Divers voyages touching the discouerie of America/Chapter 5
The booke made by the right worshipfull
Master Robert Thorne in the yeere 1527. in
Siuill to Doctour Iey, Lorde ambassadour for King Henrie
the eight to Charles the Emperour, being an
information of the parts of the world, discouered
by him and the King of Portingale:
And also of the way to the
Moluccaes by the
north.
Ight noble & reuerende in & c. I receiued your letters, & haue procured and sent to knowe of your seruant, who your Lordeship wrote shoulde bee sicke in Merchena. I can not there or els where heare of him, wͭout he be returned to you, or gone to S. Lucar & shipt. I can not iudge but that of some contagious sicknes he died, so that the owner of the house for defaming his house woulde bury him secretly, and not be known of it. For such things haue oftẽ times happened in this countrey.
Also to write to your Lordshippe of the newe trade of spicerie of the Emperour, there is no doubt but that the Ilandes are fertile of cloues, nutmegs, mace, and cinnamon: And that the saide Ilandes, with other there about, abounde wͭ gold, Rubies, Diamonds, Balasses, Granates, iacincts & other stones & pearles, as al other lãds, that are vnder & nere y͏ͤ equinoctial. For we see, where nature giueth any thing, she is no nigarde. For as with vs and other, that are aparted from the sayde equinoctiall, our mettalles be lead, tynne, and yron, so theirs be golde, siluer, and copper. And as our fruites and graines be aples, nuttes, and corne, so theirs bee dates, nutmegges, pepper, cloues, and other spices. And as wee haue iette, amber, cristall, iasper, and other like stones, so haue they rubies, diamonds, balasses, saphires, Iacincts, and other like. And though some say that of such precious mettals, graines or kind of spices, and precious stones, the aboundance and quantitie is nothing so great, as our mettals, fruites or stones aboue rehearsed: yet if it be well considered, how the quantitie of the earth under the equinoctiall to both the tropicall lines, (in which space is founde the said golde, spices and precious stones) to be as much in quantitie, as almost all the earth from the tropickes to both the poles: it can not be denied but there is more quantitie of the said mettels, fruites, spices, and precious stones, then there is of the other mettels and other thinges before rehearsed. And I see that the preciousnesse of these thinges is measured after the distance that is betweene vs, and the things that we haue appetite vnto. For in this nauigation of the spicerie was discouered, that these Ilandes nothing set by golde, but set more by a knife and a nayle of yron, then by his quantitie of Golde: and with reason, as the thing more necessarie for mans seruice. And I doubt not but to them shoulde bee as precious our corne and seedes, if they might haue them, as to vs their spices: and likewise the peeces of glasse that heare wee haue counterfayted are as precious to them, as to vs their stones: which by experience is seene daylie by them that haue trade thither. This of the riches of those countries is sufficient.
Touching that your Lordship wrote, whether it may be profitable to the Emperour or no, it may be without doubte of great profit: if as the king of Portingall doth, he woulde become a merchant, and prouide shippes and their lading, and trade thither alone, and defende the trade of these Ilands for himselfe. But other greater busines withholdeth him from this. But still, as nowe it is begunne to bee occupied, it would come to much. For the ships comming in safetie,there would thither many euery yeere, of whiche to the Emperour is due of all the wares and Iuelles that come from thence the fift part for his custome cleare wihtout any cost. And besides this he putteth in euery flote a certayn quantitie of money, of whiche hee enioyeth of the gaines pounde and poundes like as other aduenturers doe. In a flote of three shippes and a carauell that went from this citie armed by the marchauntes of it, which departed in Aprill last past, I and my partener haue 1400. DucatesNote. that we employed in the sayde fleete, principally for that two Englishmen friends of mine, whiche are somewhat learned in Cosmographie, shoulde goe in the same shippes, to bring mee certaine relation of the situation of the countrey, and to bee experte in the Nauigation of those seas, and there to haue informations of many other things, and aduise that I desire to know especially. Seeing in these quarters are shippes, and marriners of that countrey, and cardes by which they sayle, though much vnlike ours: that they should procure to haue the said Cards, and learne howe they vnderstande them, and especially to know what Nauigation they haue for those Ilandes Northwardes, and Northeastwarde.
