Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/54

 lieth, wound, deface, and tread vnder foot the thing it selfe. But this is no nouelty, nor proper only to these our dayes.

For long since it hath bin said, Laudes eo vsque sunt tolerabiles, donec ea dicuntur, quæ auditores se quoque facere posse existimant: si maiora proserantur, inuident, non credunt. The feruent zeale and loyalty of your minde in labour with this birth of so honorable expectation, as it hath deserued a recompence farre different, so needeth it not my poore suffrage to endeare the toyle, care and danger that you haue willingly vndergone for the good and aduancement of our weale publique. The praise-worthinesse thereof doeth approue it selfe, and is better read in your liuing doings, then in my dead vnregarded papers. All that I can wish, is that my life were a sufficient pledge, to iustifie, how more easie, and more materiall, the course for Guiana would be then others, which requiring greater charge, yeelde not so large benefit, and are subject to more doubtfull euents. If vnto their wisdomes who sit in place and authority, it shall appear otherwise, and that in following of other attempts there is lesse difficultie, certainer profit, and needfuller offence vnto the enemie: the cost and trauaile which you haue bestowed, shall not, I hope, be altogether lost, if vnto your Honour I can proue how, and where the amend is to be had, maugre the force and preuention of all Spaniards.

Your Lordships to be commanded in all seruice,

LAVRENCE KEYMIS.

To the Fauourers of the Voyage for Guiana.

In things earnestly desired, though neuer so likely, we are still suspicious: thinking it more credite to our common wisedome, to discredite most noble and profitable indeuours with distrust, then touch to our valours and safeties, to lie wilfully idle. So that howsoeuer an action well and iudicially attempted, bee esteemed halfe performed; yet is this my iealous conceite concerning Guiana, that nothing is begun, before all be ended. In this regarde (gentle Reader) I haue presumed to burthen thine eares with the weake plea of a good cause, and in stead of opening it throughly to thy prudent consideration, to note only