TO SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM 



Empire. And have not we as good cause to admire, that 



the Kings of the Moluccaes, and Java major, have desired 



the favour of her majestie, and the commerce & traffike 



of her people ? Is it not as strange that the borne 



naturalles of Japan, and the Philippinaes are here to be 



seene, agreeing with our climate, speaking our language, 



and informing us of the state of their Easterne habitations ? 



For mine owne part, I take it as a pledge of Gods further 



favour both unto us and them : to them especially, unto 



whose doores I doubt not in time shalbe by us caried the 



incomparable treasure of the trueth of Christianity, and of 



the Gospell, while we use and exercise common trade with 



their marchants. I must confesse to have read in the 



excellent history intituled Origines of Joannes Goropius, 



a testimonie of king Henrie the viii. a prince of noble 



memory, whose intention was once, if death had not 



prevented him, to have done some singular thing in this 



case : whose words speaking of his dealing to that end 



with himselfe, he being a stranger, & his history rare, 



I thought good in this place verbatim to record : Ante Joannis^ 



viginti & plus eo annos ab Henrico Knevetto Equite ^^^°P^^ 



Anglo nomine Regis Henrici arram accepi, qua con- q^-i^^^^j^ hjj^ 



venerat, Regio sumptu me totam Asiam, quoad Turcorum -^.pag. 494. 



& Persarum Regum commendationes, & legationes ad- 



mitterentur, peragraturum. Ab his enim duobus Asiae 



principibus facile se impetraturum sperabat, ut non solum 



tuto mihi per ipsorum fines liceret ire, sed ut com- 



mendatione etiam ipsorum ad confinia quoque daretur 



penetrare. Sumptus quidem non exiguus erat futurus, 



sed tanta erat principi cognoscendi aviditas, ut nullis 



pecuniis ad hoc iter necessariis se diceret parsurum. O 



Dignum Regia Maj estate animum, O me foelicem, si 



Deus non ante & Knevettum & Regem abstulisset, 



quam reversus ab hac peregrinatione fuissem, &c. But 



as the purpose of David the king to builde a house and 



temple to God was accepted, although Salomon performed 



it : so I make no question, but that the zeale in this 



matter of the aforesaid most renowmed prince may seeme 