For ifNote. from the sayde Ilandes the Sea do extende, without interposition of lande, to sayle from the North poynt to the Northeast poynt 1700. or 1800. leagues, they should come to the Newe founde Ilandes that wee discouered, and so wee shoulde bee neerer to the sayde spicerie by almost 2000. leagues then the Emperour, or the king of Portingal are. And to aduise your Lordshippe whether of these spiceries of the King of Portingal or the Emperours is neerer, and also of the titles that eyther of them hath, and howe our Newe founde landes are parted from it, (for that by writyng without some demonstration, it were harde to giue any declaration of it,) I haue caused that your Lordeshippe shall receyue herewith a little Mappe or Carde of the worlde: the whiche, I feare mee, shall put your Lordshippe to more labour to vnderstande; then mee to make it, only for that it is made in so little roome that it cannot be but obscurely set out, y͏ͤ is desired to be seene in it, & also for y͏ͤ I am in this science litle expert: Yet to remedy in part this difficultie, it is necessary to declare to your Lordshippe my intent, with which I trust you shal perceiue in this card part of your desire, if, for that I cannot expresse mine intent, with my declaratiõ I doe not make it more obscure.
First, your Lordship knoweth that the Cosmographers haue deuided the earth by 360. degrees in latitude, and as many in longitude, vnder the which is comprehended al the roundnesse of the earth: the latitude beeing deuided into 4. quarters, ninetie degrees amount to euerie quarter, which they measure by the altitude of the poles, that is the North and South starres, beeing from the line equinoctiall till they come right vnder the North starre the saide ninetie degrees: and asmuche from the sayde line equinoctiall to the South starre bee other ninetie degrees. And asmuche more is also from eyther of the saide starres agayne to the equinoctiall. Which imagined to be rounde, is soone perceiued thus, 360. degrees of latitude to be consumed in the said foure quarters, of ninetie degrees a quarter, so that this latitude is the measure of the worlde from North to South, and from South to North. And the longitude, in which are also counted other 360. is counted frõ West to East, or from East to West, as in the card is set. The said latitude your Lordship may see marked and deuided in the end of this carde in the left hande.To know the latitudes. So that if you woulde know in what degrees of latitude any region or coast standeth, take a compasse and set the one foote of the same in the equinoctiall line right against the said region, and apply the other foote of the compasse to the saide region or coast, and then set the sayd compasse at the ende of the carde, where the degrees are deuided. And the one foote of the cõpasse standing in the line equinoctiall, the other will shewe in the scale the degrees of altitude or latitude that the sayd region is in. Also the longitude of the worlde I haue set out in the nether part of the carde, contayning also 360. degrees: which begin to be coũted after Ptolome and other Cosmographers from an head land called Capo verde, which is ouer against a little crosse made in the parte occidentall, where the diuision of the degrees beginneth, & endeth in y͏ͤ same Capo verde.To knowe the Longitudes. Nowe to knowe in what longitude any lande is, you Lordeshippe must take a ruler or a compasse, and set the one foote of the compasse vpon the lande or coast whose longitude you woulde knowe, and extende the other foote of the compasse to the nexte parte of one of the transuersall lines in the Orientall or Occidentall part: which done, set the one foote of the compasse in the saide transuersall lyne at the ende of the nether scale, the scale of longitude, and the other foote sheweth the degree of longitude that the region is in. And your Lordshippe must vnderstande that this carde though little conteyneth the vniuersall whole worlde betwixte the twoo collaterall lines, the one in the Occidentall parte descendeth perpendicular vppon the 175. degree, and the other in the Orientall on the 170. degree, whose distaunce measureth the scale of longitude. And that whiche is without the two sayde transuersall lynes is onely to shew howe the Oriental part is ioyned with the Occident, & Occident with the Orient. For that that is set without the line on the Orient parte, is the same that is set within the other line in the Occidentall parte: and againe that that is sette without the line in the Occidentall part, is the same that is set within the line in the Orientall part: To shewe that though this figure of the worlde in playne or flat seemeth to haue an ende, yet one imagining that this sayde carde were set vpon a round thing, where the endes shoulde touche by the lines, it would plainely appeare howe the Orient part ioyneth with the Occident, as