THE VOYAGERS 



they all almost attended their mistress before or after, 

 within some short distance, unto her grave.* However 

 this may be, no language is extravagant to praise the 

 deeds of the greatest generation of Englishmen, the 

 generation of Drake and Raleigh, of Bacon and Hooker, 

 of Shakespeare and Marlowe. If the names of Queen 

 Elizabeth's men, the men born in the early part of her 

 reign, or just before it, were struck off the roll of 

 fame, England would be robbed of half her glory. 



It was one of the eldest-born of these, Humphrey SirHumphrey 

 Gilbert, the son of a Devon gentleman, who revived the 

 North West project. He had been trained, during the 

 years of peace, in that school of war, government, and 

 adventure which gave Elizabeth the best of her servants. 

 Under Sir Henry Sidney, in Ireland, he had spent years 

 of warfare with the rebels, and for his achievements there 

 was knighted. Thence he had passed to the Low 

 Countries, where he headed a band of volunteers to 

 give help to the people of the Netherlands in their 

 struggle with Alva and the power of Spain. In these The School for 

 rough experiences of Continental war and Irish govern- ^'^^^^i^^^- 

 ment Raleigh also was trained, and Grenville ; while 

 Hawkins and Frobisher were learning their elements in 

 trade and piracy on the coast of Guinea. With all its 

 evil lessons of cruelty and craft, it was a school that 

 fostered reckless courage and self-confidence in its pupils, 

 and gave leaders to all kinds of perilous adventure. 

 During his periods of active service, Gilbert cherished, 

 deep in his heart, the dream of Cathay. He plotted a 

 North East passage with Jenkinson ; and, when that 

 scheme was thwarted, bent his studies to the West. He 

 repeatedly importuned Queen Elizabeth for assistance ; 



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