Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/284

 both of which things the Portugals haue most trauailed. In this treatie and in nine or ten bookes of things touching Maluco and India (which the Cardinall willed me to giue to Damian de Goes, saying that he should content me, for otherwise I could not deliuer them) this true Portugall occupied himselfe against the vnfortunate and sorrowfull times which he had been in (which were all ended before all our daies and times:)

for when he receiued the captainship and fortresses of Maluco, all the kings and gouernours of all the Ilands about being agreed to make war against the Portugals, vntill such time as they might driue them all out of the countrey, he fought against them all with onely 130. Portugals, when they were all together, and strong in Tidore; and he gaue them the ouerthrow and killed their king, and one Ternate, the principall author of that war, and he tooke from them their fortresse: so vpon this victorie they submitted themselues, and came vnder the obeisance and seruice of our king of Portugall.

Herein two things happened of great admiration: The first, that all the kings and gouernours of Maluco agreed togither against vs, a thing that neuer fell out, nor yet credible to be like to happen: for they are euer at variance among themselues: The second, that the captaine of Maluco with onely his ordinarie soldiers should haue the victorie against so many being all together. For sometimes it happeneth that some of the captaines of Maluco with many extraordinarie soldiers besides their ordinarie, yea and with the aide of al the Kings and Lords of Maluco in their fauour and aide went against one King onely of them, and came backe againe with losse. So there may be reckoned three notable things done in India, I say of qualitie: (but of more quantitie and importance there haue been others): which were the taking of Muar by Emmanuel Falcon, and the winning of Bitam by Peter Mascarenas, and this, whereof we presently treate. For all these three deedes seemed to be impossible to be atchieued, considering the small quantitie of soldiers which the captaines had in giuing the enterprise against so many; with the order and maner by them ordained how and which waies to obtaine their purpose as well by their enemies as by themselues. And they could not be atchieued otherwise but by vsing a meane and order not thought of at the first by the Portugals, nor yet euer suspected by their enimies. And, besides