of their ships, the sayd king caused such huge ships to be built, quales non erant in mundo, as the like were not to be found in the whole world besides. But to leave our ancient shipping, and descend unto later times; I thinke that never was any nation blessed of JEHOVAH, with a more glorious and wonderfull victory upon the Seas, then our vanquishing of the dreadfull Spanish Armada, 1588. But why should I presume to call it our vanquishing; when as the greatest part of them escaped us, and were onely by Gods out-stretched arme overwhelmed in the Seas, dashed in pieces against the Rockes, and made fearefull spectacles and examples of his judgements unto all Christendome? An excellent discourse whereof, as likewise of the honourable expedition under two of the most noble and valiant peeres of this Realme, I meane, the renoumed Erle of Essex, and the right honorable the lord Charles Howard, lord high Admirall of England, made 1596. unto the strong citie of Cadiz, I have set downe as a double epiphonema to conclude this my first volume withall. Both of which, albeit they ought of right to have bene placed among the Southerne voyages of our nation: yet partly to satisfie the importunitie of some of my special friends, and partly, not longer to deprive the diligent Reader of two such woorthy and long-expected discourses; I have made bold to straine a litle curtesie with that methode which I first propounded unto my selfe. And here had I almost forgotten to put the Reader in mind of that learned and Philosophical treatise of the true state of Iseland, and so consequently of the Northren Seas & regions lying that way: wherein a great number of none of the meanest Historiographers and Cosmographers of later times, as namely, Munster, Gemma Frisius, Zieglerus, Krantzius, Saxo Grammaticus, Olaus Magnus, Peucerus and others, are by evident arguments convinced of manifold errors: that is to say, as touching the true situation and Northerly latitude of that Island, and of the distance thereof from other places; touching the length of dayes in Sommer and of nights in Winter, of the temperature of the land and sea, of the time and maner of the congealing, continuance, and thawing of the Ice in those Seas, of the first Discoverie and inhabiting of that Island, of the first planting of Christianitie there, as likewise of the continuall flaming of mountains, strange qualities of fountains, of hel-mouth, and of purgatorie which those authors have fondly written and imagined to be there. All which treatise ought to bee the more acceptable; first in that it hath brought sound trueth with it; and secondly, in that it commeth from that farre Northren climate which most men would suppose could not affoord any one so learned a Patrone for it selfe. And thus (friendly Reader) thou seest the briefe summe and scope of all my labours for the commonwealths sake, and thy sake, bestowed upon this first Volume: which if thou shalt as thankefully accept, as I have willingly and freely imparted with thee, I shall bee the better encouraged speedily to acquaint thee with those rare, delightfull and profitable histories, which I purpose (God willing) to publish concerning the Southerne and Westerne partes of the World. Postscriptum. Not knowing any other place so convenient, I am here to advertise the friendly Reader of certaine faultes escaped in the printing of this booke, and to request him that in the Page 54. and in the last line save two, hee would in stead of Kine, read Swine, and he shall thereby avoid a great contradiction: likewise pag. 187. that hee would unto the ende of the second verse of the Prologue to the English Policy, make supply of the word Rest, which is there wanting: also pag. 221. lin. 29. for woorthinesse read woorthies, &c. Other faults (if there bee any) are (I doubt not) easily corrigible. PANEGYRICK VERSES ON THE AUTHOR & HIS BOOKE. Εἰς Α'ποδημιας Βρεττανῶν Πόνημα Ριχάρδου του Α' κλυίτου, ΟΣ Υγων ὁ Βροχθωνὸς. Σσοι γαῖαν ἔχουσι βροτοὶ ἑνὸς ἐκπέφυασι Ος δὲ θ ̓ ἀλίπλαγκτος μετεκίαθεν ἔθνεα πλεῖστα, Εξοχα Βρεττανοὶ δ ̓, ἄλλων σχισθέντες ἔρανται, In navales RICHARDI HAKLUYTI Commentarios. Nglia magnarum fœcunda puerpera rerum, sive solum spectes nobile, sive salum; Quæ quantum sumptis se nobilitaverit armis, sive domi gessit prælia, sive foris; Multorum celebrant matura volumina: tantæ Insula materiem parvula laudis alit. At se in quot, qualésque, & quando effuderit oras. Quæcunque idcirco celeri gens Anglica navi, A prima generisque & gentis origine gessit, Hoc opus Hakluyti; cui debet patria multum, Quam doces omni studio fovere usserit hostis. In eximium opus R. HAKLUYTI de Anglorum ad disjunctissimas regiones navigationibus GULIELMI CAMDENI Hexastichon. Anglia quæ penitùs toto discluditur orbe, Angulus orbis erat, parvus & orbis erat. Di Marc' Antonio Pigafeta Gentilhuomo Vicentino. Che son lá dove il Maragnon diparte, Di fatica o di danno accolt' hà insieme, E la Dwina agghiaccia, e l' Obi freme, |