“Of two notable thynges as touchyng the West Indies: and of the great rychesse brought from thense into Spayne”

Whereof, the one is the shortnesse of the way & with what expedition yowr majesties shyppes maye passe beyond the mayne fyrme lande of these Indies into the newe Southe sea cauled Mare del Sur lynge beyond the same. And this to th intent to come to the Ilandes where the spices growe, beside the other innumerable rychesse of the kingedomes and signiories whiche confine with [?] the sayde sea where are so many people and nations of divers toonges and maners. The other thinge, is to confide howe innumerable treasure are entered into Spayne by these Indies, as well that which commeth dayly from thense as also that is continually to bee looked for, bothe of golde and perle & other marchaunties which are first brought into this yowre realme of Spaine before they are seene of other nations or traded into other realms. Wherby not onely this yowre realme is greatly inriched, but also the benefyte therof redoundeth to the great profyte of other countreys which are neare thereunto. A testimonye of this, are the double ducades whiche yowre majestie have caused to bee coyned, and are dispersed throughowte the hole worlde. But after they are once passed owt of this youre realme, they never returne agein bycause they are the best curraunt money of the world. And therefore if after they have byn in the handes of straungers they chaunce to be retourned ageyne into Spain, they come disguised in an other habite, and are diminished of the goodness of their golde, with the stampe of yore majestie chaunged: So that if it were not for their suche defacynges in other realms for the cause aforesayde, there shulde not bee founde so great quantitie of fine golde of the coyne of any prynce in the worlde as of yowre majesties. And the cause of all this, are yowre Indies.

-- Pietro Martire d’Anghiera, De rebus oceanicis at orbe novo decade tres (1533); translated by Richard Eden as The Decades of the newe worlde or west India, Conteyning the navigations and conquests of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and Ilandes lately founde in the west Ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. In the which the diligent reader may not only consider what commodities may hereby chaunce to the hole Christian world in tyme to come, but also learne many secreates touchynge the lande, the sea, and the starres, very necessarie to be knowen to al such as shal attempte any navigations, or otherwise have delite to beholde the strange and woonderfull woorkes of God and nature (London 1555).