THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



world how to go through withal ; it passeth my capacity ; 



it hath even bereaved me of my wits to think on it.' 



None of the company was for returning. Then he 



asked them whether they had any claim against him 



for wages, or would trust to his good will. They 



declared they would trust to his good will. Then he 



formally discharged from their command all the captains 



of the ships. Two of them asked him what moved 



him so to displace them. He asked whether they could 



give any reason why he should not do so. The 



explanation that he added of the origin of his voyage 



The question is of the deepest interest. The Queen, he said, was a 



rr^^ltLl party to it ; and he showed a bill of a thousand crowns 

 commission r J ' 



from the which she had given towards the expenses. Walsingham 

 Queen. ^^^ -^^ ^^ secret ; but she had straitly commanded that 



the Lord Treasurer, Burghley, to whom Doughty had 

 revealed the plan of the voyage, should have no know- 

 ledge of it; and she had sworn by her crown that if 

 any one in her realm should send word to the King of 

 Spain, they should lose their heads. ' And now, my 

 masters,' quoth he, 'let us consider what we have 

 done. We have now set together by the ears three 

 mighty princes, as first her Majesty, the Kings of Spain 

 and Portugal, and if this voyage shall not have good 

 success, we shall not only be a scorning, or a reproachful 

 scoffing-stock, unto our enemies, but also a great blot 

 to our whole country for ever; and what triumph will 

 it be to Spain and Portugal : and never again the like 

 will be attempted.' So, after restoring the captains to 

 their command, and promising the men that he would 

 pay their wages though he should have to sell his shirt, 

 he concluded : ' For,' quoth he, ' I have good reason 



58 



