The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 7 | Page 8

men on shore: in which two dayes 25 of our
companies shipped in part of the fleet were scattered from vs, either not
being able or willing to double Vshant.
These burdens layed vpon our Generals before their going out, they
haue patiently endured, and I thinke they haue thereby much enlarged
their honour: for hauing done thus much with the want of our artillery,
600 horse, 3000 foot, and 20000 li. of their aduenture, and one moneths
victuals of their proportion, what may be conjectured they would haue
done with their ful complement?
For the losse of our men at sea, since we can lay it on none but the will
of God, what can be said more, then that it is his pleasure to turne all
those impediments to the honor of them against whom they were
intended: and he will still shew himselfe the Lord of hosts in doing
great things by them, whom many haue sought to obscure: who if they
had let the action fall at the height thereof in respect of those defects,
which were such especially for the seruice at land, as would haue made
a mighty subiect stoope vnder them, I do not see how any man could
iustly haue layd any reproch vpon him who commanded the same, but
rather haue lamented the iniquity of this time, wherein men whom
forren countries haue for their conduct in seruice worthily esteemed of,
should not only in their owne countrey not be seconded in their
honorable endeuors, but mightily hindred, euen to the impairing of their
owne estates, which most willingly they haue aduentured for the good
of their countries: whose worth I will not value by my report, lest I
should seem guiltie of flattery (which my soule abhorreth) and yet
come short in the true measure of their praise. Onely for your
instruction against them who had almost seduced you from the true
opinion you hold of such men, you shall vnderstand that Generall
Norris from his booke was trained vp in the wars of the Admiral of
France, and in very yong yeeres had charge of men vnder the erle of
Essex in Ireland: which with what commendations he then discharged,
I leaue to the report of them who obserued those seruices. Vpon the
breach betwixt Don Iohn and the States, he was made Colonel generall
of all the English forces there present, or to come, which he continued 2
yeeres: he was then made Marshal of the field vnder Conte Hohenlo:
and after that, General of the army in Frisland: at his comming home in

the time of Monsieurs gouernment in Flanders, he was made lord
President of Munster in Ireland, which he yet holdeth, from whence
within one yere he was sent for, and sent Generall of the English forces
which her maiestie then lent to the Low countries, which he held til the
erle of Leicesters going ouer. And he was made Marshall of the field in
England, the enemy being vpon our coast, and when it was expected
the crowne of England should haue bene tried by battel. Al which
places of commandement which neuer any Englishman successiuely
attained vnto in forren wars, and the high places her maiestie had
thought him woorthy of, may suffice to perswade you, that he was not
altogether vnlikely to discharge that which he vndertooke.
What fame general Drake hath gotten by his iourney about the world,
by his aduentures to the west Indies, and the scourges he hath laid vpon
the Spanish nation, I leaue to the Southerne parts to speake of, and refer
you to The Booke extant in our own language treating of the same, and
beseech you considering the waighty matters they haue in all the course
of their liues with wonderfull reputation managed, that you wil esteeme
them not wel informed of their proceedings, that thinke them
insufficient to passe through that which they vndertooke, especially
hauing gone thus far in the view of the world, through so many
incombrances, and disappointed of those agreements which led them
the rather to vndertake the seruice. But it may be you wil thinke me
herein either to much opinionated of the voiage, or conceited of the
Commanders, that labouring thus earnestly to aduance the opinion of
them both, haue not so much as touched any part of the misorders,
weaknes and wants that haue bene amongst vs, whereof they that
returned did plentifully report. True it is, I haue conceiued a great
opinion of the iourney, and do thinke honorably of the Commanders:
for we find in greatest antiquities, that many Commanders haue bene
receiued home with triumph for lesse merite, and that our owne
countrey hath honored men heretofore with admiration for aduentures
vnequal to this: it