Therefore, it is advisable, in order to attain the said trade, that
that town be abandoned, and that its inhabitants go to live in other
cities of India. They can do that without much injury to their goods,
since they carry them all by sea; and anywhere they have trade by
way of the sea. In order to dismantle that town, it is sufficient
for his Majesty to order that nothing be freighted thence to Japon,
but only from Manila. Thereupon all the inhabitants would immediately
pull up stakes [59] and leave that place.
Although such a thing appears harsh, and seems like falling out
with one saint to placate another, still it will seem an easy and
very advisable measure to those who have seen that town, or know
it close at hand--and there are several such persons here in this
court. And even if it were not evident that the good results above
mentioned would follow from it, this step should be taken as a policy
of good government, as such a course is advisable for the service of
God. For his name is blasphemed by the people of that kingdom of China
because of that town of Macao--such are the deeds of its inhabitants;
for they live as a people without any master, and are not under the
control of his Majesty, for the dwellers in that town are not his
vassals, but those of the king of China. They pay tribute to him,
and are subject to his mandarins, but not to others. Consequently
his Majesty does not derive one maravedi's profit from it, while he
incurs considerable expense; for he supports all its ecclesiastics
out of his royal treasury of Malaca, for the honor of the Portuguese
nation.
Pages:
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192