Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 257

1841.

Historie of the Mightie Kingdome of China.

243

the merchants of Englande in trade, to increase our naiue, to benefite our clothiers, and (your purpose falling out to your hoped effect) to releeue more of the poorer sort, then all the hospitals and almes houses can or may, that haue beene built in this realme, since the first inhabiting thereof.

"And sir, if to this your late noble attempt, it might please you, by your incouragement, and by the help of your purse to adde your pre- sent furtherance for the passage to be discouered by the northwest, (for the proofe whereof there bee many infallible reasons, and diuerse great experiences to be yeelded) our course with our commodities to the rich iland of Iapon, to the mightie empire of China, and to the ilandes of the Philippinas, for the vent that you haue found out, should be by the halfe way shortened, and you should double and many folde treble the credite of your fourmer late enterprise, and make your fame to mount, and your self to liue for euer in a much higher degree of glorie, then otherwise it might be, or that by any other mean you could possibly deuise: in which action, so highly importing the generall state of this lande I haue perfect experience that many worshipfull and wealthie marchants of this citie and other places would most willingly ioyne their purses with yours: and to play the blabbe, I may tell you they attende nothing with greater desire and expectation, then that a motion hereof being made by some happie man, your selfe and they might friendly and seriously joyne together for the full accomplishing of this so long intended dis- couerie. And to descende to some particulars, there is one speciall reason that giueth an edge vnto their desires, proceeding from the late worthie attemptes of that excellent and skilful pilot M. Iohn Dauis, made for the search of the aforesaid northwest passage these three late yeares, hauing entered into the same foure hundred lea- gues further than was euer hitherto thoroughly knowen, and returned with an exact description thereof, to the reasonable contentment for the time, of the aduenturers, and chiefely of the worshipfull M. Wil- liam Sanderson, whose contributions thereunto, although they haue beene verie great and extraordinarie, yet for the certaine hope or rather assurance that he conceiueth vpon the report of the captaine himselfe and all the rest of any skill employed in these voyages, remayneth still constant, and is readie to disburse as yet to the freshe setting on foote of this enterprise entermitted by occasion of our late troubles, euen this yeare againe for the finall perfection of so profitable and honorable a discouerie, a farre greater portion then in reason would be required of any other man of his abilitie. And all