is necessary for the warres yet say I all this is nothing when the quality and condition is wanting which giveth form and essence to all enterprises which is mony which the Kingdom of England no lesse through the scarcity of Revenues as by the charge of ordinary expences is brought unto which they shall never be able to recover by their Trades and Commerce if the use of the sea be taken from them and therfore will never be able to supply expence of a defensiue Army Royall when it hath scarcely enough to supply their own necessaries especially against so great and magnificent a Prince as your most Catholike Majestie who embraceth within the circuits of your Dominions the whole Diamemeter of the earthly Globe and possesseth more land at this day then all the Monarchs and Republiques of the world haue A most opulent Prince in Armes Men Mony Souldiers Captains Shippes Victuals and all other provision of warre and a Prince who like a Moderator or Arbitrator seemeth to hold in his hands the bridle of Empire both of the sea and land And wheras it may be objected that the Gallies which doe you no service in that expedition being vessels of great consequence in battels by sea your enterprise of Portugal and of the Iland if it did not quite remoue it yet did it much abate the superstitious credulity of ours that those Vessels are not good at any time to passe the Ocean withall as if there were no faire wether in that sea in the Summer or that fair weather were abortiue in shipping there is no doubt but that Gallies may securely passe and hazard themselues in that Sea in the Summe for three moneths And those that will object the contrary by the overthrow of the Sea there let them be contented to obserue well that the same Anchor met not with no inward but outward occasion in the sea of that overthrow For Caesar ignorantly could not discern the time of the Moon which was then in the full and being mistaken by reason of her 100 much humidity doth use to disturb not onely the Ocean but all the coasts and the dominion shee holdeth of the salt waters And therfore in respect of the great honesty and equity accompanying the cause with it so honourable and godly life as the planting the Christian faith and religion no obstacle can be sufficient to stay the force of divine power serving under the standerd of Christ and therfore most weake and but a shadow shall all humane helpe bee which shall oppose it selfe against the will of the great Arbitrator But such are the pretentions of your Majestie over this Kingdom and such the obligations wherin you stand bound for the recovery of your own the title of Grandfather and Predecessours of famous memorie as there is no enterprise so peculiar and proper for you to undertake as this for that you goe not onely to possesse your selfe of the right which you haue to this Kingdome but likewise to make your selfe the most famous King that ever was in the memory of all the Princes of the world adding by this meanes unto the Crowne of Spaine a Kingdom so illustrious so mightie and so famous By the relation of this Spanish project against this State of England most Illustrious Prince may well appeare unto your Highnesse that the Spaniard himselfe well knows that there is no way for the expectation of his further Greatness no great possession of the high Monarchy which he himselfe alledgeth that he already enjoyeth but the conquering of this I le and adding it to the Crown of Spain and therfore if he had any other meanes to attain to this by him so violently longed for then by a peace why should not your Majestie thinke that the peace hee meanes to make with you at this time is for that purpose and for no other intent And therfore my good Lord I cannot as one standing upon the firme land gaze upon the shipwrack of my Countrie being so doubtfully tossed and floting in the dangerous sea of dissention betwixt peace and warre with one that will make a peace with you for no other end and purpose but that hee may bee the better able to make warre heerafter against you But to cast out the last anchor hold of my selfe which is boldness and freeness of speech to you my most renouned Soveraign to prevent if I can these extreme and certain dangers wherein both your Selfe your States and glory of the English and Scottish names are likely to be plunged when the Spaniards ability shall be such as there shall bee no let but his good nature to insult over you which howsoever your Highness or others think contrary will in foure or fiue yeares if he enjoy his Indies be brought to passe Surely my gracious Soveraign I am of opinion against Phillip of Spain in the behalfe of my Countrie as that noble Common-wealths man Demosthenes against Phillip of Macedon in behalfe of the Athenians which no doubt hath much affinity with our case at this time For Phillip seeing whilst he had warre with Athens at which he principally aimed hee could never overcome the