orders, to which I shall not expose myself. Moreover,
all possible justifications have been offered on my
side for not departing from this land and leaving
it free; and, if necessary, I now offer them again.
And it has no bearing on the subject to say that I
have been here four years and desire to remain four
years more; for my intention and desire has not been,
nor is, to remain here even one year, but to depart
as soon as I receive despatches and ships from his
majesty—which, at latest, will be here with
the next northeast wind. And as for his saying
that only the patache “San Juan”
and one ship can reach me, that is all nonsense; for
his majesty, if he desire, can send one, six, ten,
or twenty ships from Nueva Espana, for they have them
in the South Sea there. And, what is more, I
offer to depart with those that come, whether they
be few or many, this being the easiest, shortest,
and quickest remedy for what his grace says he wishes
and desires—namely, that I should leave
this land free and unembarrassed. And in this
way he will receive full satisfaction very shortly,
without loss, damage, or injury whatsoever to the
one side or the other, unless his grace himself chooses
to give occasion therefor. And, if he do this,
he will do his duty, and what he is bound to do in
the service of God and of our sovereigns, and will
obviate the necessity of shedding Christian blood—as
well as an infinite number of damages and annoyances
which might otherwise ensue and come to pass now or
in the future. And if, in the event of his grace’s
not being willing so to do, any further damage, loss,
or scandal should ensue, then I declare that he shall
be guilty of it all; and that he shall be considered
to have acted criminally in all respects and be obliged
to give an account of his deeds to God and to our
sovereigns and rulers. And I ask and summon him—once,
twice, thrice, and as many more times as I am required
by law—not to permit violence to be done
me, or any injury or warlike action such as he has
undertaken, much to the displeasure of God and of
our sovereigns and lords. And I protest, in all
ways in which I have already protested, and all others
in which, on his majesty’s behalf, I am bound
to request, declare, affirm, and allege—all
of which, although not specified in detail, is fully
expressed herein. And as for what he says about
its being better to join his fleet in the work of
propagating our holy Catholic faith, and destroying
the sect of Mahomet in Maluco, Java, and Achen, in
compensation for the many occasions on which the sovereigns
of Portugal aided those of Castilla against the Moros—I
say that if his highness or he, in his royal name,
wage war against the pagans in these islands, and have
need of other people’s assistance, I am ready
and prepared to give him soldiers to help, and to
go with him to the places above-mentioned, in the
service of the very illustrious and puissant King of
Portugal, conformably to the instructions and orders