I concluded the ransome of the shippes with an auncient captaine, and of
noble blood, who had his daughter there, ready to be imbarked to go to
Lyma, to serve Donia Teruza de Castro, the viceroyes wife, and sister to
Don Beltran de Castro. Her apparell and his, with divers other things
which they had imbarked in the greatest shippe, we restored, for the
good office he did us, and the confidence he had of us, comming and
going onely upon my word; for which he was after ever thankefull, and
deserved much more.
Another that treated with me was Captaine Iuan Contreres, owner of one
of the shippes, and of the iland Santa Maria, in thirtie-seaven degrees
and fortie minutes. In treating of the ransomes, and transporting and
lading the provisions we made choyce of, wee spent some sixe or eight
dayes; at the end whereof, with reputation amongst our enemies, and a
good portion towards our charges, and our shippe as well stored and
victualled as the day we departed from England, we set sayle.
[They depart from Lyma,]
The time wee were in this port, I tooke small rest, and so did the
master of our shippe, Hugh Cornish, a most carefull, orderly, and
sufficient man, because we knew our owne weaknesse; for entring into the
harbour, we had but seaventie five men and boyes, five shippes to guard,
and every one moored by himselfe; which, no doubt, if our [and
conceale their weaknes.] enemies had knowne, they would have wrought
some stratagem upon us; for the governour of Chily was there on shore in
view of us, an auncient Flanders soldier, and of experience, wisedome,
and valour, called Don Alonso de Soto Mayor, of the habit of Saint Iago,
who was after captaine generall in Terra Firme, and wrought all the
inventions upon the river of Chagree, and on the shore, when Sir
Francis Drake purposed to goe to Panama, in the voyage wherein he died;
as also, at my comming into Spaine, he was president in Panama, and
there, and in Lyma, used [The nobleness of Alonso de Soto.] me
with great courtesie, like a noble souldier and liberall gentleman. He
confessed to me after, that he lay in ambush with three hundreth horse
and foote, to see if at any time wee had landed or neglected our watch,
with balsas, (which is a certaine raffe made of mastes or trees fastened
together), to have attempted something against us. But [The
enemy less dangerous then the wine.] the enemy I feared not so much as
the wine; which, notwithstanding all the diligence and prevention I
could use day and night, overthrew many of my people. A foule fault,
because too common amongst sea-men, and deserveth some rigorous
punishment, with severitie to be executed; for it hath beene, and is
daily, the destruction of many good enterprises, amidst their best
hopes. And besides the ordinary fruites it bringeth forth, of beggery,
shame, and sicknesse, it is a most deadly sinne. A drunkard is unfit for
any government, and if I might be hired with many thousands, I would not
carry with me a man known to put his felicitie in that vice, instiling
it with the name of good fellowship; which in most well governed
common-wealths, hath beene a sufficient blemish to deprive a man of
office, of honour, and estimation. It wasteth our kingdome more then is
well understood, as well by the infirmities it causeth, as by the
consumption of wealth, to the impoverishing of us, and the enriching of
other kingdomes.
[Spanish wines and burning feavers unknowne in England.]
And though I am not old, in comparison of other auncient men, I can
remember Spanish wine rarely to be found in this kingdome. Then hot
burning feavers were not knowne in England, and men lived many moe
yeares. But since the Spanish sacks have beene common in our tavernes,
which, for conservation, is mingled with lyme[186] in its making, our
nation complaineth of calenturas, of the stone, the dropsie, and
infinite other diseases, not heard of before this wine came in frequent
use, or but very seldome. To confirme which my beliefe, I have heard one
of our learnedst physitians affirme, that he thought there died more
persons in England of drinking wine and using hot spices in their meats
and drinkes, then of all other [And consumeth treasure.]
diseases. Besides there is no yeare in which it wasteth not two millions
of crownes of our substance, by convayance into forraine countries;
which in so well a governed common-wealth as ours is acknowledged to be
through the whole world, in all other constitutions, in this onely
remaineth to be looked into and remedied. Doubtlesse, whosoever should
be the author of this reformation, would gaine with God an everlasting
reward, and of his country a statua of gold, for a perpetuall memory of
so meritorious a worke.