d, Thomas Hariot, one of the most accomplished
mathematicians of the age. Chemistry was another favorite pursuit, in
which, according to the standard of his contemporaries, he made great
progress. But the most important occupation of his imprisonment was
the composition of the "History of the World." The work extends from
the creation to the end of the second Macedonian war. Raleigh meant to
bring it down to modern times; but the untimely death of Henry, Prince
of Wales, for whose use it was composed, deprived him of the spirit to
proceed with so laborious an undertaking. He enjoyed the confidence of
that generous youth in a remarkable degree, and maintained a close
correspondence with him on civil, military, and naval subjects.
Several discourses on these topics, addressed to the prince, will be
found in the editions of Raleigh's works. Henry repaid these services
with sincere friendship and admiration; and we may presume that his
adviser looked forward to that friendship, not only for a cessation of
misfortune, but for a more brilliant period of favor and power than he
had yet enjoyed. Fortunately, however, his patron's death was preceded
by that of his arch-enemy, Cecil; and through the mediation of the
Duke of Buckingham, Raleigh was released from the Tower in March,
1615; and obtained permission to follow up his long-cherished scheme
of establishing a colony in Guiana, and working a gold mine, of which
he had ascertained the existence and situation.

The results of this disastrous voyage must be shortly given. Raleigh
sailed March 28, 1617, and reached the coast of Guiana in November
following. Being himself disabled by sickness from proceeding farther,
he despatched a party to the mine under the command of Captain Keymis,
an officer who had served in the former voyage to Guiana. But during
the interval which had elapsed since Raleigh's first discovery of
that country, the Spaniards had extended their settlements into it,
and in particular had built a town called Santa Thome in the immediate
neighborhood of the mine in question. James, with his usual duplicity,
while he authorized the expedition, revealed every particular
connected with it to the Spanish ambassador. The English, therefore,
were expected in the Orinoco, and preparation had been made for
repelling them by force. Keymis and his men were unexpectedly attacked
by the garrison of Santa Thome, and a sharp contest ensued, in which
the English gained the ad