The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

A REPORT OF THE SPANISH GRIEVANCES. 195
For the matter of the petition itself, his lord- I chants' own fault in ministering the occasions
ship made this division, that it consisteth of three I which grew chiefly in this manner.
parts. There is contained an article in the treaty beFirst, Of the complaints of wrongs in fact. tween Spain and us, that we shall not transport
Secondly, Of the complaints of wrongs in law, any native commodities of the Low Countries into
as they may be truly termled, that is, of the ine- Spain; nay, more, that we shall not transport any
quality of laws which do regulate the trade. opificia, manufactures of the same countries: so
And, thirdly, The remedy desired by letters of that if an English cloth take but a dye in the Low
m art. Countries, it may not be transported by the EngThe wrongs in fact receive a local distribution lish. And the reason is, because even those
of three. In the trade to Spain, in the trade to manufactures, although the materials come from
the 5West Indies, and in the trade to the Levant. other places, do yield unto them a profit and susConcerning the trade to Spain; although his tentation, in regard their people are set on work
lordship did use much signification of compassion by them; they have a gain likewise in the price;
of the injuries which the merchants received; and and they have a custom in the transporting. All
attributed so much to their profession and estate, which the policy of Spain is to debar them of;
as from such a mouth in such a presence they being no less desirous to suffocate the trade of the
ought to receive for a great deal of honour and Low Countries, than to reduce their obedience.
comfort, which kind of demonstration he did This article the English merchant either doth not
interlace throughout his whole speech, as pro- or will not understand: but being drawn with his
ceeding "ex abondantia cordis,"' yet, neverthe- threefold cord of love, hate, and gain, they do
less, he did remember four excusations, or rather venture to transport the Low Country commodiextenuations of those wrongs. ties of these natures, and so draw upon themselves
The first was, that the injustices complained of these arrests and troubles.
were not in the highest degree, because they were For the trade to the Indies, his lordship did
delays and hard proceedings, and not inique sen- discover unto us the state of it to be thus: the
tences, or definitive condemnations: wherein I policy of Spain doth keep that treasury of theirs
called to mind what I heard a great bishop say, under such lock and hey, as both confederates,
that courts of justice, though they did not turn yea, and subjects, are excluded of trade into those
justice into wormwood by corruption, yet they countries; insomuch as the French king, who
turned it into vinegar by delays, which soured it. hath reason to stand upon equal terms with Spain,
Such a difference did his lordship make, which, yet, nevertheless, is by express capitulation debarno question, is a difference "~secundum majus et red. The subjects of Portugal, whom the state
minus." of Spain hath studied by all means to content, are
Secondly, His lordship ascribed these delays, likewise debarred: such a vigilant dragon is there
not so much to malice or alienation of mind to- that keepeth this golden fleece; yet, nevertheless,
wards us, as to the nature of the people and nation, such was his majesty's magnanimity in the
which is proud, and therefore dilatory: for all debate and conclusion of the last treaty, as he
proud men are full of delays, and must be waited would never condescend to any article, importing
on; and especially to the multitudes and diversi- the exclusion of his subjects from that trade: as
ties of tribunals and places of justice, and the a prince that would not acknowledge that any
number of the king's councils, full of referrings, such right could grow to the crown of Spain by
which ever prove of necessity to be deferrings; the donative of the pope, whose authority he disbesides the great distance of territories: all which claimeth; or by the title of a dispersed and
have made the delays of Spain to come into a by- punctual occupation of certain territories in the
word through the world. Wherein I think his name of the rest; but stood firm to reserve that
lordship might allude to the proverb of Italy, point in full question to farther times and ccca" AMi venga la morte di Spagna,' Let my death sions; so as it is left by the treaty in suspense,
come from Spain, for then it is sure to be long a neither debarred nor permitted: the tenderness
coming. and point of honour whereof was such, as they
Thirdly, His lordship did use an extenuation that went thither must run their own peril. Nay,
of these wrongs, drawn from the nature of man, farther, his lordship affirmed, that if yet at this
66 nemo subito fingitur." For that we must make time his majesty would descend to a course of
an account, that though the fire of enmity be out entreaty for the release of the arrests in those
between Spain and us, yet it vapoureth: the parts, and so confess an exclusion, and quit the
utter extineting whereof must be the work of point of honour, his majesty might have them
time. forthwith released. And yet his lordship added,
But, lastly, his lordship did fall upon that ex- that the offences and scandals of some had made
tenuation, which of all the rest was most forcible; this point worse than it was, in regard that this
which was, that many of these wrongs were not very last voyage to Virginia, intended for trade
sustained without some aspersion of the mer- and plantation, where the Spaniard hath no pen