THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE 



behavior, your high wisedom, discretion and happinesse, 

 accompanied with the heavenly blessing of the Almightie, 

 are shewed most evidently to have bene such, as all 

 posteritie and succeeding ages shall never cease to sing 

 and resound your infinite prayse and eternall commenda- 

 tions. As for the late renoumed expedition and 

 honorable voyage unto Cadiz, the vanquishing of part 

 of the king of Spaines Armada, the destruction of the 

 rich West Indian Fleete, the chasing of so many brave 

 and gallant Gallies, the miraculous winning, sacking, 

 and burning of that almost impregnable citie of Cadiz, the j 

 surprising of the towne of Faraon upon the coast of ! 

 Portugal, and other rare appendances of that enterprise, | 

 because they be hereafter so judicially set downe, by a ' 

 very grave and learned Gentleman, which was an eye I 

 witnesse in all that action, I referre your good L. to his 

 faithfull report, wherein I trust (as much as in him lay) 

 he hath wittingly deprived no man of his right. Upon : 

 these and other the like considerations, I thought it fit ; 

 and very convenient to commend with all humilitie and j 

 reverence this first part of our English Voiages & Dis- | 

 coveries unto your Honors favourable censure and i 

 patronage. ; 



And here by the way most humbly craving pardon, and , 

 alwayes submitting my poore opinion to your Lordships I 

 most deep and percing insight, especially in this matter, as 

 being the father and principall favourer of the English 

 Navigation, I trust it shall not be impertinent in passing 

 by, to point at the meanes of breeding up of skilful! 

 Sea-men and Mariners in this Realme. Sithence your 

 Lordship is not ignorant, that ships are to litle purpose 

 without skilfull Sea-men ; and since Sea-men are not bred 

 up to perfection of skill in much lesse time (as it is said) 

 then in the time of two prentiships ; and since no kinde 

 of men of any profession in the common wealth passe 

 their yeres in so great and continual! hazard of life ; and 

 since of so many, so few grow to gray heires : how 

 needfull it is, that by way of Lectures and such like 