there without the lines it is described & figured. And for more declaration of the said card, your Lordship shall vnderstand, that beginning on the parte Occidentall within the lyne, the first land that is set out, is y͏ͤ mayne land & Iland of the Indies of y͏ͤ Emperour. Which mayne lande or coast goeth Northwarde, and finisheth in the lande that wee founde, whiche is calle heere Terra de Labrador. So that it appeareth the sayde lande that wee founde and the Indies to bee all one mayne lande. The sayd coast from the saide Indies Southwarde, as by the carde your Lordshippe may see, cõmeth to a certaine straite sea called Estrecho de todos Sanctos:Now called the streit of Magelane. by which straite Sea the Spaniardes goe to the spiceries, as I shall declare more at large: the which straite sea is right against the three hundred fifteene degrees of Longitude, and is of Latitude or altitude from the Euinoctiall fiftie three degrees. The first lande from the sayd beginning of the carde towarde the Orient is certaine Ilandes of the Canaries & Ilandes of Capo verde. But the first mayne lande next to the line Equinoctiall is the sayde Capo verde, and from thence northwarde by the streite of this sea of Italie. And so followeth Spayne, Fraunce, Flaunders, Almaine, Denmarke and Norway, which is the highest parte toward the North. And ouer against Flaunders are our Ilands of England and Irelande. Of the landes and coastes within the straites I haue set out onelye the Regions, deuiding them by lynes of their lymittes, by whiche playnelie I thinke your Lordship may see, in what regions it is ioyned. I doe thinke few are lefte out of all Europe. In the partes of Asia and Affrica I could not so well make the said diuisions: for that they be not so well knowen, nor neede not so muche. This I write because in the sayde carde bee made the sayde lynes and strikes, that your Lordshippe should vnderstande wherefore they doe serue. Also returning to foresayde Capo verde the coast goeth Southwarde to a cape called Capo de bona speransa: which is right ouer agaynst the sixtye and sixtie fifte degree of Longitude. And by this cape goe the Portingales to their spicerie. For from this cape towarde the Orient, is the Lande of Calicut, as your Lordshippe may see in the head lande ouer against the 130. degree. From the said cape of Bona Speranza the coast returneth toward the line Equinoctiall, and passing foorth entreth the read sea, & returning out entreth againe into the gulfe of Persia, and returneth towarde the Equinoctiall line, till that it commeth to the headland called Callicut afore saide, and from thence the coast making a Gulfe, where is the riuer of Ganges, returneth towarde the line to a head lande called Malacha, where is the principall spicerie: And from this cape returneth and maketh a great gulfe, and after the coast goeth right toward the Orient, and ouer against this last gulfe and coast be manie Ilandes, which be Ilandes of the spiceries of the Emperour. Upon which the Portingales and he be at variaunce. The said coast goeth towarde the Orient, and endeth right against the 155. degrees,Note. and after returneth toward the occident Northwarde: which coast not yet plainely knowne I may ioyn to the new found land found by vs, that I spake of before. So that I finishe with this a briefe declaration of the carde aforesayde. Well I knowe I shoulde also haue declared how the coastes within the streites of the Sea of Italie runne. It is plaine that passing the streites on the Northside of that Sea after the coast of Granado, and with that which pertaynes to Spayne, is the coast of that which Fraunce hath in Italie. And then followeth in one peece all Italie, which lande hath an arme of a sea with a gulfe which is called Mare Adriaticum. And in the bottome of this gulfe is the citie of Uenice. And on the other part of the said gulfe is Sclauonia, and nexte Grecia, then the streites of Constantinople, and then the Sea called Euximus, which is within the saide streites: And comming out of the said straits floweth toward Turcia maior. (Though now in both sides it is called Turcia.) And so the coast runneth Southward to Syria, and ouer against the said Turcia are the Ilãdes of Rhodes, Candie, and Cyprus. And ouer against Italie are the Ilandes of Sicilia & Sardinia. And ouer against Spanie is Maiorca and minorca. In the ende of the gulfe of Syria is Judea. And from thence returneth the coast toward the Occident, till it commeth to the streites where wee beganne, whiche all is the coast of Affricke or Barbarie. Also your Lordshippe shall vnderstande that the coastes of the Sea throughout all the world I haue coloured with yellow, for that it may appeare that all that is within the line coloured yellow, is to be imagined to be mayne land or Iland: and all without the sayde line so coloured to bee Sea: whereby it is easie and light to know