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Historie of the Mightie Kingdome of China.
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MAY,
beit, sir, that you have taken in your late voyage, besides the know- ledge of the way to China, the intelligence of the gouernment of the countrie and of the commodities of the territories and prouinces of the same, and that at the full, according to the time of your short abode in those partes, yet neuerthelesse for that of late more ample vnder- standing hath beene in more length of time, by woonderfull great endeuour taken by certaine learned Portingals and Spaniardes of great obseruation, and not long agoe published in the Spanish tongue, I haue for the increase of the knowledge of the subiectes of Englande, and specially for the illuminating of the mindes of those, that are to take the voyage next in hande to Iapon, China, and the Philippinas, translated the same worke into English, and committed it to print, passing ouer Paulus Venetus, and sir Iohn Mandeuill, be- cause they wrote long agoe of those regions: which labour, to say trueth, I haue undertaken at the earnest request and encouragement of my worshipfull friend master Richard Hakluit late of Oxforde, a gentle- man, besides his other manifolde learning and languages, of singular and deepe insight in all histories of discouerie and partes of cosmo- graphie: who also for the zeale he beareth to the honour of his coun trie and countrimen, brought the same first aboue two yeares since ouer into this court, and at this present hath in hande a most excel- lent and ample collection of the sundrie trauailes and nauigations of our owne nation, a matter long intended by him, and serving to the like beneficial and honorable purpose, which I hope will shortly come to light to the great contentation of the wiser sort. In the meane season, hauing nowe at length finished according to my poore skill and leasure this my translation, I thought best to dedicate and commende the same to your worshipfull patronage, as the man that I holde most worthie of the same, and most able of our nation to judge aright of the contentes thereof, and to correct the errors of the author whensoeuer you shall meete with them; beseeching you to accept in good part the trauaile and good meaning of the translator: and so wishing vnto you, health, increase of knowledge, with fortu- nate and glorious successe in your further couragious attempts, I leaue you to the protection of the Almightie.
"From London the first of lanuarie, 1589.
"Your worships alwaies to command, Robert Parke." Bancroft, alluding to the anticipated discovery of a new and nearer passage to southern Asia, says:
"Thrice, at least, perhaps thrice by Cabot alone, the attempt at a north- western passage had been made, and always in vain. A northeast passage