their affairs."

The manifesto, accordingly, then reviews the history of the relations
between Spain and England from the time of Henry VIII., appending at
last a long list of more recent outrages by the Spaniards on English
ships and settlements in the West Indies, the dates all duly given,
with the names of the ships and their captains, and the values of the
cargoes. After which, returning to more general considerations, it
discusses the two pretexts of the Spaniards for their sole
sovereignty in the West Indies,--the Papal donation, and the right of
first discovery. Both are dismissed as absurd; and the document ends
with an appeal to the common interests of Protestantism throughout
Europe. Even the recent massacre of the Vaudois Protestants is
brought into the plea. Thus:--

"If meanwhile we suffer such grievous injuries to be done to our
countrymen in the West Indies without any satisfaction or
vengeance; if we consent to be all excluded from that so important
part of the world; if we permit our bitter and inveterate enemy
(especially now that peace has been made with the Dutch) to carry
home unmolested those huge treasures from the West Indies, by
which he can repair his present losses, and restore his affairs to
such a condition that he shall be able again to betake himself to
that deliberation of his in 1588 'whether it would be more prudent
to begin with England for the recovery of the United Provinces of
Holland, or to begin with them for the subjugation of
England';--beyond a doubt he will find for himself not fewer, but
even more reasons, why the beginning should now be made with
England. And, should God permit him ever to carry out these
designs, then we should have good grounds for expecting that on us
first, but eventually on all Protestants wheresoever, there would
be wreaked the residue of that most brutal massacre suffered lately
by our brothers in the Alpine valleys: which massacre, if credit is
to be given to the published complaints of those poor orthodox
Christians, was originally schemed and appointed in the secret
councils of the Spanish Court, through the agency of those paltry
friars whom they call missionaries (_per illos fraterculos
missionarios quos vacant Hispanicae aulae consiliis intimis
informata primitus ac designata erat_)."

How far Milton's hand helped in this important document of the
Protectorate may fairly be a question. The su