indifferent men of lerninge chosen out of purpose to be judges, that then the unworthier shal give place to the more sufficient: who so being placed is bound in three yeares space to read through the course of the mathematicks. Yf by yo' honors instigation Her Majestie might be enduced to erect such a lecture in Oxford, and the like for the Arte of navigation might by some other meanes be established at London, allowing to ech of them fiftie pounds yearly with the same conditions, in my simple judgment yt wold be the best hundred pounds bestowed, that was bestowed these five hundred yeares in England. Ffor yt is not unknowne unto yo' wisedome, howe necessarie for service of warres arithmeticke and geometrie are, and for our newe discoveries and longe voyages by sea the arte of navigation is, wch is compounded of many partes of the aforesayd sciences. Understanding hearetofore of your honours greate aboundance of business, and yo' dangerouse sicknes, I thought yt not meet to trouble yo honor with such things as I had carefully sought out here in Ffrance concerning the furtherance of the westerne discoveries, but chose rather to imparte the same wth M Carlile, wch thing I also did. But being lately advertised of yo' recovery (for wch I humbly thanke almightie God) I was bold to signifie unto yo honor my dealing with Horatio Palavicini to become an adventurer in those westerne voyages, and among other talke alleadged yo' good disposition to the same, wch he hearing of replyed very cheerfully, that yf he were moved thereto by the lest word from yo' honor, he wold put in his hundred pound adventure, or more. Yf Mr. Carlile bee gon, yet yt might come in good tyme to serve Mr. Ffrobisher's turne, yf yo' wisedome shold like wel of yt, seing he setteth not foorth as I understand until the beginning of May.

I understand that the papists give out secretly in

the towne that there shall shortly come forth a confutation of the defence of the execution of justice in England, wch was set foorth in English and French in London. When yt cometh foorth I trust to have yt with the first.

There is good hope that the minister and those that were taken lately with him in Paris by the abbot of St. Geneveva shal very shortly be set at libertie. For the King secretly seemeth to favour them, and they have very discreetly annswered for themselves that they were not at any communion or sermon, but that they mett together to consult whether to goe out of Paris to some place lawful by the edicte. A friend of myne told mee he heard a frier enveigh very exceeding bitterly agaynst them in a sermon before a greate congregation of people.

Wee have heard by diverse letters from Geneva that beside the earthquake wch was there about the end of Ffebruarie wch untyled many houses and overthrow'd many chymneis in the towne, there is beside a whole village in the countrey of Wallerye swallowed up, being foure dayes iourney of Geneva.

Those who favour the Spanish here in the towne have spred al abroad these two or three dayes that Monsieur is dead: wch is nothing soe.

Thus leaving other matters and advertisements of importance to those unto whom they appertayne, with remembrance of the continuance of my humble dutie to yo' honor and yo' worthy and vertuous sonne in lawe I leve you to the merciful protection of the Almightie. Paris the first of April, 1584. Don Antonio his captaynes of his fleet are not yet departed from Paris, but looke every day to depart. Yo' honors most humble

Richard Hakluyt.

To the right honorable Sir Ffrancis Walsingham principall secretarie to Her Matie give these

at the Courte.

Plan of London, circa 1573.

This plan is reproduced from a copy in the British
Museum of G. Braun and F. Hohenberg's Civitates
Orbis Terrarum, 1573. The 'stiliards' or steelyards
of the Hanse merchants are shown on the north side
of the river, a little to the west of London Bridge.
On the east of the Bridge and opposite the Tower is
the anchorage for ships. Westminster is shown on
the extreme west of the plan with Lambeth Palace
on the opposite bank. Conspicuous objects on the
south side of the river are the rings for the boull'
and beare' baiting. It was on land adjacent to
these that the Globe Theatre in which Shakespeare
acted was afterwards built.

PAGE

120

PUBLISHERS' NOTE

PROFESSOR WALTER RALEIGH'S Essay, which forms the first portion of this volume, was printed in September, 1904, and the delay in issuing it is due to the great labour involved in the preparation of the Index.

The Index of each of the separate volumes was compiled and checked by Madame Marie Michon, while the whole has been put together into one alphabet by Miss Elizabeth Carmont, who has also identified the names of places. While the greater part of the labour has fallen on Madame Michon and Miss Carmont, the Publishers have also to express their obligations for much assistance received from various sources. The dates, with the exception of those giving the births and deaths of the principal personages, are founded on Hakluyt's text.

Under any circumstances the preparation of an Index of such magnitude must have involved difficulties, but these have been greatly increased by the variety of spellings which were common in the sixteenth century, by the frequent references to places under names which are now obsolete, and to minor characters whom it is now difficult to identify.

The Publishers cannot hope, notwithstanding the care bestowed upon it, that the Index is even now free from