and fair deeds of his Grace, and of my deceitful words
and most evil deeds; for we cannot be good judges
in our own behalf in such an offense committed against
the king, our lord, and his vassals. Quickly
turning to the work at hand, a little later on the
same day of the cannonading, I ordered the galleys
to take possession of the other mouth of this harbor;
for, now that his Grace has broken out in war against
me, it seemed to me better service to God, and to
the kings our lords, and a Christian’s obligation,
to pursue hostilities by means of starvation rather
than by fire and sword—for although I blockade
you with it, I have ordered this fleet, and it stands
ready, to bring you a great quantity of supplies, that
you may not perish through lack thereof. And as
for the damage which the oared vessels have done in
the territory of the infidels, it does not appear
to me so serious and unheard-of as his Grace depicts
it; for it is juster in war that we should punish
those vassals of the king our lord for unfaithfulness
and opposition to their true leaders than that his
Grace himself, although a stranger here, should, in
time of peace, give them very different kind of punishment
for slighter cause, in addition to making them pay
tribute. As for his assertion that he will pay
and satisfy the king our lord for all the losses and
damage which he has done him in this land of his, it
was unnecessary to write such a thing; for his Highness
is not a merchant nor is he so avaricious as to take
satisfaction in money or property from any other sovereign,
particularly from his captains; and he will be satisfied,
and I, in his name, only at his Grace’s leaving
the land free and unencumbered, and thus not bringing
about the death of his vassals there in so many ways.
As for his Grace’s being willing to give me
people and assistance for the augmentation of the faith
and the service of the king our lord, certainly he
may be sincere in this one matter; but the Moros of
Maluco, Java, and Acheen are, through our sins, so
numerous, that without his Grace in person, and all
his company, it would be difficult to sweep them away.
But with such aid I hope in God that much service
will be done Him by us all; for on His account they
ought to be resigned to take a voyage much longer than
from India to Espanha, inasmuch as He suffered Himself
to be crucified and shed His precious blood for our
salvation. For the letters of instruction issued
by Christian princes do not forbid their captains
the propagation of the Catholic faith and the destruction
of the sect of Mafamede, in any land of in any way
whatsoever—especially when the rightful
king, through his captains, requests this so necessary
assistance from his Grace; and when there is so much
intimacy and so close a relation between these kings
our lords, as to justify asking that there be given
him all the supplies and munitions necessary and sufficient
to their needs, and even much more. But since
his Grace is not willing, for the sake of God and