INTRODUCTION GILBERT'S Occupation of Newfoundland was intended as the first step in a scheme drawn up by himself for expelling the Spaniards from America and transferring it to the English crown. This bold project was formed and proposed for the Queen's adoption, as a defensive measure, at a critical juncture. In the latter part of 1577 Don John of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands, who had formed a wild scheme for invading England, marrying Mary Stuart, deposing Elizabeth, and restoring the Pope's authority, forced the States of the Netherlands to recommence hostilities. The States were compelled to seek foreign support, and in default of obtaining it from England, would certainly have had recourse to France. To prevent this Elizabeth was compelled to come to an agreement with them, and to support them openly with men and money. In view of an impending war with Philip, Englishmen were already meditating on the best means of striking at the power of Spain; and Gilbert's project was propounded for the Queen's consideration two months before she concluded her treaty with the States. The original draft, dated November 6, 1577, and now preserved in the Public Record Office, has been signed by Gilbert, though the signature has been incompletely defaced, probably by his own hand; and there are some indications in the preface that it was intended to be anonymous. Some have supposed it to have been really the work of Raleigh. This suggestion is contradicted by internal evidence, and we believe Gilbert to have been the author of it. Though he modestly describes himself as 'a silly (simple) member of the commonweal of England' he was then a distinguished soldier, and held the office of General Surveyor of all horses, armour, weapons, munitions, and artillery throughout England. Probably the scheme embodied ideas more or less widely entertained at the time among English military men, and Gilbert did little more than reduce these ideas to a definite form. 'It is more than time,' Gilbert writes, apparently alluding to France as well as Spain, 'to pare their nails by the stumps that are most ready prest to pluck the crown, as it were in despite of God, from your Highness' head, not only by foreign force but also by stirring up home factions.' The chief means to this end, he says, is the weakening of their navies; and this can be effected not only by open hostilities but by 'colourable means.' What these are is set forth at some length. Licence should be granted, under letters patent, 'to discover and inhabit some strange place, with special provisoes for their safeties whom policy requireth to have most annoyed, by which means the doing of the contrary shall be imputed to the executors' fault.' The writer then proceeds in greater detail: |