course on
Western Plantinge_, which he wrote at the request of Raleigh for the
enlightenment of the queen, as well as in the general literature of the
next fifty years, are revealed to us the ideas, mostly mistaken and
often naive, which gave to America the glamour of a promised land.

Of the motives which inspired the colonizing activity of England at the
close of the sixteenth century, the desire to spread the Protestant
religion was no unreal one. The war for independence, having taken on
the character of a crusade, had touched with emotional fervor the
Englishman's loyalty to the national faith. Religion became a national
asset when it was thought to be served by an extension of the queen's
domain. The pride of patriotism, as well as the sense of duty, was
stirred by the fact that whereas Spanish Papists had been "the
converters of many millions of infidells," English Protestants had done
nothing for "thinlargement of the Gospell of Christe." It was felt to be
the duty of Englishmen to take on this "white man's burden," and for the
sake of the true faith plant "one or two colonies upon that fyrme,
learn the language of the people, and so with discretion and myldeness
Instill into their purged myndes the swete and lively liquor of the
Gospell."

Yet the religious motive was buttressed by others more material and less
disinterested. Until well into the seventeenth century, when much bitter
experience had proved the contrary, America was still thought to be a
land of wealth easily acquired--"as great a profit to the Realme of
England as the Indies to the King of Spain." Many credible persons, said
Hakluyt, had found in that country "golde, silver, copper, leade, and
pearles in aboundaunce; precious stones, as turquoises and emaurldes;
spices and drugges; silke worms fairer than ours of Europe; white and
red cotton; infinite multitude of all kindes of fowles; excellent vines
in many places for wines; the soyle apte to beare olyves for oyle; all
kinds of fruites; all kindes of oderiferous trees and date trees,
cypresses, and cedars; and in New founde lande aboundaunce of pines and
firr trees to make mastes and deale boards, pitch, tar, rosen; hempe for
cables and cordage; and upp within the Graunde Baye, excedinge quantitie
of all kinde of precious furres." So that one may "well and truly
conclude with reason and authoritie, that all the commodities of our
olde decayed and daungerous trades in all Europe, Africa, and As