THE SPANISH STORY ENDS 2oi 



great and necessitous enterprise." For the need is urgent. 

 There is fear lest Dutch and English " pirates " enter 

 the new discoveries, settle there, prey on the Spanish 

 possessions, sow false doctrines and bring everything 

 to ruin. " My Lord, this is a great work. For the 

 Devil wages such mortal war, and it is not well that he 

 should be able to do so much, Your Majesty being the 

 Defender of the Right." 



The Spanish Councils read these Memorials. But The 

 they had to consider also other evidence. Quiros' fellow a( 

 voyagers were telling a different story. Torres wrote 

 that, in the late voyage, the captain had been unable to 

 deal with mutiny. Seamen in Mexico were saying that 

 he was no better than a lunatic. A man named Iturbe, 

 who had been accountant on the Capitana, wrote to Madrid 

 that the failure had been due to Quiros ; he had disobeyed 

 the instructions to sail South ; the Knighthood of the 

 Holy Ghost was an absurdity ; Quiros was wholly unfit 

 to command. 



The Spanish Councillors were a good deal impressed. 

 Quiros is " not a very reliable man," said one of them, 

 " though he has the idea in his head that he is going to be 

 a second Columbus, and that is his affliction." * " Though 

 Quiros possesses both knowledge and talent," said another, 

 " he lacks all the other qualities so necessary to accomplish 

 success." And the opinion was not far wrong. The Council 

 had also other arguments to consider. The reports of 

 their debates and papers, which still exist, show that 

 the minds of Spanish statesmen were beset by the feeling 

 that Spain's day of exploration was done. The state- The 

 ments of Quiros, that the existence of a great and golden 

 continent had been proved, were very open to criticism. 

 But suppose they were true ! To whom would this great 

 and golden continent belong ? Certainly not to the 

 Spaniards, who now sailed the Pacific in fear of the guns 

 of English and Dutch pirates. In view especially of the 

 Dutch danger, said some Councillors, "it will be well 



1 Columbus's obstinacy, wrote Quiros, was " not so much as mine, 

 nor so great his work." 