other Provinces of Thebeans Lacedemonians Thessaliars Phocians O intans and the rest and till they were overcome he could never get Athens began to take another course which was to bribe with mony and gifts Councellours or Orators of that State to be of his side and by that means to be secure from the forces of that Republique or Commonwealth till he had by one and one overcome the rest But good Demosthenes perceived him by and by and warned the Thebeans of that Treason but these traitors of Phillips Faction being grown great in the Citie by meanes of the bounty they had daily received for rewards of their treason as also the Athenians were then as we are now not willing to hear of any warres or change to be brought against them which alwaies these Traitors joyn with the multitude in assuring them that Phillip of Macedon meant them no harm was the onely cause that all the other Provinces aforenamed were overcome but also the noble and stately Citie by him and Antèpator his successour And therfore since that like examples whilst the world doth last will bring forth like effects I will be of Demosthenes minde if since we cannot shunne the warres with Spain either at this time or hereafter when he hath made himselfe more strong either by the conquest of his neighbours or otherwise that you should begin with him whilst you haue the advantage of him and then you shall by proofe finde how profitable it will be unto you when you must needs doe a thing to doe it with a courage and cheerfulness And forasmuch as there is no man of another minde but that we shall haue the King of Spaine by so much more our mighty enemy the greater Princes suffer him to be Oh why be we so backward or why linger you oh noble King the
may well say and according to truth that the world of America was not so much unknown to the former ages as their monstrous outragious and new devised cruelties which these divelish and tyrannous Spanyards haue unhumanely practised amongst the simple and innocent people as appeareth by Don Bartholmew de la Casas Bishop of ... and other of their own Historiegraphers And although my selfe being a stranger which haue some time served against them both in the Indies and else where could say much of their cruelties by relation of such their slaues as I haue taken yet for that my eyes haue not seen them I will forbear in modesty to charge them onely I will relate from the mouth of a true reporter a worthy Gentleman of this land Sir Francis Drake one truth that by that your Majestie might be induced to beleeu the rest Hee once talking with me of the Indies told me That he being in the South Sea after he had taken his prize he had thought to haue ventured to haue come home by the Northward and stood his course to the I le of Canes being in 12 degrees of the North latitude and from thence to Aqua Palce upon the maine being 16 degrees at one of the poore townes of the Citie of Mexico where going a shore he found an old Negro tyed in a chain of 20 yards long which had been condemned by the justice of the place for that sometimes being oppressed with too much labour the poor old man would runne into the woods and absent himselfe from his Majesties work his sentence was that he should be whipped with whips till he was all raw and bloudy and afterwards being tyed in a chain to be eaten with flies which poore soule hee released from that miserable death and took him away with him And therfore oh Turke oh Scithians and Tartarians rejoyce yee now all since now there is to be found at this day a Nation in Christendome which by the unhappy and cursed behaviour doe increase the hatred that men haue born to the barbarous and ungracious cruelties And therfore most renowned Soveraign I should be sory in regard of the premises that you should commit so great a fault in the government of the great and mighty Kingdoms which is not sufferable to a private Captain over a few souldiers to say I doe not thinke it so when hee hath by his own temerity or fool-hardinesse committed an action for want of due respect to the subjects undertaken that hath made him disastrous and unfortunate in his honour and the times of his people which desire rather to giue them received Lawes ... For the desire of honour to advance States and enlarge Kingdoms is naturally grafted in the hearts of all Princes of noble spirits and there was never any King of a worthy and high courage but desired to leau to his posterity the memory of some noble and worthy action as the American world by doing wherof you shall not onely procure safety to your selfe and those that shall succeed you in your Royall Seat but generall happiness to so many millions of people which at this day sit in darknesse and the shadow of death and is a thing so farre from discommendation or reproach as you shall be so qualified in all succeeding ages with the most happy most gracious and most fortunate Princes of the world But yet I