The Epistle
weekes sayling of England are yet vnpossessed by any Christians: and seeme to offer themselues vnto vs, stretching neerer vnto her Maiesties Dominions, then to any other part of Europe. Wee reade that the Bees, whé they grow to be too many in their own hiues at home, are wont to bee led out by their Captaines to swarme abroad, and seeke themselues a new dwelling place. If the examples of the Grecians and Carthaginians of olde time, and the practise of our age may not mooue vs, yet let vs learne wisdome of these smal weake and vnreasonable creatures. It chaunced very lately that vpon occasion I had great conference in matters of Cosmographie with an excellent learned man of Portingale, most priuie to all the discoueries of his nation, who wondered that those blessed countries, from the point ofThe speech of a learned Portingale. Florida Northward, were all this while vnplanted by Christians, protesting with great affection and zeale, that if hee were nowe as young as I (for at this present hee is threescore yeeres of age) hee woulde sel all hee had, being a man of no small wealth and honour, to furnish a conuenient number of ships to sea for the inhabiting of those countries, and reducing those gentile people to christianitie.Master John Barros the causer of the inhabiting ot Bresilia. Moreouer hee added that Iohn Barros their chiefe Cosmographer being moued with the like desire, was the cause that Bresilia was first inhabited by the Portingales: where they haue nine baronies or lordships, & thirtie engennies or suger milles, two or three hundred slaues belonging to eche myll, with a Iudge, and other officers, & a Church: so that euery mill is as it were a little common wealth: and that the countrie was first planted by such men, as for small offences were saued from the rope. This hee spake not onely vnto mee and in my hearing, but also in the presence of a friend of mine, a man of great skill in the Mathematikes. If this mans desire might bee executed, wee might not only for the present time take possession of that good land, but also in short space by Gods grace finde out that shorte and easie passage by the Northwest, which we haue hetherto so long desired, and whereof wee haue many good and more then probable coniectures: a fewe whereof I thinke it not amisse heere to set downe, although your worship knowe them aswell
