To His Excellency
Sr. THOMAS FAIRFAX Knight,
Lord FAIRFAX of CAMERON,
CAPTAIN-GENERALL of the Parliaments Army;
And of all their Forces in ENGLAND, and the Dominion of WALES.
May it please your Excellency,
The Divine Providence hath hitherto so ordered my life, that for the greatest part thereof, I have lived (as it were) in exile from my native Countrey: which happened, partly, by reason of my education in the Romish Religion, and that in forraign Universities; and partly, by my entrance into Monasticall orders. For twelve years space of which time, I was wholly disposed of in that part of America called New-Spain, and the parts adjacent. My difficult going thither, being not permitted to any, but to those of the Spanish Nation; my long stay there; and lastly my returning home, not onely to my Country, but to the true knowledg and free-profession of the Gospels purity, gave me reason to conceive, That these great mercies were not appointed me by the heavenly Powers, to the end I should bury my Talent in the earth, or hide my light under a bushell, but that I should impart what I there saw and knew to the use and benefit of my English Country-men; And which the rather I held my self obliged unto, because in a manner nothing hath been written of these Parts for these hundred years last past, which is almost ever since the first Conquest thereof by the Spaniards, who are contented to lose the honour of that wealth and felicity they have there since purchased by their great endevours, so they may enjoy the safety of retaining what they have formerly gotten in peace and security. In doing whereof I shall offer no Collections, but such as shall arise from mine own observations, which will as much differ from what formerly hath been hereupon written, as the picture of a person grown to mans estate, from that which was taken of him when he was but a Childe; or the last hand of the Painter, to the first or rough draught of the picture. I am told by others, that this may prove a most acceptable work; but I doe tell my self that it will prove both lame and imperfect, and therefore had need to shelter my self under the shadow of some high protection, which I humbly pray your Excellency to afford me; nothing doubting, but as God hath lately made your Excellency the happy instrument, not onely of saving my self, but of many numbers of godly and well-affected people in this County of Kent, (where now I reside by the favour of the Parliament) from the imminent ruine and destruction plotted against them by their most implacable enemies; so the same God who hath led your Excellency through so many difficulties towards the settlement of the peace of this Kingdom, and reduction of Ireland, will, after the perfecting thereof (which God of his mercy hasten) direct your Noble thoughts to employ the Souldiery of this Kingdom upon such just and honourable designes in those parts of America, as their want of action at home may neither be a burden to themselves nor the Kingdome. To your Excellency therefore I offer a New-World, to be the subject of your future pains, valour, and piety, beseeching your acceptance of this plain but faithfull relation of mine, wherein your Excellency, and by you the English Nation shall see what wealth and honor they have lost by one of their narrow hearted Princes, who living in peace and abounding in riches, did notwithstanding reject the offer of being first discoverer of America; and left it unto Ferdinando of Arragon, who at the same time was wholly taken up by the Warrs, in gaining of the City and Kingdome of Granada from the Moores; being so impoverished thereby, that he was compelled to borrow with some difficulty a few Crowns of a very mean man, to set forth Columbus upon so glorious an expedition. And yet, if time were closely followed at the heels, we are not so farr behinde, but we might yet take him by the fore-top. To which purpose, our Plantations of the Barbadoes, St. Christophers, Mems, and the rest of the Caribe-Islands, have not onely advanced our journey the better part of the way; but so inured our people to the Clime of the Indies, as they are the more inabled thereby to undertake any enterprise upon the firm Land with greater facility. Neither is the difficulty of the attempt so great, as some may imagine; for I dare be bold to affirm it knowingly, That with the same pains and charge which they have been at in planting one of those pettie Islands, they might have conquer'd so many great Cities, and large Territories on the main Continent, as might very well merit the title of a Kingdome. Our Neighbors the Hollanders may be our example in this case; who whilst we have been driving a private Trade from Port to Port, of which we are likely now to be deprived, have conquered so much Land in the East and West-Indies, that it may be said of them, as of the Spaniards, That the Sunn never sets upon their Dominions. And to meet with that objection by the way, That the Spaniard being intituled to those Countries, it were both unlawfull and against all conscience to dispossess him thereof. I answer, that (the Popes donation excepted) I know no title he hath but force, which by the same title, and by a greater force may be repelled. And to bring in the title of First-discovery; to me it seems as little reason, that the sailing of a Spanish Ship upon the coast of India, should intitle the King of Spain to that Countrey, as the sayling of an Indian or English Ship upon the coast of Spain, should intitle either the Indians or English unto the Dominion thereof. No question but the just right or title to those Countries appertains to the Natives themselves; who, if they shall willingly and freely invite the English to their protection, what title soever they have in them, no doubt but they may legally transferr it or communicate it to others. And to say, That the inhumane butchery which the Indians did formerly commit in sacrificing of so many reasonable Creatures to their wicked Idols, was a sufficient warrant for the Spaniards to divest them of their Country; The same argument may by much better reason be inforced against the Spaniards themselves, who have sacrificed so many millions of Indians to the Idol of their barbarous cruelty, that many populous Islands and large Territories upon the main Continent, are thereby at this day utterly uninhabited, as Bartholomeo de las Casas, the Spanish Bishop of Guaxaca in New-Spain, hath by his Writings in Print sufficiently testified. But to end all disputes of this nature; since that God hath given the earth to the sons of Men to inhabite; and that there are many vast Countries in those parts, not yet inhabited either by Spaniard or Indian, why should my Country-men the English be debarred from making use of that, which God from all beginning no question did ordain for the benefit of mankinde?
