ties, and
benefices of the West Indies, and so he onely appointeth and presenteth
them, so that he is absolute lorde of the Indies.

This argueth that the Kinges of Spaine never made any greate accompte of
the Popes Donation, but onely to blinde the eyes of the worlde with the
sea of Rome; ffor doubtles, if they had acknowledged their tenure to
depende, as I saied, of the Popes mere liberalitie, they woulde have don
otherwise, and woulde have requited them farr otherwise then by excludinge
them quite oute, and makinge themselves absolute patrones of all
ecclesiasticall dignities whatsoever.

Chap. XX. A briefe collection of certaine reasons to induce her Majestie
and the state to take in hande the westerne voyadge and the plantinge
there.

1. The soyle yeldeth, and may be made to yelde, all the severall
comodities of Europe, and of all kingdomes, domynions, and territories
that England tradeth withe, that by trade of marchandize cometh into this
realme.

2. The passage thither and home is neither to longe nor to shorte, but
easie, and to be made twise in the yere.

3. The passage cutteth not nere the trade of any prince, nor nere any of
their contries or territories, and is a safe passage, and not easie to be
annoyed by prince or potentate whatsoever.

4. The passage is to be perfourmed at all times of the yere, and in that
respecte passeth our trades in the Levant Seas within the Straites of
Juberalter, and the trades in the seas within the Kinge of Denmarkes
Straite, and the trades to the portes of Norwey and of Russia, &c.; for as
in the south weste Straite there is no passage in somer by lacke of
windes, so within the other places there is no passage in winter by yse
and extreme colde.

5. And where England nowe for certen hundreth yeres last passed, by the
peculiar comoditie of wolles, and of later yeres by clothinge of the same,
hath raised it selfe from meaner state to greater wealthe and moche higher
honour, mighte, and power then before, to the equallinge of the princes of
the same to the greatest potentates of this parte of the worlde: it cometh
nowe so to passe, that by the greate endevour of the increase of the trade
of wolles in Spaine and in the West Indies, nowe daily more and more
multiplienge, that the wolles of England, and the clothe made of the same,
will become base, and every day more base then other; which, prudently
weyed, yt behoveth this realme, yf it meane not to returne to forme