vnlikely to discharge that which he vndertooke.

What fame general Drake hath gotten by his iourney about the world, by his
aduentures to the west Indies, and the scourges he hath laid vpon the
Spanish nation, I leaue to the Southerne parts to speake of, and refer you
to The Booke extant in our own language treating of the same, and beseech
you considering the waighty matters they haue in all the course of their
liues with wonderfull reputation managed, that you wil esteeme them not wel
informed of their proceedings, that thinke them insufficient to passe
through that which they vndertooke, especially hauing gone thus far in the
view of the world, through so many incombrances, and disappointed of those
agreements which led them the rather to vndertake the seruice. But it may
be you wil thinke me herein either to much opinionated of the voiage, or
conceited of the Commanders, that labouring thus earnestly to aduance the
opinion of them both, haue not so much as touched any part of the
misorders, weaknes and wants that haue bene amongst vs, whereof they that
returned did plentifully report. True it is, I haue conceiued a great
opinion of the iourney, and do thinke honorably of the Commanders: for we
find in greatest antiquities, that many Commanders haue bene receiued home
with triumph for lesse merite, and that our owne countrey hath honored men
heretofore with admiration for aduentures vnequal to this: it might
therefore in those daies haue seemed superfluous to extend any mans
commendations by particular remembrances, for that then all men were ready
to giue enery man his due. But I hold it most necessary in these daies,
sithence euery vertue findeth her direct opposite, and actions woorthy of
all memory are in danger to be enuiously obscured, to denounce the prayses
of the action, and actors to the ful, but yet no further then with
sinceritie of trueth, and not without grieuing at the iniury of this time,
wherein is enforced a necessitie of Apologies for those men and matters,
which all former times were accustomed to entertaine with the greatest