Chap. II. of the E a s 
Chapter, prefer the Readers Satisfaction to the drift Pur- 
fujt of nay own Notion; and, where-ever it is neeeffary, 
fliall, without Scruple, join Things together, that, per- 
haps, a ftrift regard to Method might have difpofed 
in different Places. I fnall likewife take the Liberty, 
where I find it requifite, of referring the Reader to what 
has been delivered in the foregoing Chapter, rather than 
run the Hazard of tiring him with needlefs Repetitions ; 
and, as, in the Voyages I have already given him, I have 
been very copious in my Remarks, fo, in thefe that are to 
follow, I fhall be more concife, in order to bring my Mat- 
ter within due Bounds. Thefe Preliminaries being fettled, 
I proceed, as I promifed, to the Plan of what I propofe in 
this Chapter. 
y. In the firft place, I fhall treat of the State of the 
Indies , from the earlieft Ages, to the Foundation of the 
Perfmn Monarchy •, and, though, in doing this, I am fen- 
fible that I cannot give the Reader any more than a few 
capital Fafts, in a long Series of Ages, yet, as thefe Fafts 
are abfolutely neeeffary to the underflanding what follows, 
I perfuade myfelf, that he will regard them as I do, in the 
Light of a neeeffary Introduftion, I fliall then proceed to 
the Hiftory of the Indies , fo far as it can be difeovered 
from the Hiftories that has been left us of the Perjian Em- 
pire, through which the Riches of the Indies were firft 
made known to the Europeans. 
Having proceeded through thefe dark Periods, we fliall 
arrive at a clearer Account of Things, deduced from the Ex- 
pedition of Alexander the Great, after the Deftruftion of 
the Perfian Empire, into the Countries of which we are 
fpeaking. This will lead us into an Explanation of the 
Politics of that mighty Conqueror, who, to the Poffeffion 
of many large and fruitful Provinces, intended to have 
fecured to the Empire that he erefted, all the Advantages 
accruing from the rich Commerce of the Indies. 
We fhall likewife examine how far this glorious Defign 
was profecuted by his Succeffors ; how, through their 
Quarrels and Difputes, it funk into Oblivion, until it was 
-revived by the Ptolemies in Egypt , who throughly under- 
flood the Plan of Alexndaer , and improved it to great Ad- 
vantage. After the Deftruftion of their Monarchy, we 
fhall give a fuccinct Account of the Ufes made by the 
Romans of their Conqueft of Egypt , and of the Light they 
obtained from the Greeks, and other Nations, with regard 
to the Trade of the Indies , and in what manner they im- 
proved them. 
8. In confequence of this Chain of Hiftory, which will 
afford us an Opportunity of explaining to the Reader the 
Characters of thofe W riters on whofe Authorities the An- 
tients chiefly depended, we fliall be at Liberty to lay 
down the Subftance of what they knew and believed, with 
refpeft to the Country, Inhabitants, and Commodities, of 
the Indies. We fliall fhew, from the beft Writers of An- 
tiquity, how far their Acquaintance with the Indies reached ; 
in what Particulars they had right Notions , where they 
erred ; and whence their Errors arofe. We fhall fhew 
what they have delivered with refpeft to the Religion of 
the Indians ; their Policy •, the Divifion of their States ; 
their Cuftoms and Manners ; together with the Animals, 
as deferibed by them ; and all the other Productions of that 
Country. In doing this, the utmoft Care fliall be taken 
to cite exaftly the Authorities on which the feveral Fafts 
we report are grounded ; and, as Occafion requires, we 
fhall -fhew how far they are confirmed or contradicted by 
the Modems ;• and, by this Means, we fliall bring a Mul- 
titude of curious and inftruftive Paffages into a very narrow 
Compafs. 
The Reader will then fee, in one View, the true State 
of the Cafe, with refpeft to the Antients ; and be able, with 
Certainty, to judge for himfelf, with refpeft to the Juftice 
of thofe Cenfures, and the. Value of thofe Panegyrics, 
which are before-mentioned. He will then fee how far 
the Credulity of the Antients really extended, with what 
Caution their Works ought to be read, and what Credit is 
due to ^ the furprifing Relations that are met with in them. 
