of The lecture of
the art of Nauigation, with the time that they be enioyned to bee his
auditors, and some part of the questions that they are to answere vnto.
Which if they finde good and beneficial for our seamen, I hope they wil
gladly imbrace and imitate, or finding out some fitter course of their
owne, will seeke to bring such as are of that calling vnto better
gouernment and more perfection in that most laudable and needfull vocation.
To leaue this point, I was once minded to haue added to the end of these my
labours a short treatise, which I haue lying by me in writing, touching The
curing of hot diseases incident to traueilers in long and Southerne
voyages, which treatise was written in English, no doubt of a very honest
mind, by one M. George Wateson, and dedicated vnto her sacred Maiestie. But
being carefull to do nothing herein rashly, I shewed it to my worshipfull
friend M. doctour Gilbert, a gentleman no lesse excellent in the chiefest
secrets of the Mathematicks (as that rare iewel lately set foorth by him in
Latine doeth euidently declare) then in his owne profession of physicke:
who assured me, after hee had perused the said treatise, that it was very
defectiue and vnperfect, and that if hee might haue leasure, which that
argument would require, he would either write something thereof more
aduisedly himselfe, or would conferre with the whole Colledge of the
Physicions, and set downe some order by common consent for the preseruation
of her Maiesties subjects. Now as the foresaid treatise touched the cure of
diseases growing in hot regions, so being requested thereunto by some in
authoritie they may adde their iudgments for the cure of diseases incident
unto men employed in cold regions, which to good purpose may serue our
peoples turnes, if they chance to prosecute the intermitted discouery by
the Northwest, whereunto I finde diuers worshipfull citizens at this
present much inclined. Now because long since I did foresee, that my
profession of diuinitie, the care of my family, and other occasions might
call and diuert me from these kinde of endeuours, I haue for these 3 yeeres
last pasts encouraged and furthered in these studies of Cosmographie and
forren histories, my very honest, industrious, and learned friend M. IOHN
PORY, one of speciall skill and extraordinary hope to performe great
matters in the same, and beneficial for the common wealth.

Thus Sir I haue portrayed out in rude lineaments my Westerne