it. Albeit in this little roome any other description would rather haue made it obscure then cleere. Also the sayd coasts of the Sea are all set iustly after the manner & forme as they lye, as the nauigation approueth thẽ throughout all the carde, saue onely the coastes and Iles of the spicerie of y͏ͤ Emperour which is from ouer against the 160. to the 215. degrees of Longitude. For these coastes & situations of the Ilands euery of the Cosmographers and pilots of Portingall and Spayne doe set after their purpose. The Spaniards more towards the Orient, because they should appeare to appertaine to the Emperour: and the Portingalles more toward the Occident, for that they should fall within their iurisdiction. So that the Pilots & nauigants thither, which in such cases should declare y͏ͤ truth, by their industrie doe set thẽ falsely euery one to fauour his prince. And for this cause can be no certaine situatiõ of y͏ͤ coast & Ilands, til this difference betwixte them be verified. Nowe to come to the purpose of your Lordshippes demaunde touching the difference betweene the Emperour and the king of Portingall, to vnderstãd it better, I must declare y͏ͤ beginning of this discouering. Though peraduẽture your Lordship may say yͭ in that I haue writtẽ oght of purpose I fall in the Prouerbe, A gemino ouo bellum: But your Lordship commaunded me to be large, & I take licence to be prolixouse, & shal be peraduenture tedious, but your Lordship knoweth that nihil ignorantia verbosius. In the yeere 1484. the king of Portingal minded to arme certaine caruelles to discouer this spicery. Then forasmuch as he feared that being discouered euerie other prince would send & trade thither for y͏ͤ cost & peril of discouering should be his, & the profite common: wherefore first he gaue knowledge of this his mynd to al princes christened, saying yͭ he would seeke amõgst y͏ͤ infidels newe possessiõs of regions, & therfore would make a certain army: & yͭ if any of thẽ would help in y͏ͤ cost of y͏ͤ said army, he should enioy his parte of the profite or honour that shoulde come of it. And as then this discouering was holden for a straunge thing and vncertaine. Nowe they say, that all the Princes of Christendome aunsweared that they woulde bee no part of such an army, nor yet of the profite yͭ might come of it. After the which he gaue knowledge to the Pope of his purpose, & of the answere of all the Princes, desiring him yͭ seeing that none would helpe in the coastes, that hee woulde iudge all that shoulde bee founde and discouered to be of his iurisdiction, and commaund that none other Princes should intermeddle therewith. The Pope saide not as Christ saith, Quis me constituit iudicem inter vos? He did not refuse, but making him selfe as Lorde and Iudge of all, not only graũted that all that should be discouered from Oriẽt to Occidẽt should be the kings of Portingall, but also, that vpon great censures no other Prince should discouer but he; And if they did, all to be the kinges of Portingall. So he armed a fleete, and in the yeere 1487. was discouered y͏ͤ Ilands of Calicut, from whence is brought all the spice he hath. After this in the yeere 1492. the king of Spaine willing to discouer landes towarde the Occident without making any such diligence, or taking licence of the king of Portingale, armed certayne caruelles, and then discouered this India Occidentall, especially two Ilandes of the saide India, that in this carde I set foorth named the one Ladominica, and the other Cuba, and brought certaine gold from thence. Of the which when the king of Portingall had knowledge, he sent to the king of Spayne, requiring him to giue him y͏ͤ said Ilands. For that by the sentence of the Pope all that should be discouered was his, and that he should not proceede further in the discouerie without his licence. And at the same time it seemeth that out of Castill, into Portingale had gone for feare of burning infinite number of Iewes that were expelled out of Spayne, for that they would not turne to be Christians, & carried with thẽ infinite number of gold & siluer. So that it seemeth that the king of Spayne answered that it was reasõ that the king of Portingall asked, and that to bee obedient that which the pope had decreed, he would giue him the said Ilands of the Indies. Now for as much as it was decreed betwixt y͏ͤ said kings, yͭ none should receiue y͏ͤ others subiects fugitiues, nor their goodes, therefore the king of Portingale should pay and returne to the king of Spaine a million of Golde or more, that the Iewes had carried out of Spaine to Portingale; and that so doing he would giue these Ilandes and desist from any more discouering. And not fulfilling this he would not onely not giue these Ilands, but procure to discouer more where him thought best. It seemeth that the king of Portingale would not or could not with his ease pay this mony. And so not paying