they transport not Money Plate or Bullion as the Statutes of Edward the 3. Richard the 2. Henry the 4. Henry the 6. Henry the 7. and Edward the 6. doe all strictly prohibite Erasmus in King Henry the 8. daies was like to feele the seuerity of those Lawes if that Magnificent King had not highly fauoured him For when this famous Scholler thought to take shipping to goe into the Low Countries at Grauesend the Kings Officers conâ—iscated 300. pound which hee had gotten in London by the liberality of the King Sir Thomas Moore and other fauourers of Learning in those daies so that poore Erasmus like another Pauper Henricus was constrained to returne backe to London where after that hee had bewailed his mishap to Sir Thomas Moore and other friends of his hee was aduised by them to repaire to the Chamber of Presence when this noble King sate at dinner The King wondred to see Erasmus who had taken his leaue of him aboue a fortnight before And thereupon merily askt him what winde draue him backe againe to his Court whom hee imagined to haue beene at Rotterdam Erasmus shewed the Case how his Maiesties Officers vsed him The King vnderstanding the matter bestowed on him 60. pound towards his stay and wrote to the Searchers commending their dutifull care that they should repay Erasmus all his money Many Noblemen also being present incouraged by the Kings liberality presented Erasmus with good gifts which with the Kings amounted to 300. pound more so that hee returned home into his Country with twise so much more money then he brought with him into England And from thence forth in all Companies applauded the iustice and liberality of the English Nation If Officers would watch to doe their indeauours for the seizing of Coine which may be transported yearely inâ—o Forraigne parts doubtlesse money would become more plentifull within the Land Here Chilon ended And Cleobulus framed his speech in this manner So great is some mens Couetousnesse at this time that they had rather hazard their soules to hell rather then to imploy their money for the honour and weale of their Country They will rather keepe it by them then lend part to releeue their dearest friends And I know not how to compell these wretches to bring it abroad vnlesse the Common-wealth would order Tutors ouer them as my Brother Chilon aduised grounding the equity of this Order vpon the antient writ de Lunatico inquirendo For surely a spirit possesseth them worse then that which madded Saul There is no other way to draw money out of misers hands but by hope of profit Since the Statute enacted in King Iames time for 8. in the 100. money is farre more scarce And therefore in my iudgement if that Act were repealed there might insue a twofold benefit First money would become more plentifull And then if an Act were made that Vsurers might be tolerated to take 9. pound in the 100. pound for one yeares vse that the party which borrowes should pay 20. shillings more to make it vp 10. pound as in former time and this last to be conuerted towards some meritorious work mony would waxe more abundant and no man would grudge to
counselled them to erect a speciall society of men of war to ioyne together in the Nauall expedition and to lend vpon reasonable considerations some of those shippes which they tooke to waft our Fishermen and to defend the Plantations Sir Thomas Smith protested that there must be strait Lawes enacted against superfluous commodities imported into the land out of other Countreyes before the Golden Fleece could possibly become the Catholike Restoratiue Among many superfluities hee insisted principally on three 1. vpon the extraordinary vse of Tobacco 2. vpon forraigne stuffes and silks which wrought the Decay of English cloth and consequently of many poore Housholds which liued by spinning weauing fulling and dressing of cloth 3. He enueighed against the multitudes of wine tauernes and Alehouses saying that a great part of our Treasure were yearly wasted in these fiery houses That halfe of them might well bee spared and that in Cities and Townes next to the contagion of the Aire formerly mentioned they were the chiefe causes of the inflamation of mens blood and so of Feuers and most of our late sicknesses And in conclusion he pronounced these verses In anciant times they vsed much to Fast And what was spar'd they turn'd to Almes at last But we the Sabbaths make Saturnall Feash On Holy dayes Drinke makes some worse then beasts If men did Custome pay for Ale and Beere Great Charles then Spaines King Philip richer were Our bloods inflam'd Diseases grow by Wine Our Barnes waxe lesse The Poore doe grone and pine Tempore Maiorum leiunis multa colebant Inque Eleâ—mosynas Copia versa suit Sabbata nunc mutant in Satur nalia Bacchi Patrum Festa di s ebri tate scatet Si pro Ceruisid persoluerâ—t Anglia Censum Ditior Hispano Carole magne fores Corporis hinc nimy facta ebullâ—tio morbos Accersâ—â— minuunt Hordea languet Egenis Lastly William Lord Burleigh brought forth his opinion and said that all the meanes restoratiues and good orders which hee had heard deliuered would proue of no validity nor euer come to perfection except his Maiesty of Great Britaine might find some zealous ministers to execute the Lawes and statutes concerning the hindrance of Trade And further he signified that one maine point for reformation and repaire of Trading consisted in rewarding those vigilant spirits which like Sentinells awaked when others slept or proiected for the coÌ„mon benefit while others spent their time like belly-gods in bibbing of sugred sack in pampring their guts with gluttonous fare In