In these excerpts from the first three chapters of Discourse on Western Planting, Richard Hakluyt (the younger) argues why
England should compete with Spain in colonizing the America. Specifically, he makes
the case for converting the Indians to Christianity, and suggests that without
colonies, England's economy is at a disadvantage. The manuscript was originally
prepared in 1584 at the request of Sir Walter Raleigh for Queen Elizabeth I and her advisers only. It was not
published until the nineteenth century. Some spelling has been modernized.
A particuler discourse concerninge the greate necessitie and manifolde comodyties that
are like to growe to this Realme of Englande by the Westerne discoveries lately
attempted written in the yere 1584 by Richarde Hackluyt of Oxforde at the requeste
and direction of the righte worshipfull Mr Walter Raghly, nowe Knight before the
comynge home of his two Barkes, and is devided into XXI chapiters […]
Chapter I
— page 7 —
That this Westerne discoverie will be greately for thinlargemente of the gospell
of Christe, whereunto the princes of the Refourmed Relligion are chefely bounde,
amongeste whome her Majestie ys principall.
Seinge that the people of that parte of America from 30. degrees in Florida
northewarde unto 63. degrees (which ys yet in no Christian princes actuall
possession) are idolaters; and that those which Stephen Gomes broughte from the
coaste of Norumbega in the yere 1524. worshipped the sonne, the moone, and the
starres, and used other idolatrie, as it ys recorded in the historie of Gonsaluo de
Ouiedo, in Italian, fol. 52. of the third volume of Ramusius; and that those of
Canada and Hochelaga in 48. and 50. degrees worhippe a spirite which they call
Cudruaigny, as we reade in the tenthe chapiter of the seconde relation of Jaques
Cartier, whoe saieth: This people beleve not at all in God, but in one whome they
call Cudruaigny; they say that often he speaketh with them, and telleth them what
weather shall followe, whether goodd or badd, &c., and yet notwithstandinge
they are very easie to be perswaded, and doe all that they sawe the Christians doe
in their devine ser-
— page 8 —
vice, with like imitation and devotion, and were very desirous
to become Christians, and woulde faine have been baptized, as Verarsanus witnesseth
in the laste wordes of his relation, and Jaques Cartier in the tenthe chapiter
before recited—it remayneth to be thoroughly weyed and considered by what meanes
and by whome this moste godly and Christian work may be perfourmed of inlarginge
the glorious gospell of Christe, and reducinge of infinite multitudes of these
simple people that are in errour into the righte and perfecte way of their
salvation.
[…]
— page 10 —
In the 16. of the Actes of the Apostles, when Paule soughte to preache in Asia
and to goe into Bithinia, the Holy Ghoste suffered him not. But at Troas a vision
appered unto him by night. There stoode a man of Macedonia and prayed hym,
sayenge: Come into Macedonia and helpe us. And after he had seene the vysion,
ymmediatly he prepared to goe into Macedonia, beinge assured that the Lorde had
called him to preache the gospell unto them. Even so wee, whiles wee have soughte
to goe into other countries (I woulde I might say to preache the gospell), God by
the frustratinge of our actions semeth to forbydd us to followe those courses, and
the people of
— page 11 —
America crye oute unto us, their nexte neighboures, to come and
helpe them, and bringe unto them the gladd tidinges of the gospell.
[…]
Chapt. II
— page 13 —
That all other Englishe trades are growen beggerly or daungerous, especially
daungerous in all the Kinge of Spayne his domynions, where our men are dryven to
flinge their bibles and prayer bookes into the sea, and to forsweare and renounce
their relligion and conscience, and consequently their obedience to her
Majesty.
[…]
— page 14 —
In all the Kinge of Spaines domynions our men are either inforced with wounded
consciences to playe the dissembling hipocrites, or be drawen to mislike with the
state of relligion mainteyned at home, or cruelly made away in the Inquisition.
Moreover, he being our mortall enemye, and his empire of late beinge increased so
mightely, and our necessitie of oiles and of coulours for our clothinge trade
beinge so greate, he may arreste almoste the one halfe of our navye, our traficque
and recourse beinge so greate to his domynions.
[…]
— page 18 —
Thus the covetous marchante wilfully sendeth headlonge to hell from day to
day the poore subjectes of this realme. The marchant in England cometh here
devoutly to the communyon, and sendeth his sonne into Spaine to here masse. These
thinges are kepte secrete by the marchantes, and suche as depende upon the trade
of marchandize are lothe to utter the same.
Chapt. III
— page 19 —
That this westerne voyadge will yelde unto us all the commodities of Europe,
Affrica and Asia, as far as wee were wonte to travell, and supplye the wantes of
all our decayed trades.
The nexte thinge ys that nowe I declare unto you the comodities of this newe
westerne discoverie, and what marchandize are there to be had, and from thence to
be expected; wherein firste you are to have regarde unto the scituation of the
places which are left for us to be possessed.
[…]
Firste, therefore, to begyn at the southe from 30. degrees, and to quote unto you
the leafe and page of the printed voyadges of those which personally have
— page 20 —
with
diligence searched and viewed these contries. John Ribault writeth thus, in the
firste leafe of his discourse, extant in printe bothe in Frenche and Englishe: Wee
entred (saithe he) and viewed the contrie which is the fairest, frutefullest, and
pleasauntest of all the worlde, aboundinge in honye, waxe, venison, wilde fowle,
fforrestes, woodds of all sortes, palme trees, cipresses, cedars, bayes, the
highest and greatest, with also the fairest vines in all the worlde, with grapes
accordinge, which naturally withoute arte or mans helpe or trymmynge will growe to
toppes of oakes and other trees that be of wonderfull greatness and heighte. And
the sighte of the faire meadowes is a pleasure not able to be expressed with
tongue, full of herons, curlues, bitters, mallardes, egriphts, woodcockes, and all
other kinde of small birdes, with hartes, hinds, bucks, wilde swyne, and all other
kynd of wilde beastes, as wee perceaved well bothe by their footinge there, and
also afterwardes in other places by their crye and roaringe in the nighte. Also
there be conies and hares, silkewormes in marvelous nomber, a great deale fairer
and better then be our silkewormes. Againe, in the sixte leafe and seconde page;
They shewed unto us by signes that they had in the lande golde and silver and
copper, whereof wee have broughte some home. Also leade like unto ours, which wee
shewed them. Also turqueses and greate aboundaunce of perles, which as they
declared unto us they tooke oute of oysters, whereof there is taken ever alonge
the rivers side and amongest the reedes and in the marishes, in so marvelous
aboundaunce as it
— page 21 —
is scante credible. And wee have perceaved that there be as many
and as greate perles founde there as in any contrie in the worlde. In the seaventh
leafe it followeth thus: The scituation is under 30. degrees a good clymate,
healthfull, and of goodd temperature, marvelous pleasaunte, the people goodd and
of a gentle and amyable nature, which willingly will obey, yea be contented to
serve those that shall with gentlenes and humanitie goe aboute to allure them, as
yt is necessarie for those that be sente thither hereafter so to doe. In the eighth
leafe: It is a place wonderfull fertile and of stronge scituation, the grounde
fatt, so that it is like that it would bringe forthe wheate and all other corne
twise a yere. In the ninth leafe yt followeth: Wee founde there a greate nomber of
pepper trees, the pepper beinge yet greene and not ready to be gathered. In the
tenth leafe: There wee sawe the fairest and the greatest vines with grapes
accordinge, and younge trees and small wooddes very well smellinge, that ever
weare sene. Thus have you brefely the some of the comodities which were founde by
John Ribault and his companye on the coaste of America from 30. to 34. degrees.
[…]
