LAURENCE KEYMIS ad. 



1596. 

 a dull conceite of strange weakenes in our selves, to 

 distrust our own power so much, or at least, our owne 

 hearts and courages ; as valewing the Spanish nation to 

 be omnipotent ; or yeelding that the poore Portugal 

 hath that mastering spirit and conquering industrie, 

 above us ; as to bee able to seate himselfe amongst the [III. 686.] 

 many mightie princes of the East Indies, to frontire 

 China, to holde in subjection the Philippinas, Zeilan, 

 Calecut, Goa, Ormus, Mozambique, and the rest ; the 

 navigation being so tedious and full of perill : to suffer 

 our selves to bee put backe for worthlesse cyphers, out 

 of place, without account. All which Regions being 

 nowe also by the late conquest of Portugall, entituled 

 to the Spanish king : to whom the Colonies of those 

 parts doe yet generally refuse to sweare fealtie and 

 allegiance : and the care depending on him, not onely 

 in governing them in the East, so farre off; but also 

 of ordering and strengthening of those disunited, scat- 

 tered, & ill guarded empires and provinces in the 

 West : It might very well bee alleaged to the sayde 

 Spanish king, that it were more wisedome for him to 

 assure and fortifie some part of those already gotten, 

 then to begin the conquest of Guiana, so farre separate 

 from the rest of his Indies : in which hee hath had so 

 many misfortunes, and against whom the naturall people 

 are so impetuously bent, and opposed : were it not, 

 that it exceedeth all the rest in abundance of gold, and 

 other riches. The case then so standing, is it not meere 

 wretchednesse in us, to spend our time, breake our 

 sleepe, and waste our braines, in contriving a cavilling 

 false title to defraude a neighbour of halfe an acre of 

 lande : whereas here whole shires of fruitfuU rich 

 grounds, lying now waste for want of people, do 

 prostitute themselves unto us, like a faire and beauti- 

 full woman, in the pride and floure of desired yeeres : 

 If wee doe but consider, howe unhappily Berreo his 

 affaires, with his assistants have of late yeeres, in our 

 owne knowledge succeeded : who can say, if the hand 



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