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1050 C O N C 
But if upon this Occafion it ihould be demanded what 
Remedy there is for thefe Things, we can only anfwer, 
that all the Remedy in the Power of private Perfons, is 
to forefee and point out the Caufes of fuch Evils ; and 
by acquainting their Countrymen with the real Impor- 
tance of this Commerce, to awaken and excite their 
Diligence, to preferve what is yet left, and if poffible, 
to open new Channels, which may balance the Defici- 
encies that muft naturally arife from the lofing thofe 
Branches of Trade, which, by thefe new Attempts, 
are likely to be cut off. All this the Reader will find 
regularly digefted to the utmoft Extent of our Power, 
and throughout the feveral Se6lions which relate to 
them, interfperfed with a great Variety of probable Ex- 
pedients, by which thefe great and important Ends may 
be attained. 
It is not at all in ours, or indeed within the Compafs 
of private Peoples Abilities, to carry Things of this 
Nature any farther ; but the Rebtitude of carrying them 
thus far, and of publifhing and making manifeft the 
mighty Advantages that would refult from direcfting 
our Councils to the Improvement of our Commercial 
Concerns, rather than the fettling the Iiiterefis of other 
Nations upon the Continent, which perhaps the bet- 
ber they are fettled, the lefs it may tend to our Benefit, 
fince we fee that the firft Confequence of their Inde- 
pendency and Security is to profecute Projects for the 
Benefit of their own Trade, and to the Prejudice of 
ours, is put out of all Difpute. 
Thofe who affe6t to treat thefe Things either as Chi- 
mera’s or Trifles, Points of inconfiderable Moment, or 
remote and incertain in their Confequences, are either 
really or affedtedly Ignorant ; and which ever they are, 
fo far as they can carry their Opinions and Influence, 
the mofl: dangerous and moft deftruftive Enemies to 
their Country *, for to propagate Notions of Security, 
and to rock us as it were in the Sleep of Indolence, 
while other Nations are awake and full of Attention 
to the Means of improving Traffick, and laying the 
Foundations of Maritime Power, is to enervate and 
deftroy us, -more elpecially, if at the fame Time we are 
exhaufted by Taxes, which neceifarily render our Ma- 
nufadiures dear, and give thereby great Advantage to 
our Rivals, and oppreflTed with Debts, a very large Pro- 
portion of which being due to Foreigners, muft fpee- 
dily and infallibly draw the laft Shilling out of thefe 
Kingdoms, if frefti Supplies of Wealth are not regular- 
ly and conftantly brought in by foreign Trade. 
Thefe are the Subjeds chiefly infifted upon in the firft 
Volume of this Colledion, diverfified by a great Variety 
of pleafant and entertaining Reading, fo difpofed as to 
heighten Inftrudion, and not to diftrad the Mind, by 
aiming at no ufeful or perceptible End. We come 
next to fpeak of the Contents of the fecond Volume, 
and to ftiew how far they are likewife calculated to 
anfwer the fame ufeful, important and national Pur- 
pofes. 
IX. As an Intercourfe and Commerce with the Eaji; 
Indies was the great Concern both of the Ancients and 
Moderns, to the Time that America was found out, 
fo that Discovery, and the great Confequences that 
have attended it, have been the juft Subjeds of the prin- 
cipal Attention of the trading Nations in Europe ever 
fince I and hence the examining every Thing relating 
thereto in its proper Order, became naturally the next 
Objed of our Care. We begin with a copious and 
circumftantial Relation of the leveral Expeditions of the 
great Chriftopher Columbus, in which we have fully ex- 
plained the Motives upon which they were grounded, 
the many Difcouragements he met with, and the va- 
rious Difficulties he encountered before he was able to 
bring Things to bear. In treating thefe Subjeds, we 
have taken the Liberty to intermix fome Refledions on 
the Detriments that Spain received from the early In- 
terpofition of Statefmen in the Management of the new 
Colonies, from whence many Mifchiefs arofe, and the 
Profits of thofe early Eftablifhments were very much 
leffened, and their future Progrefs greatly checked. 
We then proceed to the intermediate Expeditions be- 
tween thofe of Columbus, and the Conqueft of Mexico. 
