ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



J 5 8 9- 



venticles do measure mens estimations by their owne 



humors ; nor how every popular person doeth give 

 [II. ii. 155.] sentence on every mans actions by the worst accidents. 

 But attending the gracious aspect of our dread Sove- 

 raigne, who never yet left vertue unrewarded : and 

 depending upon the justice of her most rare and grave 

 advisors, who by their heedie looking into every mans 

 worth, do give encouragement to the vertuous to exceed 

 others in vertue : and assuring you that there shall 

 never any thing happen more pleasing unto me, then 

 that I may once againe bee a partie in some honorable 

 journey against the Spaniard in his owne countrey, I 

 will cease my complaint : and with them that deserve 

 beyond me, patiently endure the unadvised censure of 

 our malicious reproovers. 



If I have seemed in the beginning hereof troublesome 

 unto you, in the discovering of those impediments, and 

 answering the slanders which by the vulgar malicious and 

 mutinous sort are laid as blemishes upon the journey, 

 and reproches upon the Generals (having indeed pro- 

 ceeded from other heads:) let the necessitie of conserving 

 the reputation of the action in generall, & the honors 

 of our Generals in particular, bee my sufficient excuse : 

 the one having by the vertue of the other made our 

 country more dreaded & renowmed, then any act that 

 ever England undertooke before. Or if you have 

 thought my perswasible discourse long in the latter end ; 

 let the affectionate desire of my countreys good be therein 

 answerable for me. And such as it is I pray you accept 

 it, as only recommended to your selfe, and not to be 

 delivered to the publique view of the world, least any 

 man take offence thereat : which some particular men 

 may seeme justly to do, in that having deserved very 

 well, I should not herein give them their due com- 

 mendations : whereas my purpose in this private dis- 

 course hath bene onely to gratifie you with a touch of 

 those principall matters that have passed, wherein I have 

 onely taken notes of those men who either commaunded 



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