profits less.  And although the profits are seemingly large at first, they are not so in reality, because of the little durability of the Chinese goods, and because of the damage caused to the merchandise of Espana by their importation; for, by permitting it, the consumption of Spanish goods is lessened, and they have less value.  Consequently—­setting aside the so universal damage to all the natives [of Espana], and in particular that to the producers of the said silk (and its production is daily diminishing, to such an extent, indeed, that in a very few years so little will be produced that the damage will be made plainly evident in the royal duties, and in its lack and scarcity), and how much greater benefit would be the prohibition than the permission of the said silk of China—­his Majesty and his ministers, in attending to his royal revenues, are under obligation to furnish suitable relief for this, for the welfare of his kingdoms and vassals.  Since the towns of the kingdom of Granada were given, after their insurrection, [54] under an annuity obligation [censo] to private persons so that they might settle therein, and the annuity amounts to more than one hundred thousand ducados of revenue, which are paid through the increase in the production of the silk; and [it is necessary] that there should be a ready sale and handling of it, for the estates that were given to them have no other important products from which they could obtain the money to pay the said annuity; necessarily, if the production of the silk ceases, then the payment of the annuity will cease.  For in that and in the ready sale of the said silk consists the power [to pay the annuity]; and it also consists in the many people who, having the silk, would occupy themselves in its production, culture, and preparation, who will consume and use a great quantity of food.  That would cause an excise duty on the food of more than one hundred thousand additional ducados per year; but this income would cease if the production and cultivation of the silk ceased, and his Majesty would lose the said one hundred thousand ducados.  Besides, the said silk paying, as it does, three hundred and two maravedis per libra—­without reckoning the tenth, or the forty per cent on the gross price at which it is at once sold in the alcaicerias—­as soon as it is sold, while there would be less produced and sold, and the price of it would be lower, the duties will be less.  And since the silk of China does not pay more than fifteen per cent of import tax and excise, because it is foreign, his Majesty loses twenty-five per cent on each libra of the silk of the kingdom of Granada.  That silk is produced in less quantity by the importation of that of China; and since our silk pays higher duties than the foreign—­either because of its excellent quality, or because it is native, or for some other reason—­that freedom from duties ought to be extended to it rather than to the Chinese silk, instead of burdening it with