wood were entirely uninhabited by Spaniards, Modyford
suggested that the trade be encouraged as an outlet for the energies of
the buccaneers. By such means, he thought, these "soldiery men" might be
kept within peaceable bounds, and yet be always ready to serve His
Majesty in event of any new rupture. When Sir Thomas Lynch replaced
Modyford, he realized that this logwood-cutting would be resented by the
Spaniards and might neutralize all his efforts to effect a peace. He
begged repeatedly for directions from the council in England. "For God's
sake," he writes, "give your commands about the logwood."[364] In the
meantime, after consulting with Modyford, he decided to connive at the
business, but he compelled all who brought the wood into Port Royal to
swear that they had not stolen it or done any violence to the
Spaniards.[365] Secretary Arlington wrote to the governor, in November
1671, to hold the matter over until he obtained the opinion of the
English ambassador at Madrid, especially as some colour was lent to the
pretensions of the logwood cutters by the article of the peace of 1670
which confirmed the English King in the possession and sovereignty of
all territory in America occupied by his subjects at that date.[366] In
May 1672 Ambassador Godolphin returned his answer. "The wood," he
writes, "is brought from Yucatan, a large province of New Spain, about
100 leagues in length, sufficiently peopled, having several great towns,
as Merida, Valladolid, San Francisco de Campeache, etc., and the
government one of the most considerable next to Peru and Mexico.... So
that Spain has as well too much right as advantage not to assert the
propriety of these woods, for though not all inhabited, these people may
as justly pretend to make use of our rivers, mountains and commons, as
we can to enjoy any benefit to those woods." So much for the strict
justice of the matter. But when the ambassador came to give his own
opinion on the trade, he advised that if the English confined themselves
to cutting wood alone, and in places remote from Spanish settlements,
the king might connive at, although not authorize, their so doing.[367]
Here was the kernel of the whole matter. Spain was too weak and impotent
to take any serious revenge. So let us rob her quietly but decently,
keeping the theft out of her sight and so sparing her feelings as much
as possible. It was the same piratical motive which animated Drake and
Hawkins, which impelled M