SPIC Y ISL A NDS. ■ j-. 



dame to them under the falfe pretence that they were firfl dif- 

 covered by Magellan ; the SpaniJJj fleet, in the reign of Charles 

 V. failed to the Moluccas : the Portugueje were engaged in war 

 with the king of Ternate^ and the monarchs of Tidor and Gilolo^ 

 who fided.with the Spaniards'^ but about that time John III. 

 thought proper to make his brother-iii-law Charles a prefent of 

 three hundred and fifty thoufand ducats, on condition the Por- 

 tugueje llioukl remain in quiet poiTeffion till the fum was repaid. 

 Notwithftanding this, Charles offered them to fale to Henry VII. 

 but the bargain never took place. 



It is ridiculous to confider that Charles Y. clamed thefe iflands 

 by virtue of the famous line of demarcation, by which Pope 

 Alexander VI. in 1493, divided, by his infallible power, between 

 the Spaniards and Portuguefe, all countries which fhoukl be dif- 

 covered on the fide of a certain meridian drawn by his holinefs 

 from pole to pole, alotting one part to Ferdinand -a-nd Ifabel oi 

 £pain^ the other to John II. oi Portugal, and their fucceflbrs *. 

 '"^hi?, Alexander (]\d in hopes of preferving peace in the world, 

 hut the effect proved the reverfe. i muft refer to Oforio, and 

 others who have treated on the fubjed:. 



The Dutch, after fome unfuccefsful attempts for the difcovery Dutch. 

 of a north-eaft paflage to the Eajl Indies, determined to follow 

 the courfeof the enterprizingPor/^/^Ti^i?/''^. In 1595 they refolved 

 to fliare in the rich adventure; four fliips, with no more than 

 two hundred and forty-nine men, failed from the Texel on April 

 id; they faw the Gape of Good Hope on ylugujl 4th; touched 

 at Madagafcar, and on January ilf, 1546, reached the fireights 



* Ofuiio, ii. 263. 



Xa of 