that he coulde not let the king of Spaine to discouer: so that hee enterprised not toward the Orient where he had begun and found the spicery. And consented to the king of Spaine that touching this discouering they should deuide the worlde betweene them two. And that all that should be discouered frõ Capo verde, where this carde beginneth to be counted in the degrees of longitude, to 180. of the sayde scale of longitude, which is halfe the worlde toward the Orient, and finisheth in this carde right ouer against a little crosse made at the sayde 180. degrees, to be the king of Portingalles. And all the lande from the sayde Crosse towarde the Occident, vntill it ioyneth with the other Crosse in the Orient, which conteineth the other hundreth and eightie degrees, that is the other halfe of the worlde, to bee the king of Spaynes. So that from the lande ouer against the sayde hundreth and eightie degrees vntill it finish in the three hundred and sixtie on both the endes of the carde, is the iurisdiction of the king of Spaine. So after this manner they deuided the worlde betweene them. Nowe for that these Ilandes of spicerie fall neere the terme and lymites betweene these Princes (for as by the sayde carde you maye see they beginne from one hundred and sixtie degrees of Longitude, and ende in 215.) it seemeth all that falleth from 160. to 180. degrees, shoulde bee of Portingall: and all the rest of Spayne. And for that their Cosmographers and Pilots could not agree in the situation of the said Ilands (for the Portingals set them al within their 180. degrees, and the Spaniards set them all without: & for that in measuring, all the Cosmographers of both partes, or what other that euer haue beene cãnot giue certaine order to measure y͏ͤ lõgitude of the world,The longitudes harde to be founde out. as they do of y͏ͤ latitude: for yͭ there is no starre fixed frõ East to West, as are y͏ͤ starrs of the poles from North to South, but all mooueth with the mouing diuine:) no mãner can be found how certainely it may be measured, but by coniectures, as the Nauigentes haue esteemed the way they haue gone. But it is manifest that Spayne had the situation of all the landes from Capo verde, towarde the Orient of the Portingales also to their 180. degrees. And in all their cardes they neuer hitherto set the sayd Ilands within their limitatiõ of the sayd 180. degrees: (Though they knew very well of the Ilandes,) til nowe that the Spaniards discouered them. And it is knowne that the king of Portingale had trade to these Ilands afore, but would neuer suffer Portingale to goe thither from Calicut: for so much as hee knewe that it fell out of his dominion: least by going thither there might come some knowledge of those other Ilandes of the king of Spayne, but bought the cloues of Merchauntes of that countrie, that brought them to Calicut, much deerer then they would haue cost, if he had sẽt for thẽ, thinking after this mãner it would abide alwaies secrete. And now that it is discouered he sendes and keepes the Spaniards from the trade all that he can. Also it should seeme that when this foresaide consent of the diuision of the worlde was agreed of betweene them, the king of Portingale had alreadye discouered certayne Ilandes that lye aouer against Capo verde, and also certayne parte of the mayne lande of India towarde the South, from whence he fet Brasill, and called it the lande of Brasill. So for that all shoulde come in his terme and limites, hee tooke three hundred and seuentie leagues beyonde Capo verde; and after this, his 180. degrees, being his part of the worlde, shoulde beginne in the Carde right ouer against the 340 degrees, where I haue made a little compasse with a crosse, and shoulde finishe at the 160. degree, where also I haue made an other little marke. And after this computation without any controuersie, the Ilandes of the spicerie fall out of the Portingales domination. So that nowe the Spaniardes say to the Portingales that if they woulde beginne their 180. degrees from the saide Capo verde, to the intent they shoulde extende more towarde the oriente, and so to touche those Ilandes of the spicerie of the Emperour, which is all that is betweene the two crosses made in this carde, that then the Ilandes of Capo verde and the lande of Brasill that the Portingales nowe obtaine, is out of the sayde limitation, and that they are of the Emperours. Or if their 180. degrees they count from the 370. leagues beyonde the sayde Capo verde, to include in it the sayde Ilandes and landes of Brasill, then plainely appeareth the saide 180. degrees shoulde finishe longe before they come to these Ilandes of the spicerie of the Emperour: As by this Carde your Lordshippe may see. For their limittes shoulde beginne at the 340. degrees, of this Carde, and ende at 160. degrees, where I haue made two little marks of the compasse with crosses in them.
