Ixxiv

P Tv E F A C E.

It is a consideration of the most high concernment that can be pro-posed to his Majesty, or a parliament, and may deserve a particular tractbv itselfe.

Fines.

lb‘6y.

To the foregoing, which may be considered as the civil history of thethen existing navy, may, with much propriety, be added the following,which is no less comprehensive and explanatory of the opinions of thetime, with respect to the military department, or management.— It waswritten by a gentleman named Gibson, whose opinion appears to havebeen specially asked by government on that weighty occasion.

Ilaveing perused the severall expeditions of the navy royal 1 in the reigneof queen Elizabeth, from the year 1585 untill the yearc 1603, I herewithreturne j’our Honour (pursuant to your comand) my observation upon eachvoyage. In peruseing them, I fmde many accidents to have happened forwant of tarrpawling commanders, or gentlemen thoroughly acquaintedrvith maritime affaires, as may readily be seene by compareing the conductof Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, Sir William Burroughs, Sir MartinForbisher, and Sir William Monson, Avith that of my Lord Effingham, theEarles of Southampton and Cumberland, Lord Thomas Howard, Sir RichardLewsham, Sir Richard Greenville, captain Lister, Sir Francis Veere, SirWilliam Brookes, See.

Withall observeing the relators of these voyages to have Avrott themmore methodicall for use, than our moderne men, which possibly arosefrom this, that our clergymen employed in these expeditions, tooke thepaines to Avrite the history of their voyages, Avhile our gentlemen cap-tains, to prevent haveing any more such true relations, take care, by ill

usage,