of this important voyage, very soon after
its completion, by Dr John Harris, by way of _Introduction_ to his
abridged account of this circumnavigation, in his Collection of
Voyages and Travels, vol. i. p. 337.

* * * * *

"It is a thing that has been generally taken for granted, ever since
Spain has been possessed of her American dominions, and has made use
of the riches derived from these to disturb the peace and invade the
liberties of her neighbours, that the best way to reduce her strength,
and to prevent the bad effects of her evil intentions, would be to
attack her in the South Seas. This was pursued with great diligence,
and in some measure with success, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, [as
has been already shewn in the circumnavigatory voyages of Drake
and Candish, almost solely devoted to that object.] In that of her
successor, when a new quarrel broke out with that crown, in the year
1624, the first thing thought of by our patriots, who were equally
willing to humble the king's enemies and to save the money of the
nation, was an expedition to the South Seas, to be carried on at
the expence of, and for the benefit of the people; which scheme was
entitled _The West-India Association_.

"It may be thought I look a great way back when I offer to the view
of the reader the reasons which were then suggested in parliament in
support of that scheme. But whoever considers that it is not only the
most effectual, but the safest method, to instruct the present age
from the sentiments of the last, will readily enter into the reasons
which induce me, upon this occasion, to produce the speech of an
eminent patriot, in which the nature and scope of that _Association_,
as well as the motives on which it is grounded, are very fully and
pathetically set forth; and this in such terms, as, if the reader were
not told that this was a speech to Sir Dudley Diggs, then chairman
of a committee of the whole house, by Sir Benjamin Rudyard, he might
mistake it for a speech made only a few years since, so agreeable is
it, in language and sentiments, even to our present occasions.

"Sir,--I do profess that as my affections, my reason, and my judgement
go strongly with the scope and drift of this proposition, so shall
good part of my fortune when it comes to execution. For, to my
understanding, there was never propounded in parliament a design more
proper for this kingdom, nor more pregnant with advantages