Museum, arranged, however, in the Catalogue, not to the title, Hakluyt, but "America." It is dedicated to "The Right Worshipful, and most vertuous Gentleman, Master Philip Sydney, Esq." Zouch, in his Life of Sir Philip Sydney (p. 317), thus refers to it: "Every reader conversant in the annals of our naval transactions, will cheerfully acknowledge the merit of Richard Hakluyt," &c. "His incomparable industry was remunerated with every possible encouragement, by Sir Francis Walsingham and Sir Philip Sydney. To the latter, as a most generous promoter of all ingenious and useful knowledge, he inscribed his first collection of voyages and discoveries, printed in 1582."

In a passage to the dedication he adverts to the English title to America:

"I have here, right worshipful, in this hastie work, first put downe the Title which we have to that part of America, which is from Florida to 67 degrees northward, by the letters patent, granted to John Cabote and his three sons, Lewis, Sebastian, and Santius, with Sebastian's own certificate to Baptista Ramusio, of his discovery of America."

One Tract preserved in this volume, and which does not appear in the work as afterwards enlarged, is of great curiosity. It is a translation, published originally in 1563, of the detailed report made to Admiral Coligny by Ribault, who commanded the French expedition in 1562, to Florida, with a view to a settlement, and who actually planted in that year a French colony in what is now the state of South Carolina. Subsequently to the publication of this volume, Hakluyt was instrumental in causing to be published at Paris, in 1587, the volume of Basanier containing the Narrative of Laudonniere, who was second in command under Ribault. A comprehensive view is there given of all the voyages, and Hakluyt, therefore, in his larger work, omits the interesting report made by the chief of the expedition.

It is not a little remarkable, in reference to an incident so memorable, that the work of Ribault seems to be quite unknown in France. The "Biographie Universelle" (title Ri

bault) has a long article which manifests an entire ignorance of its existence, and is, indeed, written in a very careless manner. Thus, it is stated, that Ribault, after reaching Florida, proceeded northward along the coast, and landed at the mouth of a river where he placed a Pillar with the Arms of France, and that to the next river he gave the name of May. This is not only contrary to Ribault's account, but to that of Laudonniere (Basanier's Paris ed. of 1587, fol. 8. also, 3 Hakluyt, p. 308), and to the theory of the Biographie Universelle itself which identifies the May with the present St John. The mistake throws into confusion what in the original cannot be mistaken. It was on the river where he planted the Pillar that the name of May was conferred. Ribault, in this Tract, referring to the several navigators who had visited America, speaks of the "very famous" Sebastian Cabot, "an excellent pilot, sent thither by King Henry VII., in the year 1498." Hakluyt speaks of it as "translated by one Thomas Hackit," and remarks, "The Treatise of John Ribault is a thing that hath been already printed, but not nowe to be had unless I had caused it to be printed againe." The work, however, as originally published by Hackit, in London, in 1563, is in the Library of the British Museum (title in Catalogue, Ribault). It is more excusable in the French Biographer of Ribault, not to know of an important Memoir prepared by him, and which is found in the Lansdowne Manuscripts, on the policy of preserving peace with England, and of delivering up to her certain ports of France. It was, doubtless, prepared under the eye of Coligny, and transmitted by him to show the views of his party; and has an intimate connexion with the history of France at that period.

Passing, however, at present, from various items of this curious volume, to which occasion will be taken hereafter to refer, there is to be noticed a passage of the deepest interest in reference to the subject of this memoir. Great surprise has been expressed that Cabot should have left no account of his voyages, as this circumstance has even been urged against him as a matter of reproach. "Sebastian, with all his know

ledge, and in the course of a long life, never committed to writing any narrative of the voyage to North America. The curious on the Continent, however, drew from him in conversation various particulars which gave a general idea," &c. (Historical account of North America, &c., by Hugh Murray, Esq., vol. i. p. 66.) Let us see how far the reproach on Cabot may be retorted on his country. In this work of 1582, after citing the patent granted by Henry VII. and the testimony of Ramusio, Hakluyt says:

"This much concerning Sebastian Cabote's discoverie may suffice for a present taste, but shortly, God willing, shall come out in print ALL HIS OWN MAPPES and DISCOURSES drawne and written by himselfe, which are in the custodie of the worshipful Master William Worthington, one of her Majesty's Pensioners, who (because SO WORTHIE MONUMENTS should not be buried in perpetual oblivion) is very willing to suffer them to be overseene, and published in as good order as may be to the encouragement and benefite of our countrymen."

