THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE 



toiles, and travels, and wearying out of my weake body; 

 at length I have collected three severall Volumes of 

 the English Navigations, Traffiques, and Discoveries, 

 to strange, remote, and farre distant countreys. Which 

 worke of mine I have not included within the compasse 

 of things onely done in these latter dayes, as though 

 litle or nothing woorthie of memorie had bene performed 

 in former ages ; but mounting aloft by the space of 

 many hundred yeeres, have brought to light many very 

 rare and worthy monuments, which long have lien 

 miserably scattered in mustie corners, & retchlesly 

 hidden in mistie darkenesse, and were very like for the 

 greatest part to have bene buried in perpetuall oblivion. 

 The first Volume of this worke I have thus for the 

 present brought to light, reserving the other two untill 

 the next Spring, when by Gods grace they shall come 

 to the Presse. In the meane season bethinking my 

 selfe of some munificent and bountifull Patrone, I called 

 to mind your honorable Lordship, who both in regard 

 of my particular obligation, and also in respect of the 

 subject and matter, might justly chalenge the Patronage 

 thereof. For first I remembred how much I was bound, 

 and how deeply indebted for my yongest brother 

 Edmund Hackluyt, to whom for the space of foure 

 whole yeeres your Lordship committed the government 

 and instruction of that honorable yong noble man, 

 your Sonne & heire apparant, the lord William 

 Howard, of whose high spirit and wonderful toward- 

 linesse full many a time hath he boasted unto me. 

 Secondly, the bounden duetie which I owe to your 

 most deare sister the lady Sheffield, my singular good 

 lady & honorable mistresse, admonished me to be mind- 

 full of the renoumed familie of the Howards. Thirdly, 

 when I found in the first Patent graunted by Queene 

 Marie to the Moscovie companie, that my lord your 

 father being then lord high Admirall of England, was 

 one of the first favourers and furtherers, with his 

 purse and countenance, of the strange and wonderfull 



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