So that plainely it shoulde appeare by reason, that the Portingales shoulde leaue these Ilandes of Capo verde and land of Brasill, if they would haue part of the spicerie of the Emperours: or else holding these, they haue no parte there. To this the Portingales say, that they will beginne their 180. degrees from the selfe same Capo verde: for that it maye extende so muche more towarde the oriente and touche these Ilandes of the Emperours: and woulde winne these Ilandes of Capo verde and lande of Brasill neuer the lesse, as a thinge that they possessed before the consent of this limitation was made.
So none can verylye tell whiche hath the best reason.
They bee not yet agreed, Quare sub Indice Iis est. But without doubte by all coniectures of reason the sayde Ilandes fall all without the limitation of Portingale, and pertayne to Spaine, as it appeareth by the most parte of all the Cardes made by the Portingales, saue those they haue falsified of late purposely. But nowe touching that your Lordeshippe wrote, whether that which wee discouered toucheth any thing the foresayde coastes: once it appeareth plainely that the Newe founde landeNew found lãd discouered by the englishmen. that wee discouered is all a mayne lande with the Indies occidentall, from whence the emperour hath all the golde and pearles: and so continueth of coaste more then 5000. leagues of length, as by this Carde appeareth. For from the saide newe landes it proceedeth toward the occidẽt to the Indies, and from the Indies returneth toward the orient, & after turneth southwarde vp till it come to the straytes of Todos Sanctos, whiche I reckon to bee more then 5000. leagues.
So thatNote. to the Indians it should seeme that wee haue some title, at least that for our discouering wee might trade thither as other doe. But all this is nothing neere the spicerie.
Nowe then (if from the sayde newe founde landes the Sea bee Nauigable,) there is no doubte, but sayling Northwarde and passing the poleTo sayle by the pole. descending to the equinoctiall lyne wee shall hitte these Ilandes, and it shoulde bee muche more shorter way, then eyther the Spaniardes or the Portingales haue. For wee bee distaunt from the pole but 39. degrees, and from the pole to the Equinoctiall bee 90. the which added together bee 129. degrees, leagues 2480. and myles 7440. Where wee shoulde finde these Ilandes. And the Nauigation of the Spaniardes to the spicerie is, as by this Carde you may see, from Spayne to the Ilandes of Canarie, and from these Ilandes they runne ouer the lyne Equinoctiall Southwarde to the cape of the mayne lande of Indians, called the Cape of Sainte Augustine, and from this Cape Southwardes to the straytes of Todos Sanctos,Or the straites of Magelan. in the whiche Nauigation to the sayde straites is 1700. or 1800. leagues: and from these straytes being past them, they returne towarde the line Equinoctiall to the Ilandes of spicerie, whiche are distante from the sayde straites 4200. or 4300. leagues.
The Nauigation of the Portingalles to the sayd Ilands is, departing from Portingale Southwarde towarde the Capo verde, and from thence to another Cape passing the lyne equinoctiall called Capo de bona speransa, and from Portingale to the cape is 1800. leagues, and from this cape to the Ilandes of spicerie of the Emperour is 2500. leagues.
So that by this nauigation amounteth all to 4300. leagues. So that as afore is sayde, if betweene our Newe founde landes of Norway, or Islande the Seas towarde the north be Nauigable, wee shoulde goe to these Ilandes a shorter way by more then 2000 leagues. And though wee went not to the saide Ilandes,Note. for that they are the Emperours or Kinges of Portingale, wee shoulde by the way, and comming once to the line Equinoctiall, finde landes no lesse riche of Golde and spicerie, as all other landes vnder the saide line Equinoctiall: and also shoulde, if wee may passe vnder the North, enioye the Nauigation of all Tartarie.Benefite to Englande.
Which should bee no lesse profitable to our commodities of clothe, then these spiceries to the Emperour, and king of Portingale.
But it is a generall opinion of all Cosmographers that passing the seuenth clyme, the sea is all ice,Obiection. the colde so much that none can suffer it. And hitherto they had all the like opinion that vnder the lyne Equinoctiall for muche heate the lande was inhabitable.
