The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 13: America, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 13: America, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
(M235) And to answer objections; where fooles for the swarminge of beggars
alleage that the realme is too populous, Solomon saieth, that the honour
and strengthe of a prince consisteth in the multitude of the people. And
if this come aboute, that worke may be had for the multitude, where the
realme hath nowe one thousande for the defence thereof, the same may have
fyve thousande. For when people knowe howe to live, and howe to maynetayne
and feede their wyves and children, they will not abstaine from mariage as
nowe they doe. And the soile thus aboundinge with come, fleshe, mylke,
butter, cheese, herbes, rootes, and frutes, &c., and the seas that envyron
the same so infynitely aboundinge in fishe, I dare truly affirme, that if
the nomber in this realme were as greate as all Spaine and Ffraunce have,
the people beinge industrious, I say, there shoulde be founde victualls
ynoughe at the full in all bounty to suffice them all. And takinge order
to cary hence thither our clothes made in hose, coates, clokes, whoodes,
&c., and to returne thither hides of their owne beastes, tanned and turned
into shoes and bootes, and other skynnes of goates, whereof they have
store, into gloves, &c., no doubte but wee shall sett on worke in this
realme, besides sailers and suche as shalbe seated there in those westerne
discovered contries, at the leaste C.M. subjectes, to the greate abatinge
of the goodd estate of subjectes of forreine princes, enemies, or
doubtfull friends, and this _absque injuria_, as the lawyers say, albeit
not _sine damno_. And having a vente of lynnen, as the Spaniardes have in
the rest of that firme, wee may sett our people, in making the same,
infinitely on worke, and in many other thinges besides; which time will
bringe aboute, thoughe nowe, for wante of knowledge and full experience of
this trade, wee cannot enter into juste accompte of all particulers.
Chap. V. That this voyage will be a greate bridle to the Indies of the
Kinge of Spaine, and a meane that wee may arreste at our pleasure for the
space of tenne weeks or three monethes every yere one or twoo C. saile of
his subjectes shippes at the fyshinge in Newfounde Land.
The cause why the Kinge of Spaine, these three or foure yeres last paste,
was at suche intollerable chardges in furnishinge oute so many navies to
wynne Tercera, and the other small ilandes of the Azores adjacent to the
same, was the opportunitie of the places in interceptinge his West India
flete at their returne homewarde, as a matter that toucheth him indeede to
the quicke. But the plantinge of twoo or three strong fortes upon some
goodd havens (whereof there is greate store) betweene Florida and Cape
Briton, woulde be a matter in shorte space of greater domage as well to
his flete as to his westerne Indies; for wee shoulde not onely often tymes
indaunger his flete in the returne thereof, but also in fewe yeres put him
in hazarde in loosinge some parte of Nova Hispania.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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