FRANCIS DRAKE [Knight].
January 1, 1592 [i.e., 1593].
TO THE COURTEOUS READER
HONEST READER,
Without apology, I desire thee, in this ensuing Discourse, to
observe, with me, the power and justice of the LORD of Hosts, Who
could enable so mean a person to right himself upon so mighty a
Prince; together with the goodness and providence of GOD very
observable in that it pleased Him to raise this man, not only from
a low condition, but even from the state of persecution. His
father suffered in it, being forced to fly from his house, near
South Tavistock in Devon, into Kent: and there to inhabit in the
hull of a ship, wherein many of his younger sons were born. He had
twelve in all: and as it pleased GOD to give most of them a being
upon the water, so the greatest part of them died at sea. The
youngest, who though he was [went] as far as any, yet died at
home; whose posterity inherits that, which by himself and this
noble Gentleman the eldest brother, was hardly, yet worthily
gotten.
I could more largely acquaint thee, that this voyage was his Third
he made into the West Indies; after that [of] his excellent
service, both by sea and land, in Ireland, under WALTER, Earl of
ESSEX; his next, about the World; another, wherein he took St.
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