THE VOYAGE TO CADIZ ad. 



1596. 



But that grave auncient writer, Cornelius Tacitus, hath 

 a wise, briefe, pithy saying, and it is this : Nemo tentavit 

 inquirere in columnas Herculis, sanctiusque ac rever- 

 entius habitum est de factis Deorum credere, qu^m scire. 

 Which saying, in my fancy, fitteth marveilous well for 

 this purpose : and so much the rather, for that this Cadiz 

 is that very place, (at least by the common opinion) 

 where those said pillers of Hercules were thought to 

 be placed : and, as some say, remaine as yet not farre 

 off to be seene. But to let that passe, the saying beareth 

 this discrete meaning in it, albeit in a prety kind of 

 mystical maner uttered : That it befitteth not inferiour 

 persons to be curious, or too inquisitive after Princes 

 actions, neither yet to be so sawcy and so malapert, as 

 to seeke to dive into their secrets, but rather alwayes 

 to have a right reverend conceite and opinion of them, 

 and their doings : and theron so resting our inward 

 thoughts, to seek to go no further, but so to remaine 

 ready alwaies to arme our selves with dutiful minds, and 

 willing obedience, to perform and put in execution that 

 which in their deepe insight and heroicall designements, 

 they shall for our good, and the care of the common 

 wealth determine upon. 



This, and much lesse to, might suffice to satisfie any 

 honest minded man. But yet if any will needs desire 

 to be a little farther satisfied, albeit it neede not, yet 

 then, thus much I dare say and affirme, that upon my 

 knowledge, the chiefest cause why Port Saint Mary, and 

 the rest were left untouched, was this : For that it was 

 most certainly knowen, that they were townes not woorth 

 the saluting of such a royal companie, in which there was 

 no maner of wealth in the world left, more then bare 

 houses of stone, and standing walles, and might well 

 have served rather as a stale, perchance, to have en- 

 trapped, then as a meanes to have enriched. And it had 

 bin more then a suspition of follie, for such an army as 

 this, to have sought to fight with the aire, and to have 

 laboured with great paine and charges, yea, and with 



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