Divers voyages touching the discouerie of America/Chapter 4
A declaration of the Indies and landes
discouered, and subdued vnto the Emperour, and the king
of Portugale. And also of other partes of the Indies
and rich Countries to bee discouered, which the
worshipfull master Robert Thorne merchant of
London (who dwelt long in the City of Siuil in
Spaine) exhorted king Henrie the eight
to take in hande.
MOST EXCELLENT PRINCE.
Xperience proueth that naturally all Princes bee desirous to extend and enlarge their dominions and kingdomes. Wherfore it is not to bee maruelled, to see them euery day procure y͏ͤ same, not regarding any cost, perill, and labour, that may thereby chaunce, but rather it is to bee maruelled, if there be any prince content to liue quiet with his owne Dominions. For surely the people would thinke he lacketh the noble courage and spirit of all other. The worlde knoweth that the desires of Princes haue beene so feruent to obtaine their purpose, that they haue aduentured and proued things to mans coniecture impossible, the which they haue made possible, and also things difficult haue made facil, and thus to obtaine their purpose haue in maner turned up and downe the whole worlde so many times, that the people inhabiting in the farthest regiõ of the occident haue pursued with great desires, labours and perils, to penetrate and enter into the farthest regions of the Orient: And in likewise those people of the said partes of the Orient haue had no lesse labour and desire to enter and penetrate into the farthest land of the Occident, and so following their purchase haue not seased untill they could passe no farther by reason of the great Seas. This naturall inclination is cause, that scarcely it may bee saide there is any kingdome stable, nor king quiet, but that his owne imagination, or other Princes his neighbours doe trouble him. God and nature hath provided to your Grace, and to your Gracious progenitors this Realme of Englande, and set it in so fruitefull a place, and within suche limites, that it shoulde seeme to bee a place quiet and aparted from all the foresaide desires. One speciall cause is, for that it is compassed with the Sea: by reason thereof it seemes, this notwithstanding, their desires and noble courages haue been most commonly like vnto others: and with marueilous great labours, costes and perilles, they haue trauelled and passed the Seas making warre not onely with kings and dominions nigh neighbours, but also with them of farre countries, and so hath wonne and conquered many riche and faire Dominions, and amplified this your Graces Realme with great victorie and glory. And also nowe of late your Grace hauing like courage and desire, & not without iust cause, to enlarge this your kingdome and demaund your limites and tribute of the French king, which at that present hee restrained your Grace in person passed with a great power into France, putting your Graces person to great paine and labour, and without doubt victoriously you had conquered the saide Realme of Fraunce, as yee began, if your aduersarie had not reconciled him, and knowledged your Graces right and title: and so promised truely to pay the tribute then due, and fulfill your request in all thinges, and also desired your Grace for peace, the which of your clemencie you could not refuse.
Nowe I considering this your noble courage and desire, & also perceiuing that your Grace may at your pleasure, to your greater glory, by a godly meane, with litle cost, perill, or labour to your Grace or any of your Subiectes, amplifie and inriche this your saide Realme, I knowe it is my bounde dutie to manifest this secrete vnto your Grace, which hitherto as I suppose hath been hid: which is thatNote. with a small number of shippes there may bee discouered diuers newe landes and kingdomes, in the whiche without doubt your Grace shall winne perpetuall glory and your Subiects infinite profite. To which places there is left one way to discouer, which is into the North: For that of the foure parts of the worlde it seemeth three partes are discouered by other Princes. For out of Spaine they haue discouered all the Indies and Seas Occidentall, and out of Portugale all the Indies and Seas Oriental: So that by this part of the Orient and Occident, they haue compassed the worlde. For the one of them departing towarde the Orient, and the other towarde the Occident, met againe in the course or way of the middest of the day, and so then was discouered a great part of the same Seas and coastes by the Spaniardes. So that nowe rest to bee discouered the saide North partes, the which it seemeth to mee, is onely your charge and duetie. Because the situation of this your Realme is thereunto neerest and aptest of all other: and also for that you haue alreadie takenNote. it in hande: And in mine opinion, it will not seeme well to leaue so great and profitable an enterprise, seeing it may so easily and with so little coste, labour, and daunger, bee followed and obtained: Though heeretofore your Grace hath made theereof a proofe, and founde not the commoditie thereby as you trusted, at this time it shall bee no impediment. For there may bee nowe prouided remedies for thinges, then lacked, and the inconueniences and lettes remooued that then were cause your Graces desire tooke no full effect, which is, the courses to be chaunged, and followe the aforesaid new courses. And concerning the marriners, shippes, and prouision, an order may be deuised and taken meete and conuenient much better then hetherto. By reason whereof, and by Gods grace, no doubt your purpose shall take effect. Surely the coste heerein will bee nothing, in comparison to the great profite.