FIrst , that it is most certaine , that friendship , conuersation , and trafficke , are necessarie appendances of true peace , according to the generall lawes of nature , of all nations , and of ech kinde of people , conuersation and trafficke being shewes and apparances of friendship and true peace , which no man denieth or refuseth to grant vnto , but onely the enemie .

Such an example was neuer found nor knowen , that euer any peace was made and agréed vpon , with condition that conuersation and mutuall trafficke should be debarred and forbidden , for that should be no peace , but a true and certaine banishment , which is neuer found to fall out but betwéene enemie and enemie .

Therefore the Spaniards ( alledging and conditioning that we should leaue our trade and trafficke in the Indies ) meaning is , that so by that meanes he might vse those of the Netherlands , that he should finde and take there , like banished enemies : for they would haue vs to kéepe the peace in India , and they would there make warre vpon vs , and we should be bound not to resist them .

Which is a most sure and certaine token , that first sheweth an euident kinde of vnreasonablenesse and iniustice ; and secondly a manifest deceit , by words and faire spéeches , offering vs a free soueraigne Estate , and in deed and effect would make vs much woorse then euer we were vnder our Princes , therewith saying , that wée desire peace , and in effect bring vs into a harder estate then euer we were during the warres , which is , that we should willingly banish our selues out of the Indies , that therein they might vse all kinde of hostilitie against vs ; and that we should beare it patiently . Lastly , they shew foorth their old practises , which are , that they can not intreat of peace but with dissimulation , and that as then they are readiest to make warre .

For that to alledge vnto vs ( that must of force liue by the sea , and that are the best merchants and chiefest seafaring men in the whole world ) that we should leaue off to vse our trafficke & passage thorow the greatest part of the sea , and from the richest part of the whole trafficke of the world , is the shamefullest and vnreasonablest thing that euer man heard of , specially when as he séemeth to vsurpe that vpon other countries and kingdoms , ouer the which he hath no command , and ouer the sea where he can forbid no man to saile , the vse and passage whereof , ( Iure gentium ) is open and frée for all men , and whereof no man in the world hath any particular gouernment .

This also should be an vndoubted and certaine ouerthrow & subuecsion of our Estate , which in this long and cruell warre , cannot continue nor prosper without frée trafficke by sea , it being the onely meanes , which God Almightie hath vsed for our vpholding and maintenance ; and by consequence , as much as our trafficke by sea should lessen , according to the same proportion the power and strength of the land must of force be diminished , for that without it , our townes and inhabitants thereof , can not be maintained , much lesse can wée haue any publike aide by the rents and reuenues of the land , as other great countries and kingdomes haue , for our countrey is too small ; but all our wealth and power must come out of the sea ; and it is easily to be seene , for that as much of our aide as we should lose , if that we will leaue off our trade and trafficke in India , so much must we of force misse in our publike aide towards our maintenance .

By the East India accounts and company it appéereth , that as now there are about 40. ships there in India , wherin there are 5000. sea-faring men , and that they are to receaue from thence at the least 300. tunnes of gold , which is 3000000. pounds starling .

In Guyenna they trafficke yéerely with about 20. ships , and 400. men , and there they returne euery yéere about 12. tunnes of gold , which is one hundred and twentie thousand pounds starling .

To Puncto del Rey in the West Indies , they vse to trafficke with an hundred great ships , for salt , and with about 1800. men , which yéerely deale for fraught and salt , that costeth nothing but the fraught , and yet bring in ten hundred thousand Gulderns , which is one hundred thousand pound starling .

The trafficke for Hides to Cuba in Espagnola , vseth to maintaine 20. ships yéerely , with 1500. men , and there is yéerely ventured , not lesse then eight hundred thousand Gulderns , which is eighty thousand pound starling : which in all maketh 180. ships , 8700. men , and they returne 413. times an hundred thousand Gulderns , which is 4130000. pound starling .

Which being compared with all the rest of our trafficke and sea-faring , it will be found , that this doth farre surpasse and exceede all our other trafficke and sea-faring , that we haue els where , both in stocke , number of well experienced sailers , and strength of shippes ; and consequently that we leauing our Indian trade , should lessen and lose more then the halfe of our strength and power , not onely at sea , ( without the which we can doe nothing ) but also by land , for that all our might and power ( for the reasons aforesaid ) must come out of the sea .

