The Life of Sir Humphrey Gilbert: England's First Empire BuilderConstable, 1911 - 304 pages This book is a biography of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, the pioneer of English colonization. Gilbert landed in St. John's, in 1583, claiming the island for the British and thereby founding the British Empire. Forced to return to England for provisions before he could establish a colony, Gilbert died on the journey when his ship The Squirrel was lost at sea with all hands. |
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Common terms and phrases
Admirall Adrian Gilbert adventure aforesaid Ashley Burleigh Cabot Cape Cape Race Captain Carew Catholics Champernoun charge coast colonization command Company Compton COMPTON CASTLE Discourse discovered discovery doth Elizabeth English enterprise expedition favour fish fishermen fleet Flushing French friends Gascoigne Generall gent Golden Hind granted Greenway Haies Hakluyt harbour hath heires and assignes hereafter honour Humphrey's inhabitants Ireland island John Dee John's King of Spain land leagues learning Letters Patent Lord Low Countries Majesty Majesty's mariners Matie matter Mendoza merchants Muscovy Company Newfoundland North-West Passage person Peter Carew possession Prince Queen Ralegh Gilbert Realme religion sail sayd sir Humfrey says Sebastian Cabot seems sent shew shippes ships Sidney Sir George Peckham Sir Humphrey Gilbert Sir Thomas Spaniards Spanish thereof things tion town toyle trade troops tyme unto vessels voyage Walsingham Walter Ralegh West William wrote
Popular passages
Page 265 - Hinde," suddenly her lights were out, whereof as it were in a moment we lost the sight, and withal our watch cried the general was cast away, which was too true.
Page 33 - Out of every corner of the woods and glens they came creeping forth upon their hands, for their legs would not bear them; they looked like anatomies of death, they spake like ghosts crying out of their graves...
Page 217 - ... better distribution, into more: he pointed with his wand to all the knowen Seas, Gulfs, Bayes, Straights, Capes, Rivers, Empires, Kingdomes, Dukedomes and Territories of ech part...
Page 113 - Give me leave, therefore, without offence, always to live and die in this mind: that he is not worthy to live at all that, for fear or danger of death, shunneth his country's service and his own honour, seeing that death is inevitable and the fame of virtue immortal, wherefore in this behalf mutare vel timere sperno.
Page 200 - It is a shameful and unblessed thing to take the scum of people and wicked condemned men, to be the people with whom you plant ; and not only so, but it spoileth the plantation ; for they will ever live like rogues, and not fall to work, but be lazy, and do mischief, and spend victuals, and be quickly weary, and then certify over to their country to the discredit of the plantation.
Page 33 - ... and if they found a plot of watercresses or shamrocks, there they flocked as to a feast for the time...
Page 220 - We were in number in all about 260 men ; among whom we had of every faculty good choice, as shipwrights, masons, carpenters, smiths, and such like, requisite to such an action; also mineral men and refiners.
Page 265 - Munday, the ninth of September, in the afternoone, the Frigat was neere cast away, oppressed by waves, yet at that time recovered : and giving foorth signes of joy, the Generall sitting abaft with a booke in his hand, cried out unto us in the Hind (so oft as we did approch within hearing) We are as neere to heaven by sea as by land.
Page 240 - In which are said to be muskles not unlike to have pearle, which I had put in triall, if by mischance falling unto me, I had not bene letted from that and other good experiments I was minded to make. Foule both of water and land in great plentie and diversitie.
Page 218 - Which words of the Prophet together with my cousins discourse (things of high and rare delight to my young nature) tooke in me so deepe an impression, that I constantly resolved, if ever I were preferred to the University, where better time, and more convenient place might be ministred for these studies, I would by God's assistance prosecute that knowledge and kinde of literature, the doores whereof (after a sort) were so happily opened before me.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Life of Sir Humphrey Gilbert: England's First Empire Builder |
| Author | William Gilbert Gosling |
| Publisher | Constable, 1911 |
| ISBN | 072222270X, 9780722222706 |
| Length | 304 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |