Bartolomé Leonardo de Argensola

“ Our Forces are assembled to deliver us from the Spanish Yoke, punishing those Men with the Hazard of our Total Ruin, whom neither our Benefits could oblige, nor our Threats correct. They are the great Robbers of the World, who usurp it, by shrowding their Avarice under specious and godly Pretences. In vain have we endeavour’d to moderate their Pride by Means of our Modesty and Submission. If they meet with Wealthy Enemies, the Portugeses show themselves Covetous, if with Needy, they are Ambitious; this is the only Nation that equally seeks after others Wealth and Miseries. ”

“ They alone always sell all Things; they buy nothing that Nature or Art affords, either for Sustenance, or Cloathing, except some Perfumes for their Cloaths, and Pepper out of India; nor would there be any Place for Foreign Trade, did not an insatiable Avarice of Gold and Silver predominate among the Chineses. What they draw out of the Bowels of the Mines, they conceal as carefully as if it were still in them; and even that they bring from remote Provinces, they heap up, and bury. Their publick and private Structures would make up a Narration of extraordinary Length. ”

“ Let no Man believe, that because they are not at War among themselves, it is Love that is the Occasion of it. The Ground of their false Tranquility is to be call’d a Cessation, and not Peace. These are the People who have unhing’d Loyalty and the Christian Religion, before settled in the Islands, and remotest Parts of Asia, making Excursions from their own Country, as far as China, their raging Avarice being grounded on the Advice given them by the Queen of England, and on Malice, because King Philip the IId had shut up the other Ports of his Kingdoms against them ”

“ They are great Observers, that the Funerals of Men should go before those of Women; place Lamps over the Graves of all, and by their Light pray for them. They cry out furiously, calling the Dead, as if they hop’d they should come to Life at their Call; and perceiving they do not rise again, the Kindred and Friends meet about [163] the most splendid Entertainment they are able to provide. Being ask’d by the Dutch, what it was they ask’d of God in the Prayers they mutter’d over the Graves, they answer’d. We pray that the Dead may not rise again. ”

“ Souls are Immortal, and I took nothing from my Children that they can feel the want of, or which Time, or your Sword would not have depriv’d them of; the latter we should all have been thankful to, as the Instrument of the Divine Will. ”

“ I prostrate my self to God. I prostrate my self to God. There is no other God but God, and Mahomet his Messenger: By these Words, There is no other God but God, they deny the eneffable Mystery of the most blessed Trinity. ”

“ Besides, that if the Enemy see it once gone, they will take fresh Courage; and if the Dutch come and find the Harbour empty, it is plain they will possess themselves of it. Again, if the Fleet makes off, must not a considerable Number of the Soldiers go for its Security? Now how can it be proper to divide our Forces; especially considering they are so small, and the Men so sickly? Besides that here is no Place to lay up the Provisions, for the Waters destroy them by Day and Night. Whilst aboard the Fleet, the Soldiers have it daily brought fresh and wholesome. ”

“ They rob, kill, and subdue, taking away our Dominions under false Titles, and think they have no settled Peace, till they have reduc’d the Provinces into Desarts. We possess the most fruitful Islands in Asia, only to purchase Servitude and base Subjection with their Product, converting this blessed Bounty of Heaven into Tribute paid to the Ambition of Intruding Tyrants. Experience has show’d us, how odious our Valour has been to the Christian Commanders, whom, for the same Reason, we must never hope to find more modest, or less our Enemies. ”

“ This Tempest lasted two Days, during which Time, Pinto’s Ship could not escape, his Men and he being so far spent, that they had neither Strength nor Courage to stand by their Tackle; they let the Ship drive with the Sea, and threw over-board their Provisions, Merchandize, Guns, Arms, Cloaths, and all they could come at; and being convinc’d of the Justice of the Judgment, for having broken their Faith, and solemn Engagement they had made, arriv’d at Ternate astonish’d, dumb, and out of Countenance, thinking they were still in the Storm. ”

“ God reward you for it with much Prosperity in this Life, that you may do Service to the King, my Sovereign, for I understand you are by his Order in those Islands, and desirous to improve them; which I am not ignorant will be no less Advantageous to this Fort and Island of Tydore. I write to the Governour, and to that Council, concerning the Succours I desire, and have ask’d so often, the Necessity of it being great, to prevent those Mischiefs which may afterwards put my Sovereign, the King, to much Trouble and Charge. God grant you long Life. ”

“ The Fame of his arrival was soon spread abroad, and when certainly known, the Cannon was fir’d, the flat Drums in the Temples were beaten, and the Bells rung, the Sound whereof uses to draw the People of the Moluccos together, and in short there was a general Rejoycing, without quitting their Arms. All Men cry’d up Cachil Salama to the Skies, calling him the Deliverer of Tydore, and Neza Maluco, Neza signifies a Spear, and Maluco a Kingdom, and both together the Spear, that is, the Defence of the Kingdom. ”

“ But I much more dreaded your Pardon and Mercy, by which you might have perverted their Minds, with those Soothings which please frail Mortality. I being more resolute, tho’ expos’d to all your Fury, am so far from fearing the Effects, either of your Torments or Intreaties, that I shall look upon you as God’s Executioner, and were it his Will, that you should take away my Life, I should receive a greater Benefit from your Sword, than from your Mercy. Catabruno, enrag’d at his Answer, order’d him to be kill’d ”

“ Theft is not pardon’d, tho’ never so inconsiderable; but Adultery easily. When the Dawn appears, Officers appointed by Law for that purpose, beat a sort of broad, flat Tabors about the Streets, to awake Marry’d People, who they think deserves this Care from the Government, on account of Procreation. Most Crimes are punish’d with Death; in other Respects they Obey the Will, or Tyranny of the Conqueror.
Their Habit. The Men, on their Heads, wear Turkish Turbants of several Colours, with abundance of Feathers on them. The King’s ends above like a Miter, and serves instead of a Crown. ”

“ When these Persons find themselves encompass’d by great Numbers, and streightned by wrongful Violence; if they are not to be daunted and overcome, it comes to pass that Patience often provok’d turns that Courage into Fury and Rage, which causes them to make mighty Slaughters, and Examples of Cruelty; led to it not only by Passion, but also by Judgment and Thought, which directs them to cause themselves to be dreaded even to Astonishment, to save themselves and their People from other great Cruelties which usually mean Souls attempt and practice upon those they stand much in Fear of. ”

“ True Virtue can be no more conceal’d than the Splendor of the Sun, nor does it stand in need of outward Ornaments to set it off; you have render’d your self too conspicuous to be unknown, and can receive no Addition from my poor Endeavours. ”

“ So that the Want of the true Light of Faith, does not hinder them from seeing, how much Mankind suffers from the first Moment of his Life, till the last; but it is rather to be concluded, that they look upon it as a Misfortune to have been born. ”

“ The most famous Painters, and Carvers, have generally a great value for Heads, Arms, and other Limbs, which have been drawn to perfection from the Life, by which they compose all the Parts, when they design some excellent Piece. The ignorant in those Arts have no Esteem for such Fragments, being only taken with the entire Statue, or Picture, consisting of all its Limbs, without examining the Defects there may be in each of them. The Relation I undertake to write of these Islands will find the same Esteem, and be expos’d to no less Contempt ”

“ The Name of Papuas in their Language signifies Blacks, being a stern People, enur’d to Labour, and fit for any piece of Treachery. All their Islands are subject to Kings, and abound in Gold, which they do not Transport, because no Man lays up any more of it than is us’d in their Ornaments. Among these Black-men there are some as White and fair as the Germans; if these go out in the Sun, they are struck blind, tho they do not look at it. Those in Spain are call’d Albinos; yet some of them are strong, and can behold any Object. Among these Papuas there are many deaf. ”

