The  trade  to  Russia,  now  that  the  port  of  Archangel  had  been
discovered,  proved  very  lucrative  ;  and  a  regular  and  as  yet  an
innocent  commerce  was  carried  on  with  Africa.  The  marriage
of  Mary  with  the  heir  to  the  throne  of  Spain,  and  the  enthu-
siasm awakened  by  the  brilliant  reception  of  Philip  in  Lon-
don, excited  Richard  Eden  to  gather  into  a  volume  the  history


1554-1577.    ENGLISH   COLONIZATION  OF  AMERICA.  63

of  the  most  memorable  maritime  expeditions.  Keligious  re-
straints, the  thirst  for  rapid  wealth,  the  desire  of  strange  ad-
venture, had  driven  the  boldest  spirits  of  Spain  to  the  New
World  ;  their  deeds  had  been  commemorated  by  the  copious
and  accurate  details  of  their  own  historians ;  and  the  English,
through  the  alliance  of  their  sovereign  made  familiar  with  the
Spanish  language  and  literature,  learned  to  emulate  Spanish
success  beyond  the  ocean.
Elizabeth,  succeeding  Mary  in  15 5*8,  seconded  the  enter-
prise of  her  subjects.  They  were  the  more  proud  and  intracta-
ble for  the  short  effort  to  make  England*  an  appendage  to
Spain ;  and  the  triumph  of  Protestantism  nursed  the  spirit  of
nationality.  England,  now  the  antagonist  of  Philip,  prepared
to  extend  her  commerce  to  every  clime.  The  queen  strength-
ened her  navy,  filled  her  arsenals,  and  encouraged  the  building
of  ships  in  England  ;  she  animated  the  adventurers  to  Russia
and  to  Africa  by  her  special  protection  ;  and  after  1574  at
least  from  thirty  to  fifty  English  ships  came  annually  to  the
bays  and  banks  of  Newfoundland.
The  press  teemed  withbook8_jofjtrav^l82^^  de-

scription so?~the  earth  ;  and  Sir  Humphrey~GiIEert,  reposing
from  the  toils  of  war,  engaged  in  the  science  of  cosmography.
A  well- written  argument  in  favor  of  the  possibility  of  a  north-
western passage  was  the  fruit  of  his  industry.
