The earlier
expeditions of the Portuguese to the Moluccas arouse the hostility of
the natives; and so much difficulty and expense to the government is
thus occasioned that his councilors advise Felipe II to abandon the
Philippines and Moluccas, as not worth so much cost. This he refuses
to do, on account of the necessity and duty of converting the pagans
in those lands--a decision confirmed also by Felipe III. Argensola
enumerates the various arguments pro and con regarding the retention
of the islands by Spain, which he justifies for the sake of converting
the heathen. The points thus far given are those of the brief synopsis
which results from our examination of books i-iv in the _Conqvista_,
Turning to book v, we find a brief outline of the conquest of the
Philippines by Legazpi, their peoples, their chief products, and their
fauna. The expedition of Penalosa to conquer Ternate is described;
it proves a failure, for various causes. The king of Spain sends the
"invincible armada" against England (1588), desiring to check the
inroads of Northern heretics against Spanish commerce in the Orient;
but that fleet is defeated, and dispersed.
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