-'The Unknown Goal,' as Queen Elizabeth has named it--which will
prove to be too truly and fatally unknown. In a latitude south of
England, and with an Italian summer, who can guess that the winter
will outfreeze Russia itself? The merchant-seaman, like the
statesman, had yet many a thing to learn. Instead of smiling at our
forefathers' ignorance, let us honour the men who bought knowledge
for us their children at the price of lives nobler than our own.

So Raleigh goes on his voyage with Humphrey Gilbert, to carry out the
patent for discovering and planting in Meta Incognita; but the voyage
prospers not. A 'smart brush with the Spaniards' sends them home
again, with the loss of Morgan, their best captain, and 'a tall
ship'; and Meta Incognita is forgotten for a while; but not the
Spaniards. Who are these who forbid all English, by virtue of the
Pope's bull, to cross the Atlantic? That must be settled hereafter;
and Raleigh, ever busy, is off to Ireland to command a company in
that 'common weal, or rather common woe', as he calls it in a letter
to Leicester. Two years and more pass here; and all the records of
him which remain are of a man valiant, daring, and yet prudent beyond
his fellows. He hates his work, and is not on too good terms with
stern and sour, but brave and faithful Lord Grey; but Lord Grey is
Leicester's friend, and Raleigh works patiently under him, like a
sensible man, just because he is Leicester's friend. Some modern
gentleman of note--I forget who, and do not care to recollect--says
that Raleigh's 'prudence never bore any proportion to his genius.'
The next biographer we open accuses him of being too calculating,
cunning, timeserving; and so forth. Perhaps both are true. The
man's was a character very likely to fall alternately into either
sin--doubtless did so a hundred times. Perhaps both are false. The
man's character was, on occasion, certain to rise above both faults.