French governor tore the documents in pieces and trampled them under
foot.
The life and labors of Orange had established the emancipated
commonwealth upon a secure foundation, but his death rendered the union
of all the Netherlands into one republic hopeless. The efforts of the
malcontent nobles, the religious discord, the consummate ability, both
political and military, of Parma, all combined with the lamentable loss
of William the Silent to separate forever the Southern and Catholic
provinces from the Northern confederacy. So long as the Prince remained
alive, he was the father of the whole country, the Netherlands--saving
only two Walloon provinces--constituting a whole. Notwithstanding the
spirit of faction and the blight of the long civil war, there was at
least one country, or the hope of a country, one strong heart, one
guiding head, for the patriotic party throughout the land. Philip and
Granvella were right in their estimate of the advantage to be derived
from the Prince's death; in believing that an assassin's hand could
achieve more than all the wiles which Spanish or Italian statesmanship
could teach, or all the armies which Spain or Italy could muster. The
pistol of the insignificant Gerard destroyed the possibility of a united
Netherland state, while during the life of William there was union in
the policy, unity in the history of the country.
NAMING OF VIRGINIA: FIRST DESCRIPTION OF THE INDIANS
THE LOST COLONY
A.D. 1584
ARTHUR BARLOW R. R. HOWISON
At the age of thirty-two Sir Walter Raleigh had already been
connected with navigating and colonizing expeditions to North
America. He was associated with the enterprise of his elder
half-brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who in 1583 established at St.
John's, Newfoundland, the first English colony beyond seas. Upon the
death of Gilbert, in that year, Raleigh succeeded to his enterprise,
and obtained from Queen Elizabeth, whose favorite he was, a charter
of colonization.
When next year he sent out his first expedition to find some
suitable spot for a colony on the North American coast, Raleigh took
warning from the unfortunate experiences of Gilbert in the northern
latitudes, and directed his two commanders, Philip Amidas and Arthur
Barlow, to take another route. They accordingly took the old way by
the Canary Islands.
History is fortunate in possessing Barlow's account of this voyage.
It has, as one writer says, "all the freshness and gayety of an
idyl. His description of the sweet smell wafted to the voyagers from
the American shore, as from some delicate garden abounding with all
kinds of odoriferous flowers, was noticed by Bacon, and utilized by
Dryden to flatter one of his patrons."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account