Page:History of India Vol 6.djvu/131

 PORTUGAL'S POLICY IN INDIAN TRADE 86 ^ clear from the point of view of European public law. It had been solemnly granted by Papal Bulls and rati- fied by Spanish treaties. Pope Alexander VI by a further Bull in 1502 confirmed the new style of Lord of the Conquest of India, etc., which the Portuguese king added to his titles. The monopoly of Indian dominion and trade, thus legally secured to Portugal, was interpreted by her in no illiberal spirit. It appeared in some sense as a trust which she held for Christendom. In 1500 the king declared the commerce with India " which by the grace of God our Lord we discovered and hold in our power " to be open on equal terms " to all our natives and likewise to the foreigners who are in our kingdoms and who hold our letters of naturalization." The terms were that the ships employed should be of at least two hundred tons burden, and should pay to the royal treas- ury one-fourth of what " in good time they should bring in return." This charter was to hold for two years, and although many changes, not for the better, afterward took place, the Portuguese system during the next half-century allowed other Christian nations to profit at Lisbon by the Indian trade an opportunity of which English merchants largely availed themselves. King Emmanuel lost no time in trying to convert his claims to the " Conquest of India " into a reality. In 1500 he despatched a fleet of thirteen ships strongly armed with artillery, manned by the boldest sailors, and steered by the most skilful pilots of the time. It also carried an abundant provision for proselytism in eight