But I will not molest your Excellency with any further argument hereupon; rather offering my self, and all my weak endevours (such as they are) to be employed herein for the good of my Country; I beseech Almighty God to prosper your Excellency,
Who am
The most devoted and humblest of
your Excellencies servants,
THO. GAGE.
UPON This WORTHY WORK,
Of his most worthy Friend
THE AUTHOR.
Reader, behold presented to thine eye,
What us Columbus off'red long agoe,
Of the New-World a new discoverie,
Which here our Author doth so clearly show;
That he the state which of these Parts would know,
Need not hereafter search the plenteous store
Of Hackluit, Purchas and Ramusio,
Or learn'd Acosta's writings to look o're;
Or what Herera hath us told before,
Which merit not the credit due from hence,
Those being but reck'nings of anothers score.
But these the fruits of self-experience:
Wherein our Author useth not the sence
Of those at home, who doe their judgments leave,
And after wandring farr with vast expence,
See many things, which they doe ne'r perceive;
Laborious are by study much at home
To know those Parts, which they came lately from.
Less doth he use us as the late writ Books
Of Journeys made unto the Levant-States;
Wherein when we doe pry with curious looks,
Of Greece and Troy to know the present fates;
They tell us what Thucidides relates,
What Strabo writes, what Homer crown'd with bayes,
What Authors more, who have out-worn their daies,
Besides what Plutarch and Polibius sayes:
So what they were, not what they are, they sing,
And shew their reading, not their travailing.
But here our Author neither doth us tell,
Or to us shew one inch of Sea or Ground,
Unless such acts which in his time befell,
Or what his eyes saw the Horizon bound:
He uttereth nought at all he heard by sound,
He speaks not of a City or a Street,
But where himself hath often gone the round,
And measured o're with his industrious feet.
And yet it must acknowledg'd be for true,
Since worthy Hawkins, and the famous Drake
Did first present unto the English view
This New-found-world, for great Eliza's sake;
Renowned Rawleigh twice did undertake
With labours great, and dangers not a few,
A true discovery of these Parts to make,
And thereof writ both what he saw and knew.
But as the man who in a Ship doth pass
Our narrow Seas, the flowings of each tide,
The Ships course, soundings, turnings of the glass,
What Land he makes on North or Southern side,
He may impart: But who they be abide,
Or what Religion, Language, or what Nation
Possess each Coast; since he hath never tride,
How can he make thereof a true Relation?
So those who have describ'd these Parts before,
Of Trade, Winds, Currents, Hurican's doe tell,
Of Headlands, Harbours, tendings of the shore,
Of Rocks and Isles: wherein they might as well
Talk or a Nut, and onely shew the shell;
The kernell neither tasted, touch'd nor seen
Had yet remain'd; but that it so befell,
That these Relations to us made have been;
Differing as much from what before y'have heard,
As doth a Land-Map from a Seamans Card.
But how these truths reveal'd to us should bee,
When none but Spaniards to those Parts may go;
Which was establish'd by severe Decree,
Lest Forain people should their secrets know;
This Order yet to be neglected so,
As that our Author had permission free,
Whose Nation too they count their greatest foe,
Seemeth almost a miracle to me.
Sure the prescience of that power Divine,
Which safely to those parts did him convey,
Did not for nought his constant heart incline
There twelve whole years so patiently to stay:
That he each thing exactly might survay,
Then him return'd, nay more did turn to us,
And to him shew'd of bliss the perfect way,
Which of the rest seems most miraculous.
For had the last of these not truly been,
These fair Relations we had never seen.
Nor can I think but this most usefull Book
In time to come, may like some new-born Starr,
Direct such Wisemen as therein will look,
And shew their way unto these Regions farr.
And though we now lie sunk in Civill war,
Yet you the worthy Patriots of this Land,
Let not your hearts be drowned in despair,
And so your future happiness withstand.
For time will come you shall enjoy a Peace,
But then no longer you must joy in sinn,
When they no more shall raign, these Wars shall cease,
And then your after bliss shall soon beginn.
The fiery trialls which you now are in,
In stead of foes shall prove your best of friends,
And you from servile base affection win,
To fit your hearts for high and Nobler ends:
Your Drums which us'd to beat their Martiall dance
Upon the banks of Garone, Seine and Soane;
Whilst you trode measures through the Realm of France,
Doe now at home (Oh grief!) on both sides groane,
As if they did your ill spilt blood bemoane;
Which long agoe with Richard, England's King,
When he the holy Warr maintain'd alone,
Their dreadfull notes did through Judea ring.
Now shall the tawnie Indians quake for fear,
Their direfull march to beat when they doe hear;
Your brave Red-Crosses on both sides display'd,
The noble Badges of your famous Nation,
Which you yet redder with your bloods have made,
And dy'd them deep in drops of detestation.
You shall again advance with reputation,
And on the bounds of utmost Western shore
Shall them transplant, and firmly fix their station,
Where English Colours ne'r did fly before.
Your well-built Ships, companions of the Sunn,
As they were Chariots to his fiery beams,
Which oft the Earths circumference have runn,
And now lie moar'd in Severn, Trent, and Tems,
Shall plough the Ocean with their gilded Stems,
And in their hollow bottoms you convay
To Lands inrich'd with gold, with pearls and gems,
But above all, where many thousands stay
Of wronged Indians, whom you shall set free
From Spanish yoke, and Romes Idolatry.
All this and more by you shall sure be done,
Yet I no Prophet, nor no Prophets sonne.
THOMAS CHALONER.
