Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/283

 holsome. Now if any man shall maruel, that in these Discoueries of The World for the space almost of fower thousand yeeres here set downe, our nation is scarce fower times mentioned: Hee is to vnderstand, that when this authour ended this discourse, (which was about the yeere of Grace 1555.) there was little extant of our mens trauailes. And for ought I can see, there had no greater matter yet come to light, if my selfe had not vndertaken that heauie burden, being neuer therein entertained to any purpose, vntill I had recourse vnto your selfe, by whose speciall fauour and bountifull patronage I haue bene often much encouraged, and as it were reuiued. Which trauails of our men, because as yet they be not come to ripenes, and haue been made for the most part to places first discoured by others; when they shall come to more perfection, and become more profitable to the aduenturers will then be more fit to be reduced into briefe epitomes, by my selfe or some other eudued with an honest zeale of the honour of our countrey. In the meane season nothing doubting of your fauourable acceptation of this my labour, I humbly beseech the authour of all goodnes to replenish and enrich you with his best blessings, long to protect and preserue your Honour to the profitable seruice of her Maiestie; and to the common benefit and good of the Realme. From London this 29. of October 1601.

Your Honors Chaplein, in all dutie

most readie to be commanded,

.

Francis de Sousa Tauares vnto the high and mighty Prince Don Iohn Duke of Aueiro.

Antonie Galuano vpon his death bed left vnto me in his testament among his papers this booke. And because I am certaine hee ordained it to bee presented vnto your Grace, I haue thought good herein to fulfill his wil and testament, though in other things I haue done nothing, the fault remaining not in me. And by all reason this treatie ought to be set foorth by a Portugall, seeing it intreateth of the variable waies from whence the pepper and spices came in times past into our partes, and also of all the nauigations and discoueries in the olde time: In