AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1596- 



procuring some wilde outlaw to disquiet our tran- 

 quillitie ; is but a poore, weake, and uncertaine stay to 

 upholde his estate by. And yet setting such like 

 driftes aside : what can bee imagined likely to hinder 

 us from prevailing in Guiana, rather then him, whose 

 disadvantage is to bee encombred with the selfe same, 

 and manifolde more impediments, then can any way 

 bee supposed, with good cause to impeach, or divorce 

 us from so profitable an attempt? All this notwith- 

 standing, if the Spanish king not being able to dis- 

 semble his desire, or beare the losse of this one king- 

 dome ; putting himselfe out of his strength at home, 

 and exposing his people to the hazard of all casualties 

 abroad, bee resolved, whatsoever shall happen, not to 

 relinquish Guiana, but to keepe this one yron more in 

 the fire, on no other assurance, but a peremptorie dis- 

 daine of prevention : If hee appeare so eagerly bent 

 for Guiana, as if it were enacted for a lawe amongst 

 themselves, Viis & modis to thrust for it, and not to 

 heare, conceive, or beleeve any thing, that may dis- 

 swade or deterre from the conquest thereof: it then 

 appertaineth unto us, not to inforce those objections 

 against our selves, which hee with lesse reason rejecteth 

 as frivolous ; since by howe much the more earnest 

 hee is in following this purpose, by so much the lesse 

 cause have wee to bee diverted from it. To such as 

 shall bee willing further to wade in this argument ; for 

 brevities sake, I doe propose onely this bare assertion : 

 that England and Guiana conjoyned, are stronger, and 

 more easily defended, then if England alone should 

 repose her selfe on her owne force, and powerfulnesse. 

 The reasons that might bee inferred to prove this neede 

 no rationall discourse : they are all intimated in the 

 onely example of Spaine it selfe ; which without the 

 Indies is but a purse without money, or a painted 

 sheath without a dagger. In summe : it seemeth unto 

 me, that whereas the difficultie of performing this enter- 

 prise hath bene produced for a discouragement : it were 



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