(cousin of Sir Francis) sailed to Newfoundland, and took a
considerable number of Spanish and Portuguese prizes and prisoners.
The disaster to the Spanish Armada in 1588 was a drastic blow to
Spanish power at sea, a signal for England's maritime ascendancy, and
an impetus to more rational, consistent, and practical methods of
colonization, in which great Companies and great fleets
participated--fleets that prepared the way for the establishment and
development of our incomparable Navy, the mighty bulwark of our
Empire. The turning-point at the close of the sixteenth century is
thus indicated by Mr Rogers: "Large creative ideals, the usual
delusions about Cathay, gold, and silver, and a desire to retaliate
against Spain, inspired both Raleigh's and Gilbert's efforts; and
after their failures the history of colonization turned over a new
leaf. There were no more colonies founded in anger, the old delusions
about Cathay and gold and silver melted into thin air, and the large
Elizabethan ideals were accompanied by small projects, which after a
time dimmed and obscured them."[23] With James I. and the wise
influence of Bacon came an increased interest in the "plantations,"
and God's silly vassal (as a justly irritated divine called the King
to his face) does not suffer in this respect from a comparison with
his contemporaries.

After the colonization of Virginia and Maine had begun, Sir John
Popham, who had done much to set on foot the schemes relative to these
American settlements, recollecting the attempts that had been made to
colonize Newfoundland, suggested to the merchant adventurers of
Bristol that they should make new efforts to establish colonies on the
island. The King's support having been promised, funds were raised,
and a royal charter was granted to a company on April 27th, 1610,
designated "The Treasurer and the Company of Adventurers and Planters