these two positiuely he laid the foundation of Great Britaines well fare In the execution of these new Decrees and in rewarding of the industrious whereby the obstinate might be punished and the vertuous heartned And in conclusion this prudent Atlas on whose vnwearied shoulders sometimes relied the waight of Englands cares made this discourse In one thing more I note the prouident Remedy which the diuine wisedome lately manifested in this Kingdome by remouing from hence many people with famine war plagues feuers and other sicknesses A remedy surely applyed for two beneficiall respects In his loue to these by translating them to a happier place In his mercy to the rest which suruiue that they take heed by such terrible sudden accidents how they wast those means whereof they are but his Stewards in lauish feasts in Tobacco Apparell in suites at Law or in drinking more then sufficeth nature And to bestow the estimate of what they shall saue hereafter by their thrist on nobler monuments in offring of sweet smelling sacrifices to his sacred nostrills by helping to build places of succour for their distressed brethren seeing that the noney-bees doe ouerswarme at home for certainely if all these whom He lately tooke to his mercy had been yet liuing their natiue Countrey could not containe them but that a greater Decay of trading would necessarily haue ensued nor could all the wits of our wisest Politicians haue deuised remedies to restore it which now may in all humane probability serue to make the Golden Fleece an absolute Catholike Medicine God grant that the same may worke effectually and conuert the steely heart into a relenting tender and into that which is truly Christian Let all good Christians say Amen Fiat voluntas Domini CHAP. 12. The Order which Apollo tooke for the setling of the Golden Fleece before his late Progresse into the Tropick of Cancer recommending the same to the care of the Fraternity of the Rosie Crosse the foure Patrons of Great Britaine The Consultation of the foure Patrons for the good of Great Britaine The copy of Saint Dauids sonnet which he pronounced in the Amphitheater at Parnassus in honour of the King of Great Britaines mariage and Coronation THe day before the summers Solftice in Iune last 1626. Apollo sent for the famous fraternity of the Rosie Crosse St. George St. Andrew St. David and St. Patrick those carefull Patrons of Great Britaine and in the presence of the Lady Pallas the Muses the Graces and other vertuous persons his Fauorites he deliuered this short speech The time now drawes on that we must take our Progresse into the Tropicke of Cancer where we must exhilarate with our influence those rude subiects of ours which inhabit neere the Northerne Pole to gratifie their natures which otherwise would proue more fullen with some perpetuall Dayes without Nights for their patience in tolerating so many long nights without dayes at the winters Solstice during which timeof our Progresse I require you my Gratious friends to assist the planters of the Newfoundlle which we haue lately styled Britanniol and to treat on their behalfe with that magnanimous King Charles of Great Britaine that hee confirme the commission and orders which his Father of blessed memory granted about three yeares past for the establishing of Wafting ships for the defence of that hopefull Plantation and of the fishing fleetes against the oppressions of Pyrats assuring him from vs that there lies the principall part of the Golden Fleece which Orpheus Iunior hath sounded out in his Cambrensium Caroleia which he published at the celebration of his Mariage with the Paragon of France which likewise he lately renewed here before vs at Parnassus And not onely hee but others haue intimated the benefit of this Proiect namely the Noble Sir William Alexander in his New Scotland and Master Misselden in his Circle of Commerce who in most liuely termes paints out the substance of this Fleece A braue Dessigne it is as Royall as Reall as Honourable as Profitable It promises renowne to the King reuenew to the Crowne Treasure to the Kingdome a purchase for the Land a prize for the Sea Ships for nauigation Nauigation for ships Mariners for both Entertainment for the rich employment for the poore aduantage for the Aduenturers and encrease of Trade to all the subiects A myne of Gold it is The Myne is deepe the veines are great the Oare is rare the gold is pure the extent vnlimited the wealth
the Land for the drying of their Fish whereas euery man which goeth to Virginia must pay fiue pound for his passage Lastly wee are better secured from Enemies for we haue no Sauages to annoy vs in the South-parts And if any warres should happen betwixt Great Britaine and Spaine we need not feare their insolent inuasions For wee haue a Garrison of three or foure hundred Ships of our owne Nation which fish at our doores all the summer and are able to withstand an Armada if their King would but confirme that Commission which his blessed Father about three yeares already past granted that two warlike Ships be yearely sent as waftors to defend the Coast and to be authorized with power to leuy men Ships there if occasion so require and all vpon the charges of the Fishing fleete This Commission I obtained and sithence I left it with my friend Orpheus Iunior to bring to perfection who as I am informed is at this present in the Court of Great Britaine an earnest solicitor to that effect To conclude after the Fishing Fleetes are returned homewards we are safe for the windes are commonly from August out Westerly whereby none can come to vs. And if they should we haue