Indies, open to the Company for trade or cultivation; wherefore, from the commencement of our administration, we preferred to proceed in a warlike manner against the common enemy; the rather, because we found that even the few nations (whether situate far or near) who are independent of the King of Spain, could be brought to trade with us in no other way than by declaring themselves in our favor, and showing themselves to be, in fact, enemies of the Spaniards; but principally because we found that the expected service, for the welfare of our Fatherland and the destruction of our hereditary enemy, could not be accomplished by the trifling trade with the Indians, or the tardy cultivation of uninhabited regions; but, in reality,

by acts of hostility against the ships and property of the King of Spain and of his subjects; surprizing his possessions and preserving them for the public service; which plan has been so graciously blessed by God, during these latter years, that great wealth has thereby been brought to this State, and the enemy's finances thrown into such arrears and confusion, that no improvement is to be expected therein, except from the cessation of our arms and retaining our fleets at home, out of those countries. But this prosecution of war, instead of commerce, has not been undertaken by us, of our own mere motion, but principally by the advice of the High and Mighty Lords States General, and the concurrence of his Serene Grace, the Prince of Orange; for your Great Mightinesses will well remember, that from the very inception of the Company, we have all been solicited by their High Mightinesses' Commissioners, not only to undertake some hostile expedition against the enemy, but even to dispatch our fleet to