doe not deny but Princes may haue such grounds and reasons to trust some private men or forraign Princes as being deceived by them and they should say I never would haue thought it yet are not worthy of reprehension as for example That Prince ought not to bee blamed that hath put in a Fortresse some one Captain or place in a Country some one Prince either of which haue received goods or honours from him and yet in the end is betrayed by them and heereupon the knowledge thereof should say I would never haue thought it that such a man would haue betraied me that Prince is not to be blamed as it happened to Lewis Morre Duke of Millaine who having committed the Castle of the Citie to one Damerdine Covet whom he had so absolutely raised and made obliged to him by infinite graces and benefits yet notwithstanding was by the said Covet betrayed to his perpetuall dishonour and infamie This Duke was no way to bee blamed As also your Majestie ought not to be reproved who providing for every mischiefe is assailed by some strange accidents that was not possible for your Majestie in judgement or counsell to foresee or prevent as being not possible with reason to foresee a thing which of it selfe is a thing without reason As for example was that most grievous accident of the powder and other munition prepared to be sent to diverse places before the Castle gate of the said Citie which tooke fire and was burnt by lightning from heaven when the weather was fair and cleer wherby afterward ensued to the State so many losses and discommodities upon this occasion if the Captain of the Castle should haue said I had never thought that this weather would haue brought so great and unfortunate a chance to me hee had deserved no reproofe at all But if before your Majesties eyes it be apparant that a manifest knowne enemy to the State who as Demosthenes saith hates the verie Religion of Athens who hath not onely long thirsted after the Seigniorie of your Kingdome in his secret designes but likewise by open force of fire and sword hath assailed them If you will trust such an one and after upon his breaking say You would not haue beleeved that the King of Spaine would haue dealt so with you Doubtlesse renoumed Soveraigne the world will not faile to taxe you with such carelessenesse and improvidence as I hope shall never haue any affinity with your most Excellent Majestie or any other of your Royall Off-spring that shall sway the Scepter of this noble I le And therefore my gracious Lord in my judgement you ought to doe in this so great a matter of State as concluding a peace with so dangerous enemies as the Spanish Nation as good and wise Carpenters seeme to doe in substantiall buildings which is to make a sure foundation lest by aspiring minde or breach of the enemy you be overthrown And where as he saith in the fore-going project that hee hath right and good title to the Crowne of England by vertue of his Grandfather and Predecessours which I know to be otherwise yet contrarily can I proue your Majestie by the vertue of your Grandfather of famous memory Henry the 7 to bee as rightfull Heire to all the firme land of the Indies as the King of Spain is to the Ilands of Cuba Iannura and Hispaniola with the rest of the Ilands of Lucaites Grante and Aâ—tile and for that it is not inconvenient fully to take notice and understand how these Kings intitles themselues and their Successors to the right and Seigniories of the
Indies I haue thought good to set down my opinion how many waies they doe or may take their claim And first by discovery secondly by the Popes gift thirdly by consent of the people fourthly by conquest and consent So as if neither of these be able to proue or giue a good and sufficient title or at least such an one as may barr you and other Princes that will to inhabite in those parts I know no reason why your Majestie should not doe as he hath done that is to possesse as much as you can of those Heathen Countries especially where the Spaniard is not seated nor hath no command wherby you might not onely propagate the Christian faith amongst those Pagans and Infidels as you are bound to doe as much as you can but a golden world to the Crown of England wherby you be more enabled as well to undertake a forraign warre against the enemy of the Christian name as also to make your State the more strong by the Indian treasures against such of your neighbours as shall envie your Highness And therefore to come to his Title If he claim his interest by possession and first Discovery which doubtless must be the strongest Title that he can challenge then your Majestie hath as much title for all the firme land of the Indies as he hath for these Ilands before named As for proofe of this the Captaines of Henry the 7 being Sebastion Cabot and his companions discovered the Iland of the Indies on the north part of the Indies from 60 degrees coasting the north latitude the verie year before