L U S I 0 N. 
by Ferdinand Cortes, which affords the Reader an am- 
ple Profped of the mighty Difficulties that Men will 
go through from the Hopes of Gain, more efpecially, 
when it is to come immediately to themfelves, and they 
are not circumfcribed either by the unreafonable Power 
or particular Views of Companies, to which alone is to 
be afcribed the rapid Progrefs of the Spaniards, in thofe 
Countries where their Conquefts in our Times, when 
nothing is done but at an immenfe Expence of Time, 
Men and Money, appears incredible. The Paffage be- 
ing now open, we go on to the Conqueft of Mexico, 
and to fhew from the beft Authorities, how a very great 
and powerful Empire, governed by a wife and brave 
Monarch, and fupported by numerous Armies of faith- 
ful Subjeds, was neverthelefs fuccefsfully attacked, and 
in the End totally over-turned by a very handful of Men, 
and thofe too all the Time caballing, confpiring, and 
quarrelling amongft themfelves, fo that the profperous 
Event of that marvellous Expedition, is entirely due to 
the incomparable Abilities, indefatigable Labours, and 
. Angular Virtues of the Commander in Chief ; to whom 
however there was but very little Gratitude fhewed by 
his Countrymen, who reaped all the Benefits of tha^ 
moft important Conqueft. 
After recording his Adions, the Reader will find a 
fuccind Account of the Manner in which the Idhmus of 
America, and the Country adjoining, were fubdued, and 
of the Difputes that arofe amongft the Spanijh Officers, 
or rather Adventurers that undertook and effeded thofe 
Conquefts, which, how fatal fo ever they might be to 
themfelves, turned notwithftanding, as much, or more, 
to the Benefit of the Spanijh Crown and Nation, as if 
they had proceeded with all the Harmony and good 
Underftanding poffible ; fo valuable a Principle is Ac- 
tivity, and fo advantageous to the Publick a bufy and 
enterprizing Spirit, when employed at a Diftance, whe- 
ther well or ill conduded, by which very often prodi- 
gious Conquefts are made abroad by thofe of reftlefs 
and turbulent Minds, that very probably had ftirred 
up Rebellion and Confufion, if they had ftaid at home. 
We may enter farther into the Truth of this Obferva- 
tion, if we confider how little has been done in thefe 
Parts in fo long a Courfe of Years, in Comparifon with 
what was then done in fo few ; from whence it is vifible, 
that as Example excites and encourages vigorous Mea- 
fures, fo it likewife countenances Indolence, and by de- 
grees fixes and eftablifhes it by Habit. 
X. The Conqueji of Peru was not at all the Effed 
of any deep laid Scheme of Policy, or of Meafures taken 
in Confequence of Orders from Spain ; on the contrary, 
it arofe from a Kind of Agreement or Compromife be- 
tween two or three enterprizing Adventurers, and thole 
too in defperate Circumftances. All the Force they 
could mufter up was fo infignificant, as fcarce to ex- 
ceed a Modern Independent Company ; the Veffels on 
which they embarked, were ftili meaner than the Forces 
they carried ; and as for the Funds which were to de- 
fray the Expences of this Expedition, they were equally 
infignificant in Money and in , Credit. What is ftili 
more extraordinary than all this, thele Undertakers had 
little or no Intelligence ; they knew that the Country 
they were to attack was very large, and well peopled, 
but they knew very little of its Government, and ftili 
lefs of the Cuftoms and Manners of thofe People. We 
are not to imagine from hence, that the Inhabitants of 
Peru were wild and barbarous Savages, or that they 
were defeated and fubdued for Want of a Conftitution, 
Laws and Policy ; for this was fo far from being the 
Cafe, ihdii S\x William Temple, than whom there hardly 
ever was a better Judge of Things of this Nature, has 
given us, within a very narrow Compafs, a moft excel- 
lent Syftem of the Peruvian Empire, which having had 
no Opportunity to infert elfewhere, it cannot be dif- 
pleafing to our Readers, upon this Review of the whole 
Work, to find it here, more efpecially, as it is juftiy 
efteemed the Mafter- piece of that polite Writer, who 
has therein given us both Fafts and Obfervations that 
might very well furnifh Matter for a confiderable Vo- 
lume. “ The Empire of Peru deduced its Original 
from their great Mango Copac, and his Wife 
' “ and 
