DISCOVERY
AND
CONQUEST
OF THE
Molucco and Philippine Islands.
Now Translated into English: And Illustrated with a Map and several Cuts.
TO THE
HONOURABLE
Edmund Poley,
OF
BADLEY,
IN THE
County of SUFFOLK, Esq.;
Sir,
Reiterated Favours claim a Repetition of Acknowledgments; should the latter be as frequent as the former, they might prove rather troublesome to you, than acceptable. I have therefore resolv’d once for all to express how sensible I am of the many Obligations I lye under. You would not perhaps be pleas’d, should I go about to enumerate them, because great Minds never look back upon what Courtesies they have bestow’d, being always intent upon what farther Acts of Generosity they may perform.
Among the many other Testimonies of your Bounty, there is one I am here oblig’d particularly to mention, which is your having admitted of the Dedication of so small a Work as the Translation of Cieza’s Travels in Peru. Your Acceptance of that Part has encourag’d me to prefix your Name to the Whole, now grown up into two Volumes, that it may honour them both in the Front, as it gives Reputation to the first in that Place, where it shall remain as a Demonstration of your Condescension, as this is of your Right and my Gratitude. I shall therefore avoid any Repetition of what is there said, or adding more here to display your Merit. Neither am I capable of giving your Character, nor will you consent to it, which puts me upon a Necessity of cutting short; lest my own Inclination and your Desert insensibly draw me on to attempt what I am not qualify’d to go through with. True Virtue can be no more conceal’d than the Splendor of the Sun, nor does it stand in need of outward Ornaments to set it off; you have render’d your self too conspicuous to be unknown, and can receive no Addition from my poor Endeavours. The Design of these Lines is, at the same Time, to honour my Work with your Patronage, and to express my Acknowledgment and Gratitude for all Favours already receiv’d; wishing this may stand a perpetual Monument of both, and to you all Increase of Happiness; and I shall always own my self
Sir,
Your most Obliged, and most
Devoted Humble Servant
JOHN STEVENS.
AN
Advertisement
Concerning this Work in general.
It will be needless to trouble the Reader with a tedious Introduction, shewing the usefulness of this sort of Books,
As for the Method here intended, it is to Publish every Month, as much as will make a Book of Twelve Pence, or Eighteen Pence, according as it can be contriv’d, without breaking off abruptly, to leave the Relation maim’d and imperfect, for as scarce any of the Books to be Translated are so small as to come into the compass of a Month, so of necessity they must be divided into several Parts, according to their Bulk. Now each Month being Sold Stich’d, every Buyer may afterwards Bind them up when he has an Author compleat, and therefore great care shall be taken, that the one may end, and the next begin, so as to cause no Obstacle, or Confusion in Binding. All the Books shall be adorn’d with proper Maps, and useful Cuts, that is, not with Representations of Battels, or Draughts of Places made according to the Engravers Fancy, but with true Delineations taken upon the Spot, where any such are to be had; the real Habits of the People; Birds, Beasts, Plants, &c. Whether every Month will afford any of these, cannot be promised, since they are to be inserted in their proper Places, for substantial Information, and not dispers’d at Will to embellish the Book, and divert the Ignorant. Therefore some Months will contain more, others fewer, and some perhaps none, with assurance that the Charge shall not be spar’d where they are requisite, and such are to be had as can be vouch’d to be Genuine. Thus every Person will, at so small a Price, as has been mention’d have a Taste of the Author propos’d to be Translated, and of the Performance, before he launches out more
The next Book Publish’d in this Collection, will be Diarium Italicum: Or, Singular Remarks upon Ancient Monuments, Collections of Rarities, &c. made in a Journey through Italy: With variety of Cuts and Figure. By the R. F. Bernard de Montfaucon, Monk of the Order of S. Benedict, of the Congregation of S. Maur.
THE
PREFACE.
Our Author, Bartholomew Leonardo de Argensola, was a Learned Clergyman, and as such employ’d by the President and Council of the Indies to Write this History. He calls it, The Conquest of the Molucco Islands, without Enlarging any further in his title, tho’ at the same time his Work contains their first Discovery, their Description, the Manners, Customs, Religion, Habit, and Political and Natural History; with all the Wars, and other Remarkable Accidents in those Parts, since they were first known to Europeans, till their Reduction under the Crown of Spain. In Speaking of them he Occasionally runs out to give the same Account of the Philippine Islands, and of several others in those Eastern Seas. This is frequent in Spanish Books, wherein we generally find much more than the Titles promise, contrary to what is Practis’d with us, who strive to fill up a Title Page with abundance of Inviting Heads, the least part whereof is Treated of in the Body of the Work, or at best so Superficially, that scarce any more can be made of them there, than was in the Frontispiece.
For the Compiling of this Work the Author, being Employ’d by the Authority abovemention’d, had the Command of all Authentick Manuscript Relations, which were either in the Kings Custody, or in Private Hands; besides the Testimony of such Persons then Living, as had been Eye-Witnesses to any part of what he delivers. His Design was only to Write the Conquest of those Islands, by King Philip the Third of Spain; but considering how few were acquainted with them, and that of Consequence most Readers would be at a loss to know where, or what these Moluccos were, he Judiciously Resolv’d to bring down his History from its proper Source. To this End he begins with the Antient, and Fabulous Original of their Kings; then comes to the Discovery of them by Europeans, and proceeds to the Wars between them, and with the Natives, for the Possession of those so much coveted Dominions.
His Description of them is very Exact; That of the Cloves, their principal Commodity, no less Curious; and that of the other Product and Animals, Inferior to neither. The Wars carrying him over from one Place to another; he gives a short Account of the Islands Papûas, and that of Celebes. The Spaniards, to avoid passing through the Portuguese
No Author ever had a better Reputation, among all that Understand, and have had the good Fortune to Meet with him; for being so Valuable, he is extraordinary Scarce, rare to be met with in Spain, and consequently much more in England. This may perhaps be the main Reason why he has not yet been Translated, and being so Valuable, he cannot miss of that Reception which he has found in the Original. But it is not intended to prepossess the Reader, who is left to make his own Judgment, and therefore a long Preface is designedly avoided, that he may the sooner enter upon so Useful and Diverting a Work. It is not improper, nevertheless, to Advise the Reader not to take notice of some Reflections in Point of Religion, and in other Cases, considering the Book was Writ by a Spaniard, and that it was not proper to Omit, or Alter any thing, where a Fair, and Entire Translation is promised. Besides, That these are very few, and inconsiderable, and consequently not worth observing, as indeed the generality of Judicious Readers will be suffciently satisfy’d, and this Caution is given for their Sake, whom perhaps Passion, or overmuch Zeal may move to condem a Work on such an Occasion, when they can find no other matter to Carp at.
A Draught of the Moluca Isles