Yet since by experience is proouedAnswers. no lande so much habitable nor more temperate.Answers. And to conclude I thinke the same shoulde bee founde vnder the North, if it were experimented. A true opinion.For as all iudge, Nihil fit vacuum in rerum natura: So I iudge there is no lande inhabitable, nor Sea innauigable. If I should write the reason that presenteth this vnto mee, I shoulde bee too prolixe, and it seemeth not requisite for this present matter. God knoweth that though by it I shoulde haue no great interest, yet I haue had and still haue no little minde of this businesse:A voyage of discouerie by the pole. So that if I had facultie to any will, it shoulde bee y͏ͤ first thing that I woulde vnderstande, euen to attempt, if our Seas Northwarde bee nauigable to the Pole, or no. I reason, that as some sicknesses are hereditarious, & come from the father to the sonne, so this inclination or desire of this discouerie I inherited of my father, which with another merchant of Bristowe named hugh EliotM. Thorne and M. Eliot discouerers of New found land. were the discouerers of the newe found lãds, of the which there is no doubt, as now plainly appeareth, if the marriners woulde then haue been ruled, and folowed their pilots mind, the lands of the west Indies, from whence all the gold commeth, had beene ours.The cause why the west Indees were not ours: which also Sebastian Gabot writeth in an epistle to Baptist Ramusius. For all is one coaste, as by the carde appeareth, and is aforesaide. Also in this carde by the coastes where you see C. your Lordship shall vnderstand it is set for Cape or head land, where I, for Iland, where P. for Port, where R. for Riuer. Also in al this little carde I thinke nothing be erred touching the situation of the land, saue onely in these Ilands of spicery: which, for that as afore is sayd, euery one setteth them after his minde, that there can be no certification how they stand. I doe not denie, that there lacke many things, that a consũmate carde should haue, or that a right good demonstration desireth. For there should be expressed all the mountaines and riuers that are principall of name in the earth, with the names of Portes of the sea, the names of all principall cities, whiche all I might haue set, but not in this Carde, for the little space would not consent.
Your Lordship may see that setting only the names almost of euery region, and yet not of all, the roome is occupied. Many Ilands are also left out for the saide lacke of roome: the names almost of all portes put to silence, with the roses of the windes or pointes of the compasse: For that this is not for Pilots to sayle by, but a summarie declaration of that which your Lordship commaunded. And if by this your Lordshippe cannot well perceiue the meaning of this carde, of the which I woulde not maruell, by reason of the rude composition of it, will it please your Lordship to aduise mee to make a bigger and a better mappe, or els that I may cause one to bee made. For I knowe my selfe in this and all other nothing perfect, but Licet semper discens, nunquam tamen ad perfectam scientiam peruenient. Also I knowe to set the forme Sphericall of the worlde in Plano after the true rule of Cosmographie, it would haue been made otherwise then this is: Howbeit the demonstration shoulde not haue beene so plaine. And also these degrees of longitude, that I set in the lower part of this Card, shold haue been set along by the line equinoctiall, and so then must bee imagined. For the degrees of longitude neare either of the poles are nothing equal in bignes to them in the equinoctiall. But these are set so, for that setting them a long the Equinoctiall, it would haue made obscure a great parte of the mappe. Many other curiosities may be required, which for the nonce I did not set downe, as well for that the intent I had principally was to satisfie your doubt touching the spicerie, as for that I lacke leysure and time. I trust your Lordshippe correcting that which is erred, will accept my good will, which is to do any thing that I maye in your Lordshippes seruice. But from henceforth I knowe your Lordshippe wil rather commande me to keepe silence, then to be large, when you shalbe weeried with the reading of this discourse. Iesus prosper your estate and health.
Thorne 1527.
Your seruant Robert Thorne, 1527.
THis exhortation to king Henrie the eight, with the discourse to Doctor Ley his Ambassadour in Spaine, was preserued by one master Emmanuel Lucar executour to master Robert Thorne, and was friendly imparted vnto mee by master Cyprian Lucar his sonne an honest Gentleman and very forwarde to further any good and laudable action. And that it may bee knowne that this motion tooke present effect with the king, I thought it good herewithall to put downe the testimonie of our Chronicle that the king set out shippes for this discouerie in his life time. master Hall and master Grafton in their Chronicles write both thus: This same moneth king Henry the eight sente two faire ships, well manned and victualled, hauing in them diuers cunning men, to seeke strange regions: and so they set foorth, out of the Thames the xx. day of May in the xix. yeere of his raigne. In the yeere of our Lorde. 1527.
FINIS.
