nerally judicious, as to the measure they now authorised,
but exceedingly ill judged in attempting to execute so very important a
purpose with a force entirely inadequate to that with which it had to
contend.

[Footnote 255: An. of E.I. Co. I. 187.]

The Dutch had expelled the Portuguese, at that time the subjects of
their tyrannical oppressors, the Spaniards, from a great portion of the
spice islands, in which warlike measure, and its consequences, they had
always to support a considerable force, both naval and military, in
these seas, and in various forts upon these islands; and besides, that
they felt their preponderance from these circumstances, and used it very
naturally for their own exclusive benefit, they alleged, and with no
small appearance of equity, that the English had no right to enjoy the
advantages of a trade, which they, the Dutch, had conquered from the
Portuguese and Spaniards. This opposition of interests proceeded in the
sequel to great extremities, in which the greatly superior power of the
Hollanders in these seas, enabled them effectually to oppress the
English, in what are peculiarly called the spice islands, and even to
expel them from all participation in that trade, as will appear in some
of the subsequent sections of this chapter.

It would be not only premature in this place, but incompatible with the
nature of our work, which is intended as a Collection of Voyages and
Travels, to attempt giving a connected history of these dissensions
between the Dutch and English in Eastern India, which will be found
detailed in the Annals of the English Company. It is hardly possible,
however, to refrain from one observation on the subject,--that the Dutch
company, and the government of Holland, appear to have mainly proceeded,
in their hostile opposition to the English East India trade, on their
knowledge of the pusillanimous character of King James, which he vainly
thought to veil under the pretensions of loving peace, but which the
Dutch, as will be seen in the present section, clearly understood, and
openly expressed, as _the childhood of St George_, the tutelary martial
saint of England. _Beati pacifici_, his favourite adage, is an excellent
Christian and moral sentiment, but is incompatible with the unavoidable
exigencies of government, at least as they were then situated.--E.

* * * * *

_May it please your Worships_,

We arrived at Macassar on the 19th of Nove