NO. 41. — 1890.] REBELION DE CEYLAN. 



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East, with absolute and supreme dominion, so that they can 

 defend and protect them by force of arms against all who are 

 not their vassals. For although the navigation of the seas may 

 be common to all men by right of nations (and for this reason 

 we are bound to allow free passage and roadway, which the 

 common law calls "right of way," not having any other right to 

 foreign properties which were bordering on ours), this reason 

 could never hold good with the heretics of Europe, because 

 prior to our arrival in India, when we took actual possession 

 of it, they had acquired no possessions either by conquest or 

 by inheritance ; and as it is certain they never had any former 

 right, they could have neither present nor future claim r 

 insomuch that all legal rights require a beginning to last any 

 time. Just claims depend upon the justice of them at the 

 beginning, which by common consent is the universal centre 

 from which all things come ; and to make them on our part 

 continuous and justifiable, the possession alone is sufficient, 

 which we now keep up by our arms, fortresses, and garrisons, 

 acquired in the beginning for such just causes as the pro- 

 pagation of the gospel, which is every Christian's duty. For 

 it is given to every one to take care of his fellow creatures 

 in countries so remote, where men are separated from true 

 reason and from the knowledge of God, and are without reli- 

 gion, grovelling in superstition, enchantments, and sorceries 

 of the devil ; living, when even most civilized, without any 

 knowledge of celestial things. This right of possession to us 

 is confirmed by immemorial charters, and for over a hundred 

 years our kings are named lords, and are entitled to the 

 navigation and free commerce of Ethiopia, Persia, and 

 Arabia ; for all of which reasons the heretics can have no 

 right to disturb the legitimate possession and dominion 

 so established, considering the arms and force it cost. 

 Although for this very reason it may be argued that it is 

 these same things which give and take away empires and 

 dominions, and that which Spain ought to use to defend her 

 rights ; for there is nothing which can clef end them better than 

 large and powerful fleets, with which she can make herself 



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