It may be sufficient here to say of William Worthington, that he is joined with Sebastian Cabot, in the pension given by Philip and Mary, on the 29 May 1557 (Rymer, vol. xv. p. 466). The probable fate of the Maps and Discourses will be considered on reaching the painful part of Cabot's personal history which belongs to this association.

CHAP. V.

COMPARATIVE AGENCY OF JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT.

IT has been seen, that by all the early writers, heretofore cited, who speak of the discoveries effected under the auspices of Henry VII., Sebastian Cabot is exclusively named. An inclination has, in consequence, sprung up at a more remote period to dwell on the circumstances which seem to indicate that injustice had been done to the father; and the alleged testimony of Robert Fabyan, the venerable annalist, is particularly relied on.

The feeling which prompts this effort to vindicate the pretensions of the father is entitled to respect; and certainly there can exist, at this late day, no other wish on the subject than to reach the truth. It is proposed, therefore, to look with this spirit into the various items of evidence which are supposed to establish the prevailing personal agency of John Cabot. They may be ranked thus:

1. The alleged statement of Robert Fabyan.

2. The language of more recent writers as to the character of the father.

3. The appearance of his name on the map cut by Clement Adams, and also in the patents.

As to the first, the authority usually referred to is found in Hakluyt (vol. 3. p. 9)

"A note of Sebastian Cabot's first discoverie of part of the Indies taken out of the latter part of Robert Fabian's Chronicle, not hitherto printed, which is in the custodie of M. John Stow, a diligent preserver of antiquities."

"In the 13 yeere of K. Henry the 7 (by means of one John Cabot, a Venetian, which made himselfe very expert and cunning in knowledge of the circuit of the world, and islands of the same, as by a sea card and other demonstrations reasonable he shewed), the king caused to man and victuall a ship at Bristow to search

F

for an island, which he said he knew well was rich, and replenished with great commodities: which shippe thus manned and victualled at the King's costs, divers marchants of London ventured in her small stocks, being in her, as chief patron, the said Venetian. And in the company of the said ship sailed, also, out of Bristow, three or foure small ships, fraught with sleight and grosse marchandizes, as course cloth, caps, laces, points, and other trifles, and so departed from Bristow in the beginning of May, of whom in this Maior's time returned no tidings."

There is added, by Hakluyt, a note of three savages brought from the newly-discovered region, " mentioned by the foresaid, Robert Fabian."

It may be remarked, in the first place, that the history of this latter part of Robert Fabyan's Chronicle," well deserves the attention of antiquaries. Both Stow, in his Annals, subsequently published, and after him, Speed (p. 744), and Purchas (vol. iii. p. 808), speak of the exhibition, in 1502, of savages brought from the Newfoundland, and cite Fabyan, as authority for what is not to be found in his work as we now have it.* Assuming, however, as we may safely do, that Stow was possessed of a manuscript which he had reason to believe the work of a contemporary, the question remains as to its precise language. The passage in Hakluyt would evidently appear to be not an exact transcript from such a work. The expression, "of whom in this Mayor's time returned no tidings," is not in the manner of a Chronicler making a note of incidents as they occurred, but is very natural in a person looking over the materials in his possession for information on a particular point, and reporting to another the result of that examination. It is probable, therefore, that Hakluyt had asked Stow what light he could throw on the expeditions in the time of Henry VII., and that we have here the answer given to the inquiry. From what has already been seen, it may be conceived that Hakluyt would not hesitate to run his pen through whatever struck him as irreconcilable with the leading facts in his possession. The wealthy Prebendary would approach with no great reverence the labours of poor Stow, who having abandoned his business as a tailor, for the

* See Appendix (A).