THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE IN THE SECOND VOLUME 

 OF THE SECOND EDITION, 1599. 



To the Right Honorable Sir Robert Cecil Knight, 

 principall Secretarie to her Majestie, master of 

 the Court of Wardes and Liveries, and one of 

 her Majesties most honourable privie Counsell. 



Ight honorable, having newly finished a 

 Treatise of the long Voyages of our 

 Nation made into the Levant within the 

 Streight of Gibraltar, & from thence over- 

 land to the South and Southeast parts of 

 the world, all circumstances considered, I 

 found none to whom I thought it fitter to 

 bee presented then to your selfe : wherein having begun 

 at the highest Antiquities of this realme under the 

 government of the Romans ; next under the Saxons ; and 

 thirdly since the conquest under the Normans, I have 

 continued the histories unto these our dayes. The time 

 of the Romans affoordeth small matter. But after that 

 they were called hence by forren invasions of their 

 Empire, and the Saxons by degrees became lords in this 

 Hand, and shortly after received the Christian faith, they 

 did not onely travell to Rome, but passed further unto 

 Jerusalem, and therewith not contented, Sigelmus bishop 

 of Shireburne in Dorcetshire caried the almes of king 

 Alfred even to the Sepulcher of S. Thomas in India, 

 (which place at this day is called Maliapor) and brought 

 from thence most fragrant spices, and rich jewels into 

 England : which jewels, as William of Malmesburie in 

 two sundry treatises writeth, were remaining in the afore- 



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