Certainly this conduct of the Hollanders was barbarism and supreme selfishness, if judged by the sounder political economy of our time.  Yet it should never be forgotten that the contest between Spain and Holland in those distant regions, as everywhere else, was war to the knife between superstition and freedom, between the spirits of progress and of dogma.  Hard blows and foul blows were struck in such a fight, and humanity, although gaining at last immense results, had much to suffer and much to learn ere the day was won.

But Spain was nearly beaten out of those eastern regions, and the very fact that the naval supremacy of the republic placed her ancient tyrant at her mercy was the main reason for Spain to conclude the treaty of truce.  Lest she should lose the India trade entirely, Spain consented to the treaty article by which, without mentioning the word, she conceded the thing.  It was almost pathetic to witness, as we have witnessed, this despotism in its dotage, mumbling so long over the formal concession to her conqueror of a portion of that India trade which would have been entirely wrested from herself had the war continued.  And of this Spain was at heart entirely convinced.  Thus the Portuguese, once the lords and masters, as they had been the European discoverers, of those prolific regions and of the ocean highways which led to them, now came with docility to the republic which they had once affected to despise, and purchased the cloves and the allspice, the nutmegs and the cinnamon, of which they had held the monopoly; or waited with patience until the untiring Hollanders should bring the precious wares to the peninsula ports.

A Dutch Indianian would make her voyage to the antipodes and her return in less time than was spent by a Portuguese or a Spaniard in the outward voyage.  To accomplish such an enterprise in two years was accounted a wonder of rapidity, and when it is remembered that inland navigation through France by canal and river from the North Sea to the Mediterranean was considered both speedier and safer, because the sea voyage between the same points might last four or five months, it must be admitted that two years occupied in passing from one end of the earth to the other and back again might well seem a miracle.

The republic was among the wealthiest and the most powerful of organized States.  Her population might be estimated at three millions and a half, about equal to that of England at the same period.  But she was richer than England.  Nowhere in the world was so large a production in proportion to the numbers of a people.  Nowhere were so few unproductive consumers.  Every one was at work.  Vagabonds, idlers, and do-nothings, such as must be in every community, were caught up by the authorities and made to earn their bread.  The devil’s pillow, idleness, was smoothed for no portion of the population.