“ Fortune, when she raises Men to a high pitch, perswades those she designs to Crown, to lay the Foundation of their Majesty on Fables, resembling true Misteries, so to perswade the Multitude that they are somewhat Divine, and to distinguish the Royal Race by a peculiarity even in the Universal Law of being Born into the World. ”

“ As soon as the King was upon the Threshold the Musick play’d, and they spread Milk-white Carpets, as is the Custome: Kneeling on them, they mutter out their vain Prayers, bowing their Heads down to the Ground. In the midst of the Mosque stands a Pulpit, cover’d with white Cloth. Instead of a Bell, there hangs up the holy great flat Drum, which they beat with Sticks; tho each Mosque has a great Bell, without a Clapper, which they strike with a Stone, or piece of Iron, when requisite. All that hear it, of what Condition soever, repair to the Temple, with Pikes, Shields, Cymitars, and Muskets. ”

“ Besides the great Antiquity of his Family, which has ally’d him to all the noblest of the Grandees of Spain, all Men own him endow’d with the necessary Virtues, that belong to a Person in so great a Post; which shine through that pleasing Gravity of his Countenance, with a stay’d Gayity that testifies his Capacity, and provokes Respect at the same Time that it gains Affections. ”

“ But above all they oppose the true Religion, hating that they know nothing of; and are as much afraid of it, as if its Ministers went arm’d to preach it, and with the Noise of Drums, and Trumpets, and regular Armies. They are frighted at a few bare-foot, and almost naked Men who profess Poverty, and preach up Morality, and supernatural Virtues, grounded on Humility and Peace. ”

“ In all this City, when first discoverred by the Natives, they found no People, nor Beasts, nor any living Creatures, except such as Nature produces out of the Breaches of Ruins. I own I was unwilling to write this, and that I have look’d upon it as an imaginary City of Plato’s Atlantis, and of that his Common-Wealth; but there is no wonderful Thing, or Accident, that is not subject to much Doubt. It is now Inhabited, and our Religious Men, of the Order of St. Augustin and St. Dominick, who have Preach’d in those Parts, do testify the Truth of it. ”

“ Yet if it should be thought in China that it ought to be moderated, they shall be set at Liberty. But let it be consider’d, said Don Pedro, that the not punishing of so heinous an Offence, may be the Occasion of their falling into it again, which would exclude all Mercy. The Goods of the Chineses that were kill’d are safe laid up, and to show I had no other Motive, but the Execution of Justice, I will order them to be immediately deliver’d to their Heirs, or to such Persons, as they of Right belong to. Nothing but Justice inclines me to any of these Things. ”

“ Thus was that Conflagration suppress’d, which threatned the utter Ruin of the Philippine Islands, and thus above 23000 Chineses perish’d, few above 500 being left for the Galleys, and all those Isles being restor’d to unexpected Peace. Some affirm, the Number of the Sangleyes slain was greater, but that the Magistrates conceal’d it, for fear Notice should be taken of their Fault in admitting so many to live in the Country, contrary to the King’s Prohibition; yet in vain does Subtilty contend with Truth. ”

“ It has been made out, that above 60000 Christians fell by the Sword in only the King of Ternate’s Dominions. This is asserted in the Annual Relations of the Fathers of the Society, who preach’d in those Parts. They give an Account of this dismal Persecution, with all the Circumstances of the Cruelties; as how the persecuted Persons fled to the Mountains, seeking for Compassion among the wild Beasts, others cast themselves into the Sea, where they perish’d, either devour’d by its Monsters, or swallow’d by the Waves themselves, not being able to reach the other Islands. ”

“ Nature has cloath’d its Mountains and Plains, with Woods and Groves of these Plants. They are like the European Pear-Trees, and their Fruit resembles Pairs, or rather in Roundness the Melocotones. When the Nutmegs blosom, they spread a cordial Fragrancy; by degrees they lose their Native Green, which is original in all Vegetables; and then succeeds a Blew, intermix’d with Grey, Cherry-Colour, and a pale Gold Colour, as we see in the Rainbow, tho’ not in that regular Division, but in Spots like the Jaspar Stone. ”