ABSTRACT
My most honorable good Lords, for as much as it hath pleased God, not only to bestow upon your Lordships the excellent gifts of natures benefite, but hath also beutified the same with such speciall ornamentes of perfection: As that thereby the mindes and attentive industrie of all, have no small regard unto your honorable proceedings. And so much the rather, because to the great content of all her majesties most loving subjectes, it hath pleased her highnes in her stately regard of government, to make choise of your honours as speciall members in the regall disposition of the mightinesse of her imperiall command : Emboldeneth me among the rest to humble my selfe at your honorable feete, in presenting unto the favour of your excellent judgmentes this short treatise of the Worldes Hydrographicall bands. And knowing that not onely your renowned places, but also the singularitie of your education, by the prudent care of your noble progeniters, hath and still doth induce and drawe you to favour and imbrace whatsoever beareth but a seeming of the commonweales good : Much more then that which in substantiall truth shal be most beneficiall to the same. I am therefore the more encouraged not to slacke this my enterprise, because that through your honorable assistance, when in the ballance of your wisdomes this discovery shall have indifferent consideration, I knowe it will be ordered by you to bee a matter of no small moment to the good of our countrie. For thereby wee shall not oneiy have a copious and rich vent for al our naturall and artificiall comodities of England, in short time by safe passage, and without offence of any, but also shall by the first imployment retourne into our countrey by spedie passage, all 194Indian commodities in the ripenes of their perfection, whereby her Majesties dominions should bee the storehouse of Europe, the nurse of the world, and the glory of nations, in yielding all forrayne naturall benefites by an easie rate : In communicating unto all whatsoever God hath unto any one assigned : And by the increase of all nations through the mightinesse of trade. Then should the merchant, tradesman, and poore artificer, have imployment equall to their power and expedition, whereby what notable benefites would growe to her Majestie, the state, and communaltie, I refer to your perfect judgementes. And for that I am desirous to avoyde the contradiction of vulgar conceipts, I have thought it my best course, before I make profe of the certaintie of this discoverie, to lay downe whatsoever may against the same be objected, and in the overthrowe of those conceipted hinderances the safenes of the passage 1 shall most manifestly appeare, which when your wisdomes, Shall with your patience peruse, I doe in no sort distrust your favorable acceptance and honorable assistance of the same.
