th men of the lustiest
sort, to the number of seuen score, as also with ordinance and victuals
requisite to such a voiage: hauing also two captaines, the one a stranger
called Anthonie Anes Pinteado, a Portugall, borne in a towne named The Port
of Portugall, a wise, discreet, and sober man, who for his cunning in
sailing, being as well an expert Pilot as a politike captaine, was sometime
in great fauour with the king of Portugall, and to whom the coasts of
Brasile and Guinea were committed to be kept from the Frenchmen, to whom he
was a terrour on the Sea in those parts, and was furthermore a gentleman of
the king his masters house. But as fortune in maner neuer fauoureth but
flattereth, neuer promiseth but deceiueth, neuer raiseth but casteth downe
againe: and as great wealth and fauour haue alwaies companions, emulation
and enuie, he was after many aduersities and quarels made against him,
inforced to come into England: where in this golden voyage he was euil
matched with an vnequal companion, and vnlike match of most sundry
qualities and conditions, with vertues few or none adorned. Thus departed
these noble ships vnder saile on their voyage: But first captaine Windam
putting forth of his ship at Portsmouth a kinsman of one of the head
marchants, and shewing herein a muster of the tragicall partes hee had
conceiued in his braine, and with such small beginnings nourished so
monstrous a birth, that more happy, yea and blessed was that yong man being
left behind, then if he had bene taken with them, as some do wish he had
done the like by theirs. Thus sailed they on their voyage, vntill they came
to the Iland of Madera, where they tooke in certaine wines for the store of
their ships, and paid for them as they agreed of the price. At these Ilands
they met with a great Galion of the king of Portugall, full of men and
ordinance: yet such as could not haue preuailed if it had attempted to
withstand or resist our ships, for the which cause it was set foorth, not
onely to let and interrupt these our shippes of their purposed voiage, but
al other that should attempt the like: yet chiefly to frustrate our voiage.
For the king of Portugall was sinisterly informed, that our ships were
armed to his castle of Mina in those parties, whereas nothing lesse was
ment.
After that our ships departed from the Iland of Madera forward on their
voiage, began this worthy captaine Pinteados sorow, as a man tormented with
the company of a terrib
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