This being duly considered , it is cléerely and manifestly found , that although no merchants trafficks in other countries , and no man goeth to sea , but onely for his own profit and aduantage , that notwithstanding the publike State should be much more interested and hindered thereby , then the particular persons themselues : for besides this , that the publike State consisteth only of the particularitie , and that they make the publike State , and that the saide publike State is strengthened & becommeth mighty , according to the riches and wealth of the particularitie or Commons ; yet it is most certaine that the particularitie can aid themselues without the publike State , but not the publike State without the particularity or Commons ; for that particular persons going to inhabit in other countries , can from thence trafficke into India , as well as out of these countries , but the publike State must staie still at home , and behold it selfe lessened and much weakened in his forces , according to the diminishing of his trafficke , for that according to the proportion thereof , the number of the inhabitants decrease , and the force and power of the publike Estate weakeneth .

Besides all this , consider that the sailers and sea-faring men , that are vsed by particular persons in trafficke by sea , are a mightie great number , that are maintained without any charge vnto the countrey , and daily practised and imploied at sea , that at all assaies and néedes they may be vsed for the aide and defence of the land , without the which it is impossible to haue any power at sea , as wée by experience see , that the mightiest kingdomes in the world haue no strength at sea , according to the proportion of their powers , but onely according to the proportion of the trafficke that their countries haue .

From hence it is well to be considered , that the Spaniard by great policie setteth this before our eies to intrap vs , offering vs the soueraigntie , that will affoord vs no more power , but onely a dignitie , as the golden fléece doth , which he vseth to giue vnto the nobilitie of the Netherlands , for their vtter ruine and ouerthrow : and seeking to haue vs in regard thereof to leaue off the greatest part of our trafficke and sea-faring , that we thereby being more then halfe weakened of our power , he might the better attaine vnto his cruell intent , and that he , after that , might without feare breake the peace , and take all aduantages against vs.

Which is most sure and euident by their owne profession . For acknowledging that the Ring of Spaine onely ought to haue his Indies frée and vnmolested vnto himselfe , hath mooued this offer of peace , & desisting from his former pretences , so it is not to be doubted but that the same is the only meanes whereby he should be mooued to keepe the peace : for that according to the alteration of things , so the counsels and intents of Princes alter ; specially also for that héereby it is euidently perceiued , that this offer procéedeth not from good will and affection that he beareth vnto the peace , or that he is weary of the wars , but onely because hée feareth to lose his Indies , and that consequently it followeth that hée will beginne to make warre againe as soone as he shall once be released of that feare .

Which shall be as soone as wée shall haue loft off our traffike to the Indies : for that once done , it is vnpossible for vs euer after to set it vp againe , the companie being once dissolued , the Merchants being in other Countries , and from thence traffiking thither , the Spaniards hauing cruelly reuenged themselues vpon the Indians that are our friends , and wee with our faithlesse leauing of them , being fallen into hatred with the Indians , the matter would be vntecouerable .

How could a more shamefull thing be heard of , than that we ( that by the authoritie and commission of the States ) which are confederate , by meanes of the company , with the Indians , should abandonate them to the discretion of so cruell an enemy , which they for our sakes , and vpon our promises , haue mooued against them : and that we should take from our Merchants and Sea-faring men ( that haue so much offended the Spaniards , that they may not abide to suffer them to come and traffike amongst them ) the full traffike and dealing , that God , Nature , and the Lawes of all Nations giueth vnto them ? whereas to the contrarie we ought to shew them all the like fidelity as we in our néed and necessitie haue found at their hands , for that they with so great danger of their lines and goods , with the losse of so much blood , and by so many honourable and valiant actions , haue compelled the Spaniards to this treatie of peace , and to acknowledge and confesse that it is they only that haue caused him to leaue off his pretences . Faith and fidelity do by no meanes permit that wée should not seeke to mainteine the least and meanest of our Countrey men ( which haue holpen , and put to their hands to support the common burthens and great charges of the land ) in their estate and trafficke , and much lesse that we should hinder and cut off the trafficke of twenty thousand persons , which are participants in this treaty of peace ; and so many expert and lustie seafaring men , that haue failed vnto the Indies , and such as peraduenture may finde more meanes to reuenge themselues vpon vs , than the Spaniards can .

Our Forefathers in times past did take hard quarrels and warres in hand to maintaine their sea-faring and trafficke , which then was very small , and when as their whole stocke was not to be compared for value with the bare ships , with their furnitures that are in India , and wee being so mighty and strong at Sea , that the enemy thereby acknowledgeth himselfe to be constrained to abandon and leaue his own right , and desire & seeke peace , should with our owne consents , suffer our selues to be banished out of the two third parts of the whole world , where he hath no command , and where we to the contrary are the strongest .