Christian Columbus discovered the high land of Dania on the south part of the Indies which was the first day that ever the Spaniards saw the maine and took possession of that new Discovery in the behalfe of Henry the 7 and his successours their Lord and Master So as if first Discovery and Possession be his Title your Majestie preceding him in that said Title must necessarily precede him in the right thereof If he claime it by the gift of Pope Alexander the sixth then it must be argued whether the said Pope had power to giue it yea or no if not then the gift is voide in it selfe If yea he must proue it either by Divine or Human Arguments for Human he cannot for that no way belonged to him or any other Christian Prince or Potentate at that time nor were so much as ever heard of before that present Discovery of Columbus upon which the gift was made in the year of grace 1492. All things never known to him or his Ancestors can no way of right belong to him or them so as not belonging to him directly or by circumstance hee had no right to giue or dispose thereof either in present or future and thus for Human. For Divine Arguments if he say he gaue them as Christs Vicar wherby he may dispose of Kings or Kingdoms he must proue that authority by the word of God or else we are not bound to beleeu him or think his gift of any value As for example if hee be but Christs servant heer on earth he must challenge to himselfe no more prerogatiue then his Master took on him whilst he was on earth for if he doe it is a great token of pride and arrogancie And our Saviour being but requested to make a lawfull division of a certaine inheritance betwixt one and his brother refused to doe it saying Who made me a Iudge over you as also he confessed openly to Pilate That his kingdom is not of this world Why then doth the Pope who acknowledgeth himselfe to be no better then his servant take upon him the giving of so many Kingdomes of this world But the Popes say they gaue Ireland to Henry the 2 and his successours and indeed they did so in word but when had he it when he had fast footing in it and when Dernitius the King of Lemster had made the King of England his Heir But for all that donation had not the Kings of this land by the sharpnesse of the sword more prevailed then by this gift the Popes donation had stood in little stead neither did the rest of the Irish Kings admit or allow of the Popes Donation for if they had they would never haue rebelled so often against this Crown But to conclude this point though we confesse that the Popes haue done this or that yet it is no good argument in my opinion to say that they did it and therfore it was lawfull unlesse they could shew they did it rightfully But the Popes gift of the West Indies may well be compared to the Sermon of Iudge Molineux his Chaplain in Queen Maries daies who would make it appear by a liuely text out of the Scripture to his Parishioners what a lying knaue the divell was and for his Text he took the place where the divell took Christ and carryed him up to the mountain from whence he shewed him all the Kingdoms of the world told him it he would fall down and worship him he would giue them all unto him My Masters quoth he by this you may well perceiue what a lyar he is for he had no more right to haue given him these Kingdoms if would haue fallen down and worshipt him then my selfe that am now in the Pulpit If I should say to you all now Sirs if you will all fall down and worship me before I goe out of the Church I will giue every man his Copie-hold for ever which if I should doe I should giue you your livings in words But my Masters quoth hee that sit there below to whom they belong would take them from you again And therfore saith he if he had given all these Kingdoms to Christ the Kings of the earth to whom by right they did pertain would never haue suffered him to haue injoyed them And so for that For the earth is the Lords and all that dwell therin he founded and prepared it as in the Psalmist and so consequently neither the Popes nor the divels doe dispose to whom they please The copie of which foolish donation of the Popes truely translated out of the originall hath been delivered to your Majestie long since and I hope perused before this time To proue that he hath no generall consent of all the people and Nations of the Indies appeareth most evidently by this reason for that no Spaniard farther inhabiteth northward then Florida where they haue but two little Forts or Villages the one called S. Austine the other S. Helena All the rest of that huge tract whose insinitenesse is such as no mortall tongue can expresse nor eye hath seen doe not so much as think there is another world but that they themselues inhabite except some few of them which dwell upon the edges of the shore that sometimes see both us the French the Dutch and the Spanyard when we come a fishing but are not able to distinguish of us