MAJESTIC CRIME. 339 



shores which had not been saluted by the Portuguese 

 bombardiers. Not a vessel could cross its waters with- 

 out a Portuguese passport. As a last resource, the 

 Venetians offered to take the India produce off the 

 king's hands, and to give him a fair price. This offer 

 was declined, and Lisbon, instead of Venice, became the 

 market-place of the India trade. The great cities on 

 the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Nile, fell into decay ; 

 the caravan trade of Central Asia declined ; the throne of 

 commerce was transferred from the basin of the Mediter- 

 ranean to the basin of the Atlantic ; and the Oceanic 

 powers, though rigidly excluded from the commerce 

 itself, were greatly benefited by the change. They 

 had no longer to sail through the straits of Gibraltar ; 

 Lisbon was almost at their doors. 



The achievements of the Portuguese were stupendous 

 — for a time. They established a chain of forts all down 

 the Western coast of Africa, and up the East coast to 

 the Red Sea ; then round the Persian Gulf, down the 

 coast of Malabar, up the coast of Coromandel, among 

 the islands of the Archipelago, along the shores of 

 Siam and Birmah to Canton and Shanghai. With hand- 

 fuls of men they defeated gigantic armies ; with petty 

 forts they governed empires. But from first to last 

 they were murderers and robbers, without foresight, 

 without compassion. Our eyes are at first blinded to 

 their vices by the glory of their deeds; but as the light 

 fades, their nakedness and horror are revealed. We 

 read of Arabs who had received safe conducts, and who 

 made no resistance, being sewed up in sails and cast 

 into the sea, or being tortured in body and mind by 

 hot bacon being dropped upon their flesh ; of crocodiles 

 being fed with live captives for the amusement of the 

 soldiers, and being so well accustomed to be fed that 



