Your most illustrious
Lordship may rest assured that if his Majesty does not actually send
a great reenforcement of military aid to these islands, they must be
lost; and, besides, the royal crown of Espana will meet the necessity
of defending itself, with greater expenses, from the nations who will
make war against it from this direction. Although I am no prophet, I
dare to assert that in these seas we shall see the bloodiest battles
that have been fought for many years, and that they must result in
great injury to the kingdoms of Nueva Espana [and Espana].
This discourse of mine is based on a syllogism. All nations of the
world are moved by interest, which is the loadstone of hearts. We see
men going down, as they have gone, into the depths of hell for silver
and gold; no one can doubt this axiom, and it has no need of proof. The
minor premise is this, founded on experimental knowledge--namely,
that the greatest source of profit that has been known in our times,
the best proved and the most certain, is this of Maluco and Philipinas,
whither come the nations of the north, and all other nations who course
over this wide sea of India as far as Maluco, where they find that
brown gold that they call cloves, and the white silk of China. They
barter for or rob persons of the cloves, as well as mace, cinnamon,
pepper, and other drugs, which, when carried to their own country, are
so much gold-dust. The silks and wealth from China they seize here at
the passage to Manila, from various unarmed vessels; and from a people
who let their hair grow long, like women, and know not how to defend
themselves, so that those robbers have here a sure booty and prize.
Pages:
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163