prouided: their number is about a hundred persons, all in health, and well neare 60 acres of ground well planted with corne, besides their gardens well replenished with useful fruits; and if their Adventure[r]s would but furnish them with necessaries for fishing, their wants would quickly be supplied.

To supply them this 16 of October [This fixes the month in which this Second Edition was written] is going the Paragon with 67 persons, and all this is done by priuat mens purses. And to conclude in their owne words, should they write of all plenties they haue found, they thinke they should not be beleeued.

For the 26 saile of ships, the most I can yet understand is, Master Ambrose Iennens of London, and Master Abraham Iennens of Plimmoth sent (their Abraham) a ship of 220 Tuns, and the Nightingale of Porchmouth of 100.; whose fish at the first penie came to 3150 pounds: in all they were 35 saile: and where in Newfound land they shared six or seuen pounds for a common man, in New England they shared 14 pounds; besides, six Dutch and French ships made wonderfull returnes in furres.

Thus you may see plainely the yearely successe from New England (by Virginia) which has bin so costly to this kingdome and so deare to me, which either to see perish or but bleed, pardon me though it passionate me beyond the bounds of modestie, to haue bin sufficiently able to foresee it, and had neither power nor meanes how to preuent it. By that acquaintance I haue with them, I may call them my children; for they haue bin my wife, my hawks, my hounds, my cards, my dice, and in totall my best content, as indifferent to my heart as my left hand to my right: and notwithstanding all those miracles of disasters [that] haue crossed both them and me, yet were there not one English man remaining (as God be thanked there is some thousands) I would yet begin againe with as small meanes as I did at the first. Not for that I haue any secret encouragement from any I protest, more then lamentable experiences: for all their discoueries I can yet heare of, are but pigs of my owne sowe; nor more strange to me then to heare one tell me he hath gone from Billings gate and discouered Greenwich, Grauesend, Tilbery, Quinborow, Lee, and Margit; which to those [who] did neuer heare of them, though they dwell in England, might be made seem some rare secrets and great countries vnknowne: except the relations of Master Dirmer.

In England some are held great trauelers that haue seene Venice and Rome, Madrill and Algere, Prague or Ragousa, Constantinople or Ierusalem, and the Piramides of Egypt; that thinke it nothing to go to the Summer Iles or Virginia: which is as farre as any of them, and I hope in time will proue a more profitable and a more laudable iourney. As for the danger, you see our Ladies and Gentlewomen account it nothing now to go thither; and therefore I hope all good men will better apprehend it, and not suffer them to languish in despaire, whom God so wonderfully and so oft hath preserued.

What here I haue writ by relation, if it be not right, I humbly intreate your pardons; but I haue not spared any diligence to learne the truth of them that haue bin actors or sharers in those voyages: in some particulars they might deceiue me, but in the substances they could not, for few could tell me any thing, except where they fished. But seeing all those [that] haue liued there, do confirme more then I haue writ, I doubt not but all those testimonies with these new begun examples of plantation, will moue both Citie and Country freely to aduenture with me and my partners more then promises, seeing I haue from his Maiestie Letters Pattents, such honest, free, and large conditions assured me from his Commissioners, as I hope will satisfie any honest vnderstanding.

But because some fortune tellers saith, I am vnfortunate, had they spent their time as I haue done, they would rather beleeue in God then their calculations, and per-aduenture haue giuen as bad account of their actions; and therefore I intreat leaue to answer those objectors, that think it strange if this be true, I haue made no more vse of it, rests so long without emploiment, and hath no more reward nor preferment: to which I say:

I thinke it more strange they should taxe me before they haue tried as much as I haue both by land and sea, as well in Asia and Africa, as Europe and America; where my commanders were actors or