him as assistantes to examyn matters of experience;
which order, if it had bene established in England, such grosse and
insufficient felowes as he that caste away the Admirall of Sir Humfreyes
company, with an C. persons in her, to the west of Newfounde lande, this
tyme twelve moneths, had not bene admittted to take so greate a chardge.

But to returne to the increase and mayneteynaunce of our shippes and
shippmen; I say that this is not as the voyadge to Muscovy, which is open
not paste foure monethes, but may be passed and repassed at our pleasure
at all tymes of the yere, and so our maryners may be sett on worke all the
yere longe. Neither is the trade likely to prove so small as that of
Muscovy, wherein not past tenne shippes at the moste are employed ones a
yere. For here there is a greate hope, the contrie beinge as bigge as all
Europe, and nothinge in frutefulnes inferior to yt, as I have proved
before at large in the thirde chapiter, that wee shall have twoo fleetes
as bigge as those of the Kinge of Spaine to his West Indies, imployed
twise in the yere at the leaste, especially after our fortifienge in the
contrie, the certene place of our factory beinge there established;
whereby yt muste nedes come to passe that our navye shalbe mightely
increased and mayneteyned, which will not onely be a chefe strengthe and
suertie in tyme of warres, as well to offende as defende, but will also be
the mayneteynaunce of many masters, maryners, and seamen, whereby they
their wyves, and children, shall have their lyvinges, and many cities,
townes, villages, havens, and creeks nere adjoyninge unto the sea coaste,
and the Queenes subjectes, as brewers, bowchers, smithes, ropers,
shipwrights, tailors, shoemakers, and other victuallers and handicraftes
men, inhabitinge and dwellinge nere thereaboutes, shall also have by the
same greate parte of their lyvinge. For proofe thereof wee nede not to
seeke any further then unto oure neighbours of Spaine and Portingale;
whoe, since the firste discoverie of their Indies, have not onely mightely
inlarged their domynions, marvellously enriched themselves and (M245)
their subjectes, but have also by juste accompte trebled the nomber of
their shippes, masters, and maryners,--a matter of no small moment and
importance; insomoche that nowe, of late Kinge Phillippe hath made the
Marques de la Cruz, which laste yere wonne Tercera, Graunde Admirall of
the Ocean Sea, and Prince d'Oria of Genoa, Admiral