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The Epistle
The bountifull offer of sir Frãcis Drake toward furthering the art of Navigation.at the verie first he answered, that he liked so well of the motion, that he woulde giue twentie poundes by the yeere standing, and twentie poundes more before hand to a learned man to furnish him with instruments and maps, that woulde take this thing vpon him: yea so readie he was that he earnestly requested mee to helpe him to the notice of a fitte man for that purpose, which I, for the zeale I bare to this good actiõ, did presently, & brought him one, who came vnto him & conferred with him thereupon: but in fine he would not vndertake the lecture, vnlesse he might haue fourtie pounds a yeere standing, and so the matter ceased for that time: howebeit the worthie and good Knight remaineth still constant, and will be, as he told me very lately, as good as his worde. Nowe if God shoulde put into the head of any noble man to contribute other twentie pounde, to make this lecture a competent liuing for a learned man, the whole realme no doubt might reape no small benefite thereby. To leaue this matter & to drawe to an ende, I haue heare right worshipfull in this hastie worke first put downe the title which we haue to that part of America which is from Florida to 67. degrees northwards, by the Ihon Gabote and his three sonnes.letters patentes graunted to Iohn Gabote and his three sonnes, Lewes, Sebastian, and Santius, with Sebastians owne Certificate to Baptista Ramusius of his discouerie of America, and the testimonie of Fabian our own Chronicler. Next I haue caused to bee added the letters of M. Robert Thorne to King Henrie the eight, and his discourse to his Ambassadour doctor Ley in Spaine of the like argument, with the kings setting out of two ships for discouerie in the 19. yere of his raigne. Thẽ I haue translated the voyage of Iohn Verarzanus from thirtie degrees to Cape Briton, (& the last yeere at my charges, and other of my friendes by my exhortation, I caused Iaques Cartiers two voyages of discouering the grand Bay, and Canada, Saguinay, and Hochelaga to bee translated out of my Volumes, which are to be annexed to this present translation). Moreouer following the order of the map, and not the course of time, I haue put downe the discourse of Nicholaus and Antonius Zenie. The last treatise of Iohn Ribault, is a thing that hath been alreadie printed, but not nowe tobe
