હતું my ship of sick men and sent them home, and hope that God will send us somewhat before we return. Commend me to all at Lothbury. You shall hear from me, if I live, from Newfoundland ; where I mean to clean my ships and revictual, for I have tobacco enough to pay for it. The Lord bless and comfort you, that you may bear patiently the death of your most valiant son!

"This 22" of March, from the Isle of Christopher's.

POSTSCRIPT.

I protest before the majesty of God, that as Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins, died heartbroken when they failed of their enterprise, I could willingly do the like, did I not contend against sorrow for your sake, in hope to provide somewhat for you to comfor and relieve you. If I live to return, resolve yourself that it is the care for you that hath strengthened my heart.

It is true that Keymis might have gone directly to the mine, and meant it. But after my son's death, he made them believe that he knew not the way, and excused himself upon the want of water in the river; and, counterfeiting many impediments, left it unfound. When he came back, I told him he had undone me, and that my credit was lost for ever. He answered, that when my son was lost, and that he left me so weak, that he thought not to find me alive, he had no reason to enrich a company

of rascals, who, after my son's death, made no account of him. He farther told me, that the English sent up into Guiana could hardly defend the Spanish town of S. Thome which they had taken; and, therefore, for them to pass through thick woods it was impossible, and more impossible to have victuals brought them into the mountains. And it is true, that the governor, Diego Palameca, and other four captains, being slain, whereof my son Wat slew one, Plessington (Wat's serjeant) and John of Moroccoes (one of his men) slew two; I say five of them slain in the entrance of the town, the rest went off in a whole body. And each took more care to defend the passages to their mines, of which they had three within a league of the town, beside a mine that was about five miles off, than they did of the town itself.

'Yet Keymis, at the first, was resolved to go to the mine. But, when he came to the bank side to land, he had two men of his slain out-right from the bank, and six others hurt; and Captain Thornhurst shot in the head, of which wound, and the accident thereof, he hath pined away these twelve weeks. Now, when Keymis came back and gave me the former reasons which moved him not to open the mine (the one, the death of my son; a second, the weakness of the English, and their impossibilities to work it, and to be victualled; a third, that it were a folly to discover it for the Spaniards; and, lastly, my weakness, and being unpardoned) and that I rejected all these his arguments, and told him, that I must leave him

to himself to answer it to the king and state, he shut himself into his cabin, and shot himself with a pocketpistol, which broke one of his ribs; and, finding that he had not prevailed, he thrust a long knife under his short ribs, up to the handle, and died.

Thus much I have written to Mr. Secretary, to whose letters I refer you. But because I think my friends will rather hearken after you than any other to know the truth, I did, after the sealing, break open the letter again, to let you know in brief the state of that business; which I pray you impart to my lord of Northumberland, and Silvanus Scorie, and to Sir John Leigh.

For the rest, there was never poor man so exposed to the slaughter as I was. For, being commanded, upon my allegiance, to set down, not only the country, but the very river by which I was to enter it, to name my ships' number, men, and my artillery; this was sent by the Spanish ambassador to his master, the king of Spain. The king wrote his letters to all parts of the Indies, especially to the governor, Palameca, of Guiana, El Dorado, and Trinidado. Of which the first letter bore date March 19th 1617, at Madrid, when I had not yet left the Thames; which letter I have sent to Mr. Secretary. I have also two other letters of the king's, which I reserve, and one of the council's. The king also sent a commission to levy 300 soldiers out of his garrisons of Nuevo Regno de Granada, and Porto Rico, with ten pieces of brass ordnance to entertain VOL. II.

F

My brains

us. He also prepared an armada by sea to set upon us. It were too long to tell you how we were preserved; if I live I shall make it known. are broken, and I cannot write much. and I told you why.

I live yet,

Whitney, for whom I sold all my plate at Plymouth, and to whom I gave more credit and countenance than to all the captains of my fleet, ran from me at the Granadas, and Wolaston with him. So as I have now but five ships, and one of those I have sent home; and in my fly-boat a rabble of idle rascals, which I know will not spare to wound me, but I care not. I am sure there is never a base slave in all the fleet hath taken the pains and care that I have done; that hath slept so little and travailed so much. My friends will not believe them, and for the rest I care not.

God in heaven bless

you and strengthen your heart. Yours,

WALTER RALEGH.

SIR WALTER RALEGH'S AFOLOGY FOR HIS LAST VOYAGE TO GUIANA.

If the ill success of this enterprise of mine had been without example, I should have needed a large discourse, and many arguments for my justification. But if the vain attempts of the greatest princes of Europe, both among themselves and against the

The above Collections, and Birch's Works of Ralegh, II,

great Turk, are, in all modern histories, left to every eye to peruse; it is not so strange that myself, being but a private man, and drawing after me the chains and fetters whereunto I have been thirteen years tied in the Tower, being unpardoned, and in disgrace with my sovereign lord, have, by other men's errors, failed in the attempt I undertook.

For if that Charles V returned with unexampled loss (I will not say dishonour) from Algier in Africa or if King Sebastian lost himself and his army in Barbary; if the invincible fleet and forces of Spain in eighty-eight were beaten home by the lord Charles Howard, admiral of England; if M. Strozzi, the Count Brizack, the Count Vinnoso, and others, with a fleet of fifty-eight sail, and 6000 soldiers, encountered with far less numbers, could not defend the Terceras (leaving to speak of a world of other attempts furnished by kings and princes); if Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, and Sir Thomas Baskerville, men for their experience and valour as eminent as England had any, strengthened with divers of her majesty's ships, and filled with soldiers at will, could not possess themselves of the treasure they sought for, which in their view was embarked in certain frigates at Porto Rico, yet afterward they were repulsed with fifty negroes upon the mountains of Vasques Numius, or Tierra de Capira, in their passage toward Panama; if Sir John Norris (though not by any fault of his) failed in the attempt of Lisbon, and returned with the loss, by sickness and