THE VOYAGERS 



would be eaten before his spit could come to the fire : 

 men of so different natures and dispositions, that what 

 the one desired the other would commonly oppose 

 against; and though their wary carriages sequestered it 

 from meaner wits, yet was it apparently seen to better 

 judgments before our going from Plymouth, that whom 

 the one loved, the other smally esteemed.' When they 

 reached the Indies they found the Spaniards forewarned 

 and forearmed against them ; and their voyage was an 

 unbroken tale of ill-success. The Spanish sea-power lu failure, 

 was enormously increased, the towns guarded, the pay- 

 ment of ransom forbidden, and the treasure concealed, 

 so that even if Drake had been permitted to follow his 

 old methods, it is doubtful whether he could have averted 

 failure. Maynarde, in conversation, asked him where 

 were the rich places he had promised to his followers. 

 * He answered me with grief, protesting that he was as 

 ignorant of the Indies as myself, and that he never 

 thought any place could be so changed, as it were from T^he ruined 

 a delicious and pleasant arbour into a waste and desert 

 wilderness ; besides the variableness of the wind and 

 weather, so stormy and blustrous as he never saw it 

 before. But he most wondered that since his coming 

 out of England he never saw sail worth giving chase 

 unto ; yet, in the greatness of his mind he would, in 

 the end, conclude with these words : " It matters not, 

 man ; God hath many things in store for us ; and I 

 know many means to do her Majesty good service, and 

 to make us rich ; for we must have gold before we see 

 England"; when, good gentleman, (in my conceit), it 

 fared with him as with some careless living man who 

 prodigally consumes his time, fondly persuading himself 

 XII 65 E 



