An armado, or nauy, of 103. ships & other vessels, who haue the art to sayle by land, as well as by sea morally rigd, mand, munition'd, appoynted, set forth, and victualled, with 32. sortes of ling, with other prouisions of fish & flesh / by John Taylor ; the names of the ships, are in the next page.

Why these Ships are called SHIPS.

I haue little to say to the Reader, be∣cause I neither know him or his con∣ditions, therefore to auoyde lying and slattry in putting the stiles of Christian, Gentle, courteous, friendly, learned or honest, vpon the Atheiste, barbarous, hatefull, Ignorant, or dishonest, the Reader gets no Epi∣stle at all of me: If he be good and well inclinde it is the better for himselfe, and if otherwise, it shall not be much the worse for me, ther's the poynt: now the reasons why all these words or names of my Morrall Nauy are called SHIPS, or doe all end with the word or sillable SHIP, as Lord SHIP, Ladye SHIP, Freind SHIP and the like &c. The reasons I take to be these which followeth, and as I imagine most signifi∣cate; first the whole life of man is as a SHIP vn∣der sayle, for, be it either day or night, storme or calme, light or darke, hot or colde, winter or sommer, yet the SHIP is in her course euer going on her voyage: so likewise Man, let him goe, sit, stand, ride, run, worke, play, sleepe or wake, yet he is still going onward in his mortall passage. A SHIP is euer in need of repayring,

so is a man eyther in body, minde or goods. A Ship is euer vnsteddy; a Man is alwayes mutable: Some SHIPS are hard to be steered; some men are harder to be guided. Some Shipps beare so great a sayle that they beare their Masts by the Board and make all split againe; some Men doe spread such a Clue in a calme, that a sodaine storme halfe sinkes them and teares all. Some SHIPS are so fauoured by the wind that they make rich voyages, & quicke returnes; some men are so fortunate that wealth and promotions do fall in their mouthes. Some SHIPS runs through many a storme, with much danger, and yet are so vnlucky that they doe neuer make good voyage; some Men (being borne vnder a three peny plan∣net) can neither by paines, watching, labour or any industry bee worth a groat. Some SHIPS by being ouerladen haue bene cast away, some men by taking in too much haue bene forc'd to cast all away. SHIPS doe wallow and heaue and set vpon the Sea; Men do stumble, reele and stig∣ger on the land. Some Ships haue their cracks & imperfections gayly hid with painting; some Men haue their bad intents coulourd ouer with hippocrisie, and their diseased carkases couered with good clothes. Some SHIPS doe bring pro∣fitable commodities, and some bring bables, toyes and tri••les; some Men doe inrich a king∣dome

with their wisedome, authority, and pra∣ctise in vertue: and some men doe disgrace and Impouerish a Monarchy by solly, ill imployed power, and sottishnes in vanity. Some SHIPS will run to leeward extreamly if the wind bee scant, and some againe will brauely beate it out to windward and weather it, so some Men will shrink from their friends or from thēselues, in a storme of trouble or pouerty, and some few agen will beare vp stiffe, constantly contemning & opposing the brunts of fortune. Some SHIPS are taken by others and made prizes; some Men are captiu'd by others and made slaues. Some SHIPS are commended more for their Bulke & beauty, then for any good seruice; and some Men are more applauded for their fortunes, then for any good conditions. If I would insist longer on these comparisons, I could enlarge my In∣duction to the bounds of a Pamphlet: therefore I will conclude it with King Solomons similitude, wisdome 5. C. 10. that mans life passeth as a SHIP that passeth ouer the waues of the water: therefore I wish all men to bee prouided, as good SHIPS should be: let HOPE be their Anker, let Fayth be their Cable, let charity & loue be their Card & Compasse, till they come happily to the Hauen of GRAVESEND, and from thence to that bles∣sed harbour which hath no END.