PERFIDYOF CABOT. 
17 
a similar remonstrance on the part of Spain, and which by openly 
setting at defiance the church of Rome, and its pretended right to 
dispose of countries not yet discovered, infused a spirit of enter¬ 
prise into the mariners of this country, which was attended 
with the most beneficial results to its commerce, and to the 
promotion of its maritime power. 
Cabot arrived in England at a period highly propitious for 
the undertaking, which he had in view; the expedition under 
Manson had failed, but without any reference to the great object 
for which it was undertaken, as an impediment had been thrown 
in his way, which could not be overcome. The English naviga¬ 
tors however, regarded the appointment of Cabot, with great 
jealousy and distrust, and a memorial was presented to Henry VII 
praying him, to bestow the command upon one of his own sub¬ 
jects ; but the wily monarch answered, that, as the Bristol mer¬ 
chants had projected the expedition, he had at their solicitation 
granted his letters patent to Cabot, and therefore they could not 
then be revoked. 
It is by no means unworthy of observation, that although 
Cabot was actually in the service of Henry VII., and sailing on 
a voyage of discovery, under letters patent, granted by that 
monarch; yet according to Ramusio, he gave the fullest infor¬ 
mation of his proceedings to the pope's legate in Spain, which 
under the then existing circumstances between the two coun¬ 
tries, not only politically but commercially, appears not very 
favourably tot he character of Cabot. According to the above 
mentioned historian, Cabot is made to say to the pope’s legate, 
that “ understanding, by reason of the sphere, that if he should 
sail by way of north west, he should by a shorter track come 
into India, he thereupon caused the king to be advertised 
of his device, who immediately commanded two Caravels, to 
be furnished with all things appertayning to the voyage, 
which was as farre as he remembered in the year 1496, in the 
beginning of summer; he began therefore to sail towards the 
north west, not thinking to find any other land than that of 
Cathay, and from thence to turn towards India, but after certaine 
days, he found that the land ran towards the north, which was 
1 
D 
