The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

438 OF A HOLY WAR.
in armour. MARTIUS. It is true, Eupolis, that amongst reasonable souls: but that whatsoever is
the principal object which I have before mine in order to the greatest and most general good of
eyes, in that whereof I speak, is piety and religion. people, may justify the actions, be the people more
But, nevertheless, if I should speak only as a or less civil. But, Eupolis, I shall not easily
natural man, I should persuade the same thing. grant, that the people of Peru or Mexico were
For there is no such enterprise, at this day, for such brute savages as you intend; or that there
secular greatness, and terrene honour, as a war should be any such difference between them, ann
upon infidels. Neither do I in this propound a many of the infidels which are noow in other parts.
novelty, or imagination, but that which is proved In Peru, though they were unparalleled people,
by late examples of the same kind, though per- according to the clime, and had some customs
haps of less difficulty. The Castilians, the age very barbarous, yet the government of the Incas
before that wherein we live, opened the new had many parts of humanity and civility. They
world; and subdued and planted Mexico, Peru,. had reduced the nations from the adoration of a
Chili, and other parts of the West Indies. We multitude of idols and fancies, to the adoration of
see what floods of treasure have flowed into the sun. And, as I remember, the book of wisEurope by that action; so that the cense or rates dom noteth degrees of idolatry; making that of
of Christendom are raised since ten times, yea, worshipping petty and vile idols more gross than
twenty times told. Of this treasure, it is true, the simply the worshipping of the creature. And
gold was accumulated, and store treasure, for the some of the prophets, as I take it, do the like, in
most part: but the silver is still growing. Be- the metaphor of more ugly and bestial fornicasides, infinite is the access of territory and empire, tion. The Peruvians also, under the Incas, had
by the same enterprise. For there was never a magnificent temples of their superstition; they
hand drawn, that did double the rest of the habi- had strict and regular justice; they bare great
table world, before this; for so a man may truly faith and obedience to their kings; they proceeded
term it. if he shall put to account, as well that in a kind of martial justice with their enemies,
that is, as that which may be hereafter, by the offering them their law, as better for their own
farther occupation and colonizing of those coun- good, before they draw their sword. And much
tries. And yet it cannot be affirmed, if one speak like was the state of Mexico, being an elective
inrenuously, that it was the propagation of the monarchy. As for those people of the east, Goa,
Christian faith that was the adamant of that dis- Calacute, Malacca, they were a fine and dainty
covery, entry, and plantation; but gold and silver, people; frugal and yet elegant, though not miliand temporal profit and glory; so that what was tary. So that, if things be rightly weighed, the
first in God's providence, was but the second in empire of the Turks may be truly affirmed to be
man's appetite and intention. The like may be more barbarous than any of these. A cruel tyransaid of the famous navigations and conquests of ny, bathed in the blood of their emperors upon
E.nanuel, King of Portugal, whose arms began to every succession; a heap of vassals and slaves;
circle Afric and Asia; and to acquire, not only no nobles; no gentlemen; no freemen; no inheritthe trade of spices, and stones, and musk, and ance of land; no stirp or ancient families; a
drus, but footing, and places, in those extreme people that is without natural affection; and, as
parts of the east. For neither in this was religion the Scripture saith, that "4 regardeth not the desires
the principal, but amplification and enlargement of women:" and without piety, or care towards
of riches and dominion. And the effect of these their children: a nation without morality, without
two enterprises is now such, that both the East letters, arts, or sciences; that can scarce measure
and the West Indies being met in the crown of an acre of land, or an hour of the day: base and
Spain, it is come to pass, that, as one saith in a sluttish in buildings, diets, and the like; and, in a
brave kind of expression, the sun never sets in word, a very reproach of human society: and yet
the Spanish dominions, but ever shines upon one this nation hath made the garden of the world a
part or other of them: which, to say truly, is a wilderness; for that, as it is truly said concerning
beam of glory, though I cannot say it is so solid the Turks, where Ottoman's horse sets his foot,
a body of glory, wherein the crown of Spain people will come up very thin.
surpasseth all the former monarchies. So as, to POLLIO. Yet, in the midst of your invective,
conclude, we may see, that in these actions, upon Martius, do the Turks this right, as to remember
gentiles or infidels, only or chiefly, both the that they are no idolaters: for if, as you say, there
spiritual and temporal honour and good have been be a difference between worshipping a base idol,
in one pursuit and purchase conjoined. POLLIO. and the sun, there is a much greater difference
Methinks, with your favour, you should remem- between worshipping a creature and the Creator.
ber, Martius, that wild and savage people are like For the Turks do acknowledge God the Father,
beasts and birds, which are "' ferae naturea," the creator of heaven and earth, being the first person
property of which passeth with the possession, in the Trinity, though they deny the rest. At
and goeth to the occupant; but of civil people, it which speech, when Martius made some pause,
is) ot so. MARTIUs. I know no such difference Zebedeus replied with a countenance of gre~a