other places in the Country to goe to till our Enemies bee gone For there long they dare not stay for feare of the Frosts which perhaps their tender complexions cannot brooke as well as our Northerly Nations CHAP. 4. Apollo commands Iohn Guy Alderman of Bristow to shew how the Plantations in the Newfoundland might be established secured from the cold vapours and foggy mists which in the Spring are supposed to molest that Country APollo hauing noted how important to Great Britaine the Plantations are like to succeed and fall out for the restoring of their State to worldly felicity that it proue a paralleled Monarchy to the proudest of the bordering kingdomes made choise of Iohn Guy Alderman of Bristow to shew in what manner the Britaines should order their Plantations in this Golden Iland and secure their new habitations from the icie and cold foggy Aire which in some seasons of the yeare were reported by the Fishermen to molest and damnifie the Inhabitants Master Guy earnestly sought to post ouer the handling of this serious determination to Captaine Mason in respect hee had wintred there longer then he had But Apollo by no meanes would alter his imposition saying that in regard that Mr. Guy had oftentimes beene personally in the Land and wintred there twise being the first Christian which made it apparent to the world that it was habitable commodious for the vse of mankinde and also for that he had calculated the mutations of the seasons keeping a Iournall of euery Accident during his abode in the Country hee and none but he should direct what might be conuenient for the setling and prosperous propagation of these most hopefull Plantations Mr. Guy seeing that by no entreaty or excuse he could put the taske off from himselfe with a lowly reuerence to his Maiestie he said If the Noble Emperour had askt my poore iudgement a dozen yeares past concerning these secrets it may be I might haue giuen him more agreeable contentment then at this time For then the modell of the Country and Climat lay more fresh in my apprehension Notwithstanding seeing the lot is cast vpon me I will produce the best remedies which I know for the correcting of the malignant ayre if so I may without scandall call it The Country I assure your Maiestie is as tolerable as England Caeteris paribus comparing all the seasons together And if some nice persons feele one winter among many more snowy and frosty then other they seeme to forget their owne Country where the like inconuenience hapneth But to auoid the worst if euery Householder digge vp the next ground to his habitation and round about the same and then burne it those moyst foggy vapours will not appeare specially after the Sunne hath once warmed and pierced into the earth so dismantled and layd bare Secondly let them dig welles neere their houses against winter that they may haue water in despite of the frost or snow Thirdly let them prouide them of fewell enough before winter to haue the same more seare and dried Fourthly let them build their houses with a hill or great store of trees interposed as a shelter betwixt them and the sea-windes which there are Easterly and very nipping There is no winter to speake of before the midst of Ianuary And when the Easterly windes blow the weather is no other then it is in Holland And I verily beleeue that in the south part of the Land where it trends towards the west and where the ground is eauen and plaine without hilles it differs not much from the temperature of the south part of Germany And for the further encouragement of our Planters I can auow this for a certaine rule that once being passed a mile or two into the Land the weather is farre hotter I found Filberds fixe miles distant from the Sea side very ripe a moneth before they were fit to be eaten by the Seaside So great an alteration there is within sixe miles space by reason that those raging Easterly windes are defended and asswaged by the hilles and woods which stand as walles to fence and breake their force Aboue all things I wish the Planters to sleepe in boorded roomes and not to be too idle the first winter for feare of the Scuruy For in all Plantations this disease commonly seaseth vpon lazy people the first winter Yea Sir Walter Rawleighs Colony in Virginia though a hotter Country 1586. could not auoid this mortall sicknesse These rules obserued our Planters may liue happily They may fish a moneth before others which come out of England thither to fish they may fish three moneths or more for Cod and Herring after they are departed which will much enrich them CHAP. 5. Sir Ferdinando Gorge is accused by the western Fishermen of England for hindering thē of their stages to dry their Fish in New England and from trading with the Sauages for Furres and other Commodities Ferdinando Gorge his answer Apollo reconcileth their differences VPon the Friday seuen night before Easter in Lent last 1626. there arriued here at Parnassus certaine Westerne Merchants out of England iust about that time as Apollo had decreed straight execution against some for the eating of Flesh on some prescribed dayes for that weighty and politicall respect of maintaining Nauigation wherein the workes of our Creator doe shew themselues no lesse admirable then the land Assoone as these Merchants had heard this necessary Law with the execution one of them a person of very discreet behauiour desired liberty to speake on the behalfe of his poore Countrey men for some oppressions which Ferdinando Gorge Gouernour of the Fort at Plimouth whom they pointed at present in the great Hall of the Court of Audience had vnder colour of