Finding his favour declining and falling into a recess, says Naunton, he undertook a new perigrination, to leave that terra infirma of the court for that of the waves, and by declining himself and by absence, to expel his and the passion of his enemies. Which in court was a strange device of recovery, but that he then knew there was some ill-office done him; yet he durst not attempt to mend it otherwise than by going aside, thereby to teach envy a new way of forgetfulness, and not so much as think of him.

Sir Walter attended this expedition in person, and himself wrote an account of it. As the enterprise is of the last importance in his history, and in the end cost him his life, it merits the peculiar attention of the reader. His own narrative, therefore, of this first voyage, constitutes the present chapter.

a

Fragmenta Regalia. In addition to this Camden informs us, Walterus Raleghus, Regii Satellitii præfectus, honoraria Reginæ virgine vitiata (quam postea in uxorem duxit) de gratia dejectus et per plures menses custodia detentus, nunc liber factus, sed ab Aula relegatus, genio suo obsecutus, qui ad remotas regiones explorandas et abdita naturæ indaganda totus ferebatur, navigationem ad Guianam auriferam ab Hispanis decantatam suscepit, quam et patriæ honori et usui futuram speravit, tum ad opes comparandas, tum ad Hispanum in interioribus America regionibus gravius infestandum, quod commodius fieri posse existimavit, quam in ora maritima, ubi oppida nunquam opulenta nisi quum opes ad ea convehantur ut in Hispaniam transferantur. Annal. Elizab. 1595.

To the right hon. my singular good lord and kinsman, CHARLES HOWARD, knight of the garter, baron and counsellor, and of the admirals of England the most renowned; and to the right hon. SIR ROBERT CECIL. knight, counsellor in her Highness' privy councils.

< For your Honours' many honourable and friendly parts, I have hitherto only returned promises; and now, for answer of both your adventures, I have sent you a bundle of papers, which I have divided between your lordship and Sir Robert Cecil, in these two respects chiefly. First, for that it is reason that wasteful factors, when they have consumed such stocks as they had in trust, do yield some colour for the same in their account. Secondly, for that I am assured, that whatsoever shall be done or written by me, shall need a double protection and defence.

• The trial that I had of both your loves when I was left of all, but of malice and revenge, makes me still presume that you will be pleased (knowing what little power I had to perform aught, and the great advantage of forewarned enemies) to answer that out of knowledge, which others shall but object out of malice. In my more happy times, as I did especially honour you both, so I found that your loves sought me out in the darkest shadow of adversity; and that the same affection which accompanied my better fortune, soared not away from me in my many miseries. All which, though I cannot re

quite, yet I shall ever acknowledge; and the great debt which I have no power to pay, I can do no more for a time but confess to be due. It is true, that as my errors were great, so they have yielded very grievous effects; and if aught might have been deserved in former times to have counterpoised any part of offences, the fruit thereof (as it seemeth) was long before fallen from the tree, and the dead stock only remained.

I did therefore, even in the winter of my life, undertake these travels, fitter for bodies less blasted with misfortunes, for men of greater ability, and for minds of better encouragement; that thereby, if it were possible, I might recover but the moderation of excess, and the least taste of the greatest plenty formerly possessed. If I had known other way to win, if I had imagined how greater adventures might have regained, if I could conceive what farther means I might yet use, but even to appease so powerful a displeasure, I would not doubt, but for one year more, to hold fast my soul in my teeth till it were performed. Of that little remain I had, I have wasted in effect all herein; I have undergone many constructions, I have been accompanied with many sorrows, with labour, hunger, heat, sickness, and peril; it appeareth, notwithstanding, that I made no other bravado of going to the sea than was meant, and that I was neither hidden in Cornwall, or elsewhere, as was supposed.

They have grossly belied me, that forejudged

that I would rather become a servant to the Spanish king than return; and the rest were much mistaken, who would have persuaded that I was too easeful and sensual to undertake a journey of so great travail. But if what I have done receive the gracious construction of a painful pilgrimage, and purchase the least remission, I shall think all too little, and that there were wanting to the rest many miseries. But if both the times past, the present, and what may be in the future, do all, by one grain of gall, continue in an eternal distaste, I do not then know whether I should bewail myself either for my too much travail and expence, or condemn myself for doing less than that, which can deserve nothing. From myself I have deserved no thanks, for I am returned a beggar, and withered; but that I might have bettered my poor estate it shall appear by the following discourse, if I had not only respected her Majesty's future honour and riches. It became not the former fortune in which I once lived to go journies of picory; and it had sorted ill with the offices of honour, which by her Majesty's grace I hold this day in England, to run from cape to cape, and from place to place, for the pillage of ordinary prizes. Many years since I had knowledge by relation of that mighty, rich, and beautiful empire of Guiana, and of that great and golden city which the Spaniards call El Dorado, and the naturals Manoa, which city was conquered, re-edified, and enlarged by a younger son of Guaina capa, emperor of Peru, at such

time as Francisco Pazaro, and others, conquered the said empire, from his two elder brethren Gu ascar and Atabalipa; both then contended for the same, the one being favoured by the Orciones of Cuzco, the other by the people of Caximalca. I sent my servant, Jacob Whiddon, the year before, to get knowledge of the passages, and I had some light from Captain Parker, sometime my servant, and now attending on your lordship, that such a place there was to the southward of the great bay of Charuas, or Guanipa; but I found that it was 600 miles farther off than they supposed, and many other impediments to them unknown and unheard. After I had displanted Don Antonio de Berreo, who was upon the same enterprise, leaving my ships at Trinidado, at the port called Curiapan, I wandered 400 miles into the said country, by land and river; the particulars I will leave to the following discourse. The country hath more quantity of gold, by manifold, than the best parts of the Indies, or Peru. All or most of the kings of the borders are already be come her Majesty's vassals, and seem to desire nothing more than her Majesty's protection, and the return of the English nation.

It hath another ground and assurance of riches and glory, than the voyages of the West Indies, and an easier way to invade the best parts thereof, than by the common course. The king of Spain is not so impoverished by taking two or three porttowns in America, as we suppose, neither are the