He will likewife fee the Nature and Extent of their Com- 
merce ; the Manner in which they managed it ; the Ad- 
vantages they drew from it ; and how T funk and rofe, 
according as the Countries, in which it was fettled, were 
t I n d t e s. 371 
bleffed with a wife and prudent Government* or curfed with 
a bad one. This will afford him an Opportunity of com- 
paring, in his own Mind,- the State of Commerce in thofe 
Days, with the Condition in which he fees it ; and will 
enable him to pronounce boldly, that Juftice, Equity, and 
a due Regard to the natural Rights and Liberties of Mam 
kind, are the foie Means by which Nations are diftinguiftied 
from each other ; and that Power, Wealth, and Hap- 
pinefs, are not attached to Extent of Dominion, or Mul- 
titude of People, but, where-ever there is a wife Adminiftra- 
tion, may be enjoyed. 
9. We .fhall' then refume the hiftorical Part of our Dif- 
courfe, and treat of the Correfpondence between the Sub- 
jects of the Conftantmopolitan Empire, and the Inhabitants 
of the Indies ; which will appear to be of more Importance 
than has been hitherto imagined. We fliall next defeend 
to a regular Account of the Alterations which happened by 
the Declenfion of that Empire, in the Management of that 
Trade, which threw it into different Chanels, and into the 
Hands of feveral Nations. This will bring us to thofe 
Voyages and Travels that have been hitherto accounted 
the earlieft that were made into the Indies. The molt 
valuable of thefe we fliall give the Reader at large, with a 
fair and clear Account of the Characters of their Authors : 
And, in order to make their Relations perfectly intelligible, 
we fhall, in a previous Seftion or two, give a fuccinft. 
Account of the Revolutions that happened in the Indies ; 
v/ithout knowing of which, the Accounts given by thefe 
Travellers would be exceedingly obfeure. But, by pur- 
fuing this Method, every thing will fall into its proper 
Place ; and, before the Reader meets with thefe Relations, 
he will have acquired the Lights neeeffary to the perfeCt 
Underflanding of them ; and will likewife difcern, how 
thefe Voyages and Travels, dark and imperfeft as they 
were, kindled that Spirit of Inquiry, and exhibited that 
generous Thirft of opening a fhorter Paffage to thefe rich 
Countries, which made Way for the Difcoveries of the 
Portuguefe. He will likewife fee, how far the Accounts 
given us by thefe Travellers agree with thofe of the An- 
tients, and how far they are fupported or confuted by later 
Experience. He will likewife form a Judgment of the 
Value of fuch Pieces, and fee how far they are (till ufeful, 
notwithftanding the fubfequent Lights we have received ; 
and from thence he will have a juft Idea of the Value of 
fuch Colleftions, as contain thefe, and little elfe. 
10. After pafling through thefe dark and troublefome 
Stages, we fhall reach that famous Period, in which the 
Paffage by the Cape of Good Hope was difeovered, which 
transferred the Commerce of the Indies from the Italian 
Republics to the Portuguefe. We fhall then relate, as 
briefly as it is poiiible, the Progrefs of the Portuguefe Con- 
quefts exhibit the Nature and Extent of their Empire in 
the Indies •, give the Characters of the principal Perfons 
concerned in eftablifhing it *, fhew of how great Confe- 
quence it was to Portugal , and what Effefts the annexing, 
for a time, that Kingdom to the SpaniJJj Monarchy, had 
upon the Affairs of Europe. We fhall next endeavour to 
point out the Means by which the Empire of the Portu- 
guefe began to decay ; trace out the Circumftances that 
concurred to its Deftruftion ; and conclude with a Repre- 
fentation of the prefent State of their Affairs, and of the 
Remains of the great Power in the Indies , which are ftiil 
in their Elands. 
n« The Voyages made by our Countrymen into this 
Part of the World will next demand our Care ; and here 
the Reader will obferve, that, for the fake of being clear 
and perfpicuous, we were obliged to difpenfe with Method 5 
for otherwife fome of our Englifh Travellers ought to have 
been mentioned, not only with, but even before thofe, who 
vifited thefe Parts in the 12 th and 13th Centuries. After a 
very fhort Account, as indeed no other can be given of thefe 
old Voyages, we fhall explain the Caufes that lead our Coun- 
trymen to engage in Expeditions to the Eafi Indies during 
the Reigns of Henry VII. Henry VIII. Edward VI. and 
the Queens Mary and Elizabeth *, by this means our Hi- 
ftory will be conducted as low as the Eftablifhment of that 
Kind of Trade, which we carry on to the Indies at prefent ; 
of the fixing of which we fliall give a diftinCt Account, 
and infert, in their proper Places, fuch Englifh Voyages, as 
are 
