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Royal Commentaries.
BoóI<
l.
CH A P.
VII.
tf!hereitz two Opinions are declared concerning the Riches of
-
· r~ru,
and the begi~ning of that Conquefl.
H
.Aving already defcribed to what
éum
the Revemie of
Spain
did amoont
in
former times, it would now be very fatisfaél:ory, if we could give an ac–
couric to what a value it is amounced and improved in thefe days; bue I muft
confefs, that that would prove too difficult a work for me, who have no intereft
or communication with the Officers of the Royal Exchequer, nor fuch intirnacy
with them, as to obtain fo great a favour from-any Qfthem; and indeed I amper–
fuaded, that if I had, yec che vaíl: quantities of Riches which país through rheir
Hands are almoíl: incomprehenfible, and fuch as-they cannot number, how 'mlich
lefs am I infufficienc for this matter, who have no skill or know.ledge of rhac
Wealch, or, as I may ufe our own Saying, who know not what colour Flower
or Mea! bears. Onely this we may aver, as a matter clear and manifeíl:, thatall che
charge and expence for equipping out the Fleec againíl:
England,
in che Year
1
,88.
was all charged on the Wealch of
Peru;
befides which
Philip
the 2d. King of
Ca–
jlile,
received eight Millions of Ducats from thence in che fpace of fix years, be–
fides ali other branches of hisRoyal Revenue; the which fum was commaoded
afterwards
to
be paid in che term ofevery three years.
lt
is
farcher manifeíl: and
apparenr, cbat foon after
Philip
che third carne
to
che Crown, that the Kingdom
oftered anocher increafe of bis Revenue
to
eighceen Millions, payable in tl1e fpace
of fix years; che which concinues·to chefe times, befides all ocher Réncs and Du–
ties paid to the Crown: By thefe, and ocher particular iníl:ances before rnentio–
ned, we may colleél: and imagine the great improvemenc hach been in che King's
Revenue ; che [everal branches of which being.much more various than thofe of
privare Eíl:ares, and chere having
in
every one of chofe brancbes been a confide–
rable advance and improvement; the fum thereof is becorne fo prodigious and
'
vafl-, as can [caree be va.lued by rhe Skill of our Arithmetick. By which we rnay
conclude, rhat if cbat Man is
to
be eíl:eerned poor, who can value his Riches,
Pa«perú ejl numerare pecm,
how much muíl: we be plunged in our account, when
we cóme to reckon, and furn up the Revenue of chat Monarch, in the circumfe–
rence of whofe Territories (as Coíinographers defcribe) che Sun never fets? All
which Riches and Grandeur are to be amibuted to che fuccefs and labours of this
our Triumvirate.
·.
And chough it be true what we have faid before, that we had litt!e acquaín–
tance or corn\nunication wich the Officers of His Majeílies Royal Excbequer; ·yet
at lengrh, by the friendíhip which
l
gained wirh
rohn
de
M orales,
a Native of
Ma–
drid,
.who was avery honeíl: and incelligenc Gentleman;
1
procured fome account
of rhe Kin~'s Revenue, with which he was p\eafed to oblige me, for che beccer ad–
vanee of t11is Hiíl:ory, which I now write; the which was
fo
clifficult a work to
him,
fhac
be kept me chree months before he could fatisfie me therein; and at
laíl: he delivered me chis following accounc, which I have extraél:ed
ver6atim
from
his own P:iper.
" Your Woríl1ip was pleafed
to
defire of me, thac to ferve a
" parricular.occaíion of yours, I would fet clown in writing che renes anti value of
" all bis Majeíl:ies Revenue; the which is a bufinefs
fo
difficult, that I cannot
" fumrn wirhin any tolerable compafs of certaincy. And indeed, though the
'' King hath defired it, and comrnanded it
to
be given in, for che better direél:ion
;; and meafures of ~is C:ouncil of the Treafury, and or~ered all
to
be put imo
a..
· Book, yec that work 1s notas yet begun, nor do we Know when ir will be be–
- " gun, much lefs when it will be ended, for there are fuch vaíl Rifes and Falls
~
", foch Advances and Abacemems, that nothing can be delivered wich any cercain~
" ty, every thing running in fuch differenc chanels, as is impoffible to-reduce rhem
to
any coherence of method; but ~n the bulk or lump, we may affirm, that
che