or any part thereof, but am
ignorant of it as touching experience as Columbus was before his attempt
was made, yet have I both the report, relation, and authority of divers
most credible men, which have both seen and passed through some and every
part of this discovery, besides sundry reasons for my assurance thereof,
all which Columbus wanted.

These things considered and impartially weighed together, with the
wonderful commodities which this discovery may bring, especially to this
realm of England, I must needs conclude with learned Baptista Ramusius,
and divers other learned men, who said that this discovery hath been
reserved for some noble prince or worthy man, thereby to make himself
rich, and the world happy: desiring you to accept in good part this brief
and simple discourse, written in haste, which, if I may perceive that it
shall not sufficiently satisfy you in this behalf, I will then impart
unto you a large discourse, which I have written only of this discovery.

And further, because it sufficeth not only to knew that such a thing
there is, without ability to perform the same, I will at leisure make you
partaker of another simple discourse of navigation, wherein I have not a
little travelled, to make myself as sufficient to bring these things to
effect as I have been ready to offer myself therein.

And therein I have devised to amend the errors of usual sea-cards, whose
common fault is to make the degrees of longitude in every latitude of one
like bigness.

And have also devised therein a spherical instrument, with a compass of
variation for the perfect knowing of the longitude.

And a precise order to prick the sea-card, together with certain
infallible rules for the shortening of any discovery, to know at the
first entering of any strait whether it lies open to the ocean more ways
than one, how far soever the sea stretcheth itself into the land.

Desiring you hereafter never to mislike with me for the taking in hand of
any laudable and honest enterprise, for if, through pleasure and
idleness, we purchase shame, the pleasure vanisheth, but the shame
remaineth for ever.

And therefore, to give me leave without offence always to live and die in
this mind, _that he is not worthy to live at all that for fear or danger
of death shunneth his country's service and his own honour_, seeing death
is inevitable, and the fame of virtue immortal. Wherefore, in this
behalf, _Mutare vel timere sperno_.

C