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I cannot write much. God, he knoweth, how hardly I steal this time, while others sleep: and it is also high time that I should separate my thoughts from the world. Beg my dead body, which, living, was denied thee; and either lay it at Sherborne, if the land continue, or in Exeter church, by my father and mother. I can say no more time and death call me away.

The everlasting, powerful, infinite, and omnipotent God, who is goodness itself, the true life and true light, keep thee and thine; have mercy on me, and teach me to forgive my persecutors and accusers; and send us to meet in his glorious kingdom! My dear wife, farewell! Bless my

poor boy, pray for me, and let my good God hold you both in his arms!

Written with the dying hand of sometime thy husband, but now, alas! overthrown,

Yours that was, but now not my own,

WALTER RALEGH.

SIR WALTER RALEGH TO HIS WIFE.

I was loath to write, because I know not how to comfort you: and God knows, I never knew what sorrow meant till now. All that I can say to you is, that you must obey the will and providence of God; and remember that the queen's majesty bare the loss of Prince Henry with a magnanimous heart, and the Lady Harrington of her only son. Comfort your heart, dearest Bess, I shall sorrow for us both. And I shall sorrow the less, because I have not long to sorrow, because not long to live.

I refer you to Mr. Secretary Winwood's letter, who will give you a copy of it, if you send for it. Therein you shall know what hath passed, which I have written by that letter; for my brains are broken, and it is a torment for me to write, especially of misery. I have desired Mr. Secretary to give my Lord Carew a copy of his letter. I have cleansed my ship of sick men, and sent them home, and hope that God will send us somewhat before we return. Commend me to all at Lothbury. You shall hear from me, if I live, from Newfoundland, where I mean to clean my ships, and revictual; for I have tobacco enough to pay for it. The Lord bless and comfort you, that you may bear patiently the death of your most valiant son!

This 22d of March, from the Isle of Christopher's. Yours,

WALTER RALEGH.

P. S. I protest before the majesty of God, that as Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins died heart broken when they failed of their enterprise, I could willingly do the like, did I not contend against sorrow for your sake, in hope to provide somewhat for you to comfort and relieve you. If I live to return, resolve yourself, that it is the care for you that hath strengthened my heart.

It is true that Keymis might have gone directly to the mine, and meant it. But after my son's death, he made them believe that he knew not the way, and excused himself upon the want of water in the river; and, counterfeiting many

impediments, left it unfound. When he came back, I told him "he had undone me, and that my credit was lost for ever." He answered, that "when my son was lost, and that he left me so weak that he thought not to find me alive, he had no reason to enrich a company of rascals, who after my son's death made no account of him." He farther told me, that "the English sent up into Guiana could hardly defend the Spanish town of St. Thome, which they had taken; and, therefore, for them to pass through thick woods it was impossible, and more impossible to have victuals brought them into the mountains." And it is true, that the governor, Diego Palemeca, and other four captains being slain, whereof my son Wat slew one, Plessington (Wat's serjeant) and John of Moroccoes (one of his men) slew two; I say, five of them slain in the entrance of the town, and the rest went off in a whole body. And each took more care to defend the passages to their mines, of which they had three within a league of the town, besides a mine that was about five miles off, than they did of the town itself.

Yet Keymis, at the first, was resolved to go to the mine. But when he came to the bankside to land, he had two men of his slain outright from the bank, and six others hurt; and Captain Thornhurst shot in the head, of which wound, and the accident thereof, he hath pined away these twelve weeks. Now when Keymis came back, and gave me the former reasons, which moved him not to open the mine (the one the death of my son; a second, the weakness of the

English, and their impossibilities to work it and to be victualed; a third, that it were a folly to discover it for the Spaniards; and, lastly, my weakness, and being unpardoned), and that I rejected all these his arguments, and told him, that "I must leave him to himself to answer it to the king and state;" he shut himself into his cabin, and shot himself with a pocket-pistol, which broke one of his ribs; and, finding that he had not prevailed, he thrust a long knife under his short ribs up to the handle, and died. Thus much I have written to Mr. Secretary, to whose letters I refer you. But because I think my friends will rather hearken after you than any other to know the truth, I did after the sealing break open the letter again, to let you know in brief the state of that business; which I pray you impart to my Lord of Northumberland, and Silvanus Scorie, and to Sir John Leigh.

For the rest, there was never poor man so exposed to the slaughter as I was. For being commanded upon my allegiance to set down, not only the country, but the very river by which I was to enter it, to name my ships' number, men, and my artillery; this was sent by the Spanish ambassador to his master, the king of Spain. The king wrote his letters to all parts of the Indies, especially to the governor (Palameca) of Guiana, El Dorado, and Trinidado. Of which the first letter bore date March 19, 1617, at Madrid, when I had not yet left the Thames; which letter I have sent to Mr. Secretary. I have also two other letters of the king's, which I reserve, and one of the council's. The king,

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also, sent a commission to levy three hundred soldiers out of his garrison of Nuevo Regno de Granada and Porto Rico, with ten pieces of brass ordnance, to entertain us. He, also, prepared an armada by sea to set upon us. It were too long to tell you how we were preserved; if I live, I shall make it known. My brains are broken, and I cannot write much. I live yet, and I told you why.

Whitney, for whom I sold all my plate at Plymouth, and to whom I gave more credit and countenance than to all the captains of my fleet, ran from me at the Granadas, and Wollaston with him. So as I have now but five ships, and one of those I have sent home and in my flyboat a rabble of idle rascals, which I know will not spare to wound me, but I care not. I am sure there is never a base slave in all the fleet hath taken the pains and care that I have done; that hath slept so little, and travailed so much. My friends will not believe them; and for the rest, I care not. God in heaven bless you, and strengthen your heart! Yours,

WALTER RALEGH.

JAMES I. TO THE LORDS OF THE COUNCIL.

MY LORDS,

1617.

Ye

No worldly thing is so precious as time. know what task I gave ye to work upon during my absence; and what time was limited unto you for the performance thereof. This same chancellor of Scotland was used to tell me twenty

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