288 A. D. 1618. 



The Englifh Eafl-India company, fending out fix ftiips in the year 

 1618 for India, under the command in chief of Sir Thomas Dale, King 

 James, to add the greater weight to that voyage, granted him a fpecial 

 commiffion to govern that fleet, as well by common as by martial law. 

 Alfo to feize on the (hips and merchandize of any others of his fubjeds 

 who fliould be found navigating within the company's limits without 

 their licence ; half the value of fuch feizures to belong to the crown, 

 and the other half to the company. [Fcedera, V. xvii,/>. 56.] 



We have feen King James's commifTion to Sir Walter Raleigh for the 

 projed of finding the fuppofed rich gold mines of Guiana. In the year 

 following he failed out on that adventure with twelve fhips, two of which 

 deferted him before he arrived at Guiana, where, however, he could 

 never find the marks he had left there ; although his fon and Captain 

 Kemys failed a vafl way up the river Oronoco in queft of them to no 

 purpofe. But, being narrowly watched by Count Gondemar, the Spanifli 

 minifter at King James's court, and perhaps, as many think, given up 

 to be a facrifice to the projeded match between Charles prince of Wales 

 and the infanta of Spain ; King James was induced this year to iffue a 

 proclamation, ' that whereas he had licenced Raleigh and others to un- 

 ' dertake a voyage to Guiana, where they pretended great probabilities 

 ' to make difcovery of rich gold mines ; in which licence we did, by 

 ' exprefs limitation and caution, reftrainthem from any ad of hoflility, 

 ' wrong, or violence, upon the territories of any princes in amity with 

 ' us, and more peculiarly of thofe of our dear brother the king of Spain. 

 ' All which notwithftanding, we are fince informed by common fame, 

 ' that they have, by an hollile invafion of the town of St. Thome, be- 

 ' ing under the obedience of our faid dear brother the king of Spain, 

 ' and by killing divers of the inhabitants thereof, his fubjeds, and after 

 ' burning and lacking the faid town, malicioufly broken and infringed 

 ' the peace and amity which hath been fo happily eflablifhed, and fo 

 ' long inviolably continued, between us and the fubjeds of both our 



* crowns : we have therefor held it fit, to make a public declaration 

 ' of our utter miilike and detefi:ation of the faid infolencies and excefles. 

 ' And, for the clearing of the truth of the faid common fame, we do 



* hereby flridly charge all our fubjeds that have any particular under- 

 ' Handing and notice thereof, immediately to difcover the fame to fome 

 ' of our privy council, upon pain of our high difpleafure,' &c. \_Foedera, 

 V. xvii, p. 90.] 



Upon Raleigh's return without gold. King James difavowed his hav- 

 ing given him authority to iail to Guiana, although he had privately re- 

 ceived of him a fcheme of the whole defign, with a particular defcrip- 

 tion of the country and the river Oronoco, &c. He could not, however, 

 be put to death on account of this enterprize, becaufe he had the king's 

 commiflion for it ; but as he had been found guilty, in 1603, of a pre- 



