Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/370

 332 Readings in European History very renowned, happened to be in London, they began first of all to deal and consult diligently with him, and after much speech and conference together, it was at last con- cluded that three ships should be prepared and furnished out for the search and discovery of the northern part of the world, to open a way and passage to our men for travel to new and unknown kingdoms. And whereas many things seemed necessary to be re- garded in this so hard and difficult a matter, they first made choice of certain grave and wise persons in manner of a senate, or company, which should lay their heads together and give their judgments and provide things requisite and profitable for all occasions; by this company it was thought expedient that a certain sum of money should publicly be collected to serve for the furnishing of so many ships. And lest any private man should be too much oppressed and charged, a course was taken that every man willing to be of the society should disburse a portion of twenty and five pounds apiece, so that in a short time by this means, the sum of six thousand pounds being gathered, the three ships were bought, the most part whereof they provided to be newly built and trimmed. But in this action I wot not whether I may more admire the care of the merchants, or the diligence of the ship- wrights ; for the merchants, they get very strong and well- seasoned planks for the building ; the shipwrights, they, with daily travail and their greatest skill, do fit them for the dispatch of the ships ; they calk them, pitch them, and among the rest they make one most stanch and firm, by an excellent and ingenious invention. For they had heard that in certain parts of the ocean a kind of worm is bred which many times pierceth and eateth through the strongest oak that is, and therefore that the mariners and the rest to be employed in this voyage mi^ht be free and safe from this danger, they cover a piece of the keel of the ship with thin sheets of lead ; and having thus built the ships, and furnished them with armor and artillery, then followed a second care no less troublesome and necessary than the former, namely,