loyal service. Clemency unarmed sits guardian in thy wide open gates.

"Dost thou not see how America, who lately humbly offered loyalty, now with hair dishevelled and unkempt, stretches forth her huge right hand, and says: 'Hast thou any regard, sister Anglia, for our tears and dost thou mourn at all at our hard lot? Hast thou the heart to ignore our troubles and all the disasters which we have borne, since the insatiable desire for gold, for surely 'twas no love of virtue induced the Spaniards to invade our land. From that time, hoping to learn of God, we have been taught to erect altars to mortal men and to pray to dumb imperfect images. Why are we dragged down to earth? If our minds are clear, why cannot we seek God directly in the clear heaven? Why do we see men reduced by fire, starvation, or the sword in the name of religion? Not this way lies religion, not thus in my judgment does God delight to see His kingdom guarded!

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If happy amid unbroken peace thou art averse to undertake to win our regions with expenditure of blood, there is a land hard by separated by a channel of the sea. This land hath been already discovered for thee, what time great hearted Cabot displayed his sails in our seas; a land there is neither made too cold by the adjacent north nor yet by immoderate heat into arid sand. Stretch thy beneficial hand toward this land and lay there thy sceptre. May it be ours to hope for some measure of rest through thee and may for us the day of gladness dawn.'"

This unfortunate poet was so carried away by his poesy, that he decided to accompany the hero of his song, and lost his life in the unknown waters of the New World. There is a curious air of inspiration about all the writers of Elizabeth's day. scholar, coming to England, enthusiasm and indulges in no

Even this poor foreign imbibes the prevalent mean vein of prophecy.

222 SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT

"Queen of the Seas" was surely a new title to bestow on England's Queen, but how prophetic! Then the picture of Anglia "rearing her head on high throughout the world, careful of her destiny, lest some day her wide spread dominions should fall by their own weight," might easily have been written for our day. And again, the contrast drawn between Elizabeth, openly at ease among her subjects, and other sovereigns dreading assassination and cowering prisoners in their own castles, could with equal truth be drawn to-day. "Clemency unarmed sits guardian in thy wide open gates" is happily still true in Britain and Greater Britain.

The poet's vision of the New World has not been completely realized, but in comparison with the Old has a semblance of truth. At least in the New World a man's value is not measured by birth, although in these days of multi-millionaires riches threaten the liberty of the people. Mother earth gives her fruits abundantly with comparatively little toil, and widespread efforts are made to shorten the hours of labour. But for the savage occupants of the New World, England's rule was to be almost as deadly as that of Spain. No "day of gladness" dawned for them, and nowhere was a more persistent exterminating war waged than in that island discovered by "great hearted Cabot" for England, her first colony in North America and, destiny would seem to say, her last. Canada may fall by her own weight, but Newfoundland is not likely to be tempted from her allegiance.

So far as we are aware this Latin poem has not been previously translated nor quoted by historians, yet we venture to think it furnishes a valuable picture of Elizabeth's auspicious times.

CHAPTER XII

HAIES'S NARRATIVE

THE tragedy of Humphrey Gilbert's life now rapidly culminates. The story of his last voyage has been told in an inimitable manner by Edward Haies, of "Lerepool," owner and master of the Golden Hind -and "a principal actour in the same voyage who alone continued unto the end, and by God's special assistance returned home with his retinue safe and entire."

It would be presumption to try to improve upon the quaint phraseology of Haies, therefore, in the following narrative, it has been preserved whenever possible. He had been one of the subscribers to Gilbert's voyage in 1578, but so far as can be ascertained did not accompany it in person. Now, however, he became, as he says, “a principall actour," and upon him it devolved to tell the unhappy tale. Perhaps his account appeared in pamphlet form immediately after his return, but it is known to us only through the medium of Hakluyt's Voyages.

One can imagine the interest and excitement of the worthy Hakluyt over Gilbert's projects. From boyhood to the last day of his life, voyages of adventure were his passion and delight. He tells with great empressement how, when a lad, he paid a visit to his cousin Richard Hakluyt of the Middle Temple, and found him with a map of the world spread before him. "He, seeing me somewhat curious in the view thereof, began to instruct my ignorance. . . . From the Mappe he brought me to the Bible and turning to the 107 Psalme directed me to the 23 and 24 verses, where I read, that they which go down to the sea in ships, and occupy by the great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and

of Voyages in this dedication he thus reters to Hangkay Gober's projected voyage. -The time approacheth,” he says, “and now, that we si England may share and part stakes lit we all ourselves, but with the Spaniard and Portingar. n part of America and other regions yet undiscovered." Haslum bad imbibed to the full Gubert's plan of colonization. Two arguments seemed to appeal to him most forcibly: the first, that it would relieve England from her surplus criminal population; and second, that by this means the Savage inhabitants of America might become converted to Christianity. In the "Dedication" to Sidney before mentioned, he says: "Yea if we woulde beholde with the eye of pitie howe al our prisons are pestered and filled with able men to serve their countrie, which for small robberies are dayly hanged up in great numbers, even twentie at a clap out of one jayle (as was seen at the last assizes at Rochester), we would hasten and further every man to his power, the deducting of some colonies

of our superfluous people into those temperate and fertile parts of America, which being within sixe weekes sayling of England are yet unpossessed of any Christians."

In the same "Dedication" he urges the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ by spreading the Gospel to the heathen, using the somewhat peculiar argument that, as it is promised, if we first seek the Kingdom of God, all other things will be added unto us: ergo, if we wish to get rich we must serve God. In another place, he describes the people of America crying out unto the people of England, their next neighbours, to come and help them, and bring to them the glad tidings of the Gospel. He was also greatly chagrined, when asked by some Roman Catholics how many converts had been made by the Protestants, not to be able to instance a single one.

Sydney confessed himself to be greatly influenced by Hakluyt, and materially assisted Gilbert. Upon the Mayor and Aldermen of Bristol, Hakluyt had also exercised his persuasive powers in Gilbert's behalf, albeit ineffectually; and finally, not being able to go on the expedition himself, he had provided a substitute, the unfortunate Stephanus Parmenius, "who," says Haies, "of pietie and zeale to good attempts adventured in this action, minding to recorde in the Latin tongue, the gests and things worthy of remembrance happening in these discoveries, to the honour of our nation, the same being adorned with the eloquent stile of this orator and rare Poet of our time." But much as we regret the stately hexameters of his promised Gilbertiad, we can more easily spare him than our "industrious Hakluyt," whom fate fortunately preserved from the voyage.

It was in the early part of June 1583, that Gilbert assembled his fleet at Causet Bay near Plymouth. Compared to that of 1578, it was very unpretentious; it certainly could not be said of it that "it was able to withstand a King's power at sea." The ships that now composed his fleet were: "1. The Delight, alias the

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