A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595. 



The West Indies were first offered her Majesties 

 grandfather by Columbus a stranger, in whom there 

 might be doubt of deceipt, and besides it was then 

 thought incredible that there were such and so many 

 lands & regions never written of before. This Empire 

 is made knowen to her Majestie by her owne vassall, and 

 by him that oweth to her more duetie then an ordinary 

 subject, so that it shall ill sort with the many graces 

 and benefites which I have received to abuse her High- 

 nesse, either with fables or imaginations. The countrey 

 is alreadie discovered, many nations wonne to her 

 Majesties love and obedience, and those Spaniardes 

 which have latest and longest laboured about the con- 

 quest, beaten out, discouraged and disgraced, which 

 among these nations were thought invincible. Her 

 Majestie may in this enterprize employ all those 

 souldiers and gentlemen that are younger brethren, and 

 all captaines and chieftaines that want employment, and 

 the charge will be onely the first setting out in victual- 

 ling and arming them : for after the first or second 

 yeere I doubt not but to see in London a Contractation 

 house of more receipt for Guiana, then there is now in 

 Sivill for the West Indies. 



And I am resolved that if there were but a small 

 army a foote in Guiana, marching towards Manoa the 

 chiefe citie of Inga, he would yeeld to her Majestie by 

 composition so many hundred thousand pounds yeerely, 

 as should both defend all enemies abroad, and defray 

 all expences at home, and that he would besides pay 

 a garrison of three or foure thousand souldiers very 

 royally to defend him against other nations : For he 

 cannot but knowe, how his predecessors, yea how his 

 owne great uncles Guascar and Atabalipa sonnes to 

 Guainacapa Emperour of Peru, were (while they con- 

 tended for the Empire) beaten out by the Spaniards, 

 and that both of late yeres and ever since the said con- 

 quest, the Spaniards have sought the passages and entrey 

 of his countrey : and of their cruelties used to the 



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