We should buie this title farre too deare , for that in stead of being honoured thereby , it will bring vpon vs a great shame and contempt , not onely amongst our owne inhabitants , but specially out of the land , both amongst our friends and enemies . Our Inhabitants shall with good reason haue iust cause to be much offended thereat , to see that we abandon and forsake our traffick , and that they are compelled to withdraw themselues : our friends and allies will perswade themselues , that they are not to expect or repose any faith or fidelity in vs , when they shall see that we forsake our owne Country-men and the vnited Indians , that haue done vs so great good , and faith full seruice , to obtaine a bare title : and perceiuing vs to be so much weakened in our power at Sea , ( which is the onely thing wherewith wée should haue the meanes to procure their good and to aid and assist them ) would make no account of vs , so that we imbarking our selues in this ship of peace , vpon the assurance of our alliances , shall in the end finds our selues wholly deceiued .

And by meanes of the aforesaid weakning of our forces we shall of our selues be the onely meanes to prouoke our ancient and Capitall enemie to breake the peace , and to make warre vpon vs againe .

To allege that wée should bée content wich the like trafficke and seafaring , as we had before the beginning of the warres , is no other thing , but that our enemie would gladly see vs in the like estate of small power and strength as we were in at the beginning of the warres , and so the easilier to intrap vs : from whence God defend vs.

It is also without any ground of reason , for that although before the wars wée neither sailed , trafficked nor dealt in the Indies , yet we had both right and fréedome to haue done it , Iure gentium , which was by no man taken from vs : for the King of Spaine being Lord of those Countries , had no lawful power in regard of his Spaniards , to take that from vs , for that by his oath , hée was bound to maintaine these Countries and the Inhabitants thereof in their fréedome of trade and trafficke , vnder the which , without all doubt , the full vse of the Sea , of the aire , and of trade and trafficke thorowout the whole World , was the chiefest thing : and doing otherwise he should haue dealt with vs cleane contrary to his oath : and there was neuer any mention or question made thereof that could be heard , till in the yeare of our Lord , 1596. when the Spaniards made an expresse Article thereof , in the transportation of the Netherlands vnto the Archduke , whereby the Archduke made himselfe ( and not the Netherlands ) seruile vnto the Spaniards ; so that wée still remaine in the fréedome that we had before the beginning of the warres , the full sea-faring and trafficke of the whole World standeth open vnto vs , which but by warre and force cannot be taken from vs.

This proposition also is héereby manifested and made knowen , that they seeke by policie and deceit to deale with vs in this treatise of peace , for that the general States being all by one consent fully resolued not to hearken vnto any treaty of peace , without they were first assured of the full and absolute fréedome of the Land , first desired to haue assurance vnder hand and seale , to shew that the King of Spaine and the Archduke made promise to deale with vs , as with frée Countries , wherein they pretend not any right or title .

And so entering into treaty , they would lay vpon vs the most vnwoorthie and shamefull seruitude , that euer was heard of . It is also expresly set downe and agréed that either partie should hold that which he now possesseth , vnlesse by common consent it were agréed to forsake any places that they hold ; and now they will dispossesse vs of the most important possession that wée haue , which is , the possession and frée vse of two third parts of the Sea , and the whole World . They will take from vs the places and trafficke of the Indies , with the greatest halfe of our sea-faring and power at Sea , without giuing vs any places in stead thereof .

To allege , that he in regard thereof forsaketh and refuseth his title and pretence vnto these Countries , which he by his letters hath promised to giue ouer : and further , that he would take nothing from vs , but by consent , and in exchange .

That they would giue vs the traffike and trade in Spaine in regard therof , is but a vaine and méere toy . For that we haue alwaies had , and yet haue it at this present time , by meanes of other Countries , notwithstanding his interdiction : and when he should permit vs the fréedome thereof , wée might well and fréely goe thither , for that there consisteth more therein than euery man marketh or perceiueth , for that thereby he obteineth his great customes . Spaine should be holpen by vs with victuals in time of famine , and wée thereby shall put our stocke , men , ships and ordinance into his hands for hostage , therewith to master vs at his will and pleasure , as he meant therewith to haue ouerruled vs , and would indeed haue ouerruled vs when he had his will , and forbidden vs trade and traffike in those Countries , if wée had not taken the Indian traffike in hand : and we thereby shall vndoubtedly be ouerruled , and wholly ouerthrowen , it wée once leaue our trade and traffike in India , for that it would be vnpossible for vs to beginne it againe , for the reasons and causes before alleged .