ions, I must yield you some other cause. For I cannot say (if
I shall say truly,) but our shipping, for number, strength, mariners,
pilots, and all things that appertain to navigation, is as great as
ever; and therefore why we should sit at home, I shall now give you an
account by itself: and it will draw nearer to give you satisfaction to
your principal question.

"There reigned in this land, about nineteen hundred years ago, a king,
whose memory of all others we most adore; not superstitiously, but as a
divine instrument, though a mortal man; his name was Solamona: and we
esteem him as the lawgiver of our nation. This king had a large heart,
inscrutable for good; and was wholly bent to make his kingdom and
people happy. He therefore, taking into consideration how sufficient
and substantive this land was to maintain itself without any aid (at
all) of the foreigner; being five thousand six hundred miles in
circuit, and of rare fertility of soil in the greatest part thereof;
and finding also the shipping of this country might be plentifully set
on work, both by fishing and by transportations from port to port, and
likewise by sailing unto some small islands that are not far from us,
and are under the crown and laws of this state; and, recalling into his
memory the happy and flourishing estate wherein this land then was; so
as it might be a thousand ways altered to the worse, but scarce any one
way to the better; thought nothing wanted to his noble and heroical
intentions, but only (as far as human foresight might reach) to give
perpetuity to that which was in his time so happily established.
Therefore amongst his other fundamental laws of this kingdom, he did
ordain the interdicts and prohibitions which we have touching entrance
of strangers; which at that time (though it was after the calamity of
America) was frequent; doubting novelties, and commixture of manners.
It is true, the like law against the admission of strangers without
licence is an ancient law in the kingdom of China, and yet continued in
use. But there it is a poor thing; and hath made them a curious,
ignorant, fearful, foolish nation. But our lawgiver made his law of
another temper. For first, he hath preserved all points of humanity,
in taking order and making provision for the relief of strangers
distressed; whereof you have tasted."

At which speech (as reason was) we all rose up and bowed ourselves. He
went on.

"That king also, still desiri