The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Forasmuch as the great and Almightie God hath giuen vnto mankinde, aboue
all other liuing creatures, such an heart and desire, that euery man
desireth to ioine friendship with other, to loue, and be loued, also to
giue and receiue mutuall benefites: it is therefore the duety of all men,
according to their power, to maintaine and increase this desire in euery
man, with well deseruing to all men, and especially to shew this good
affection to such, as beeing moued with this desire, come vnto them from
farre countreis. For how much the longer voyage they haue attempted for
this intent, so much the more doe they thereby declare that this desire
hath bene ardent in them. Furthermore also, the examples of our fathers and
predecessors doe inuite vs hereunto, forasmuch as they haue euer gently and
louingly intreated such as of friendly mind came to them, aswell from
Countries neare hand, as farre remote, commending themselues to their
protection. And if it be right and equity, to shew such humanitie toward
all men, doubtlesse the same ought chiefly to be shewed to marchants, who
wandering about the world, search both the land and the sea, to carry such
good and profitable things, as are found in their Countries, to remote
regions and kingdomes, and againe to bring from the same, such things as
they find there commodious for their owne Countries: both aswell that the
people, to whom they goe, may not be destitute of such commodities as their
Countries bring not foorth to them, as that also they may be partakers of
such things, whereof they abound. For the God of heauen and earth greatly
prouiding for mankinde, would not that all things should be found in one
region, to the ende that one should haue neede of another, that by this
meanes friendship might be established among all men, and euery one seeke
to gratifie all. For the establishing and furtherance of which vniuersall
amitie, certaine men of our Realme, mooued heereunto by the said desire,
haue instituted and taken vpon them a voyage by sea into farre Countries,
to the intent that betweene our people and them, a way may bee opened to
bring in, and cary out marchandises, desiring vs to further their
enterprise. Who assenting to their petition, haue licensed the right
valiant and worthy Sir Hugh Willoughby, knight, and other our trusty and
faithfull seruants, which are with him, according to their desire, to goe
to countries to them heeretofore vnknowen, aswell to seeke such things as
we lacke, as also to cary vnto them from our regions, such things as they
lacke. So that hereby not onely commoditie may ensue both to them and vs,
but also an indissoluble and perpetuall league of friendship be established
betweene vs both, while they permit vs to take of their things, such
whereof they haue abundance in their regions, and we againe grant them such
things of ours, whereof they are destitute. We therefore desire you kings
and princes, and al other, to whom there is any power on the earth, to
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