oast of England, wee may passe straight way thither, without
danger of being driuen into any the countries of our enemies, or doubtfull
friends: for commonly one winde serueth to bring vs thither, which seldome
faileth from the middle of Ianuarie to the middle of May, a benefite which
the mariners make great account of, for it is a pleasure that they haue in
a few or none of other iourneyes. Also the passage is short, for we may
goe thither in thirtie or fortie dayes at the most, hauing but an
indifferent winde, and returne continually in twentie or foure and twentie
dayes at the most. And in the same our iourney, by reason it is in the
Ocean, and quite out of the way from the intercourse of other countreyes,
we may safely trade and traffique without peril of piracy: neither shall
our ships, people, or goods there, be subiect to arrest or molestation of
any Pagan potentate, Turkish tyrant, yea, or Christian prince, which
heretofore sometimes vpon slender occasion in other parts haue stayed our
ships and merchandizes, whereby great numbers of our countrymen haue bene
vtterly vndone, diuers put to ransome, yea, and some lost their liues: a
thing so fresh in memorie as it neede no proofe, and is well worthy of
consideration.

Besides, in this voyage we doe not crosse the burnt line,(4) whereby
commonly both beuerage and victuall are corrupted, and mens health very
much impayred, neither doe we passe the frozen seas, which yeelde sundry
extreame dangers but haue a temperate climate at all times of the yeere,
to serue our turnes. And lastly, there neede no delayes by the way for
taking in of fresh water and fewell, (a thing vsually done in long
iournies) because, as I sayd aboue, the voyage is not long, and the fresh
waters taken in there, our men here in England at their returne home haue
found so wholesome and sweete, that they haue made choise to drinke it
before our beere and ale.

Behold heere, good countreymen, the manifold benefits and commodities and
pleasures heretofore vnknowen, by Gods especiall blessing not onely
reueiled vnto vs, but also as it were infused into our bosomes, who though
hitherto like dormice haue slumbred in ignorance thereof, being like the
cats that are loth for their prey to wet their feet: yet if now therefore
at the last we would awake, and with willing mindes (setting friuolous
imaginations aside) become industrious instruments to our selues,
questionlesse we should not only hereby set fort