ught cheaply, for many people were killed. It had been stated two
months before that that victory would be gained on St. Mark's day,
[40] as happened, and, as he recounted one night, had been told to
him. But who would say that that victory was to begin his perdition,
and so many troubles as I shall relate?

Don Juan de Silva was made very rich by that victory, for the fifth
of the booty which your Majesty conceded to him was worth more than
two hundred thousand pesos, as I learned from his own mouth. Besides
that, the victory induced in him thoughts for great undertakings,
and he did not stop to compare the wealth of that kingdom with his
designs. He discussed building a fleet to go to Terrenate, and put the
matter into execution. Although he was greatly opposed by the entire
city--and especially by the royal Audiencia and royal officials, who
judged from their experience that the plan was not advisable--yet he
acted in defiance of them, and left Manila with his fleet, leaving
the natives grievously burdened with taxes, your Majesty's treasury
indebted to a vast amount, and the city without artillery. He went
to Maluco, and not only did he not accomplish any good result, but
he even returned with little reputation derived from that expedition,
as all had foretold.

He desired to correct that mischief, and determined, without any
one's counsel, to build seven galleons, which, with the three that
he had, would make ten in all, and also six galleys. That was an
undertaking disproportionate to the possibility of his forces, and
innumerable evils resulted from it, just as they generally result to
him who does not proportion means to ends, and who does not measure
desires with strength. When he fought at Playa Honda with the Dutch,
as he grappled he recognized the advantage that the larger ships had
over the others. Consequently, he determined to build his ships so
large that they should be superior to any ship that the enemy would
bring. For that purpose he made them of one thousand, one thousand
five hundred, and nearly two thousand toneladas. He began to make
arrangements for putting his desire into execution, and at the same
time to write to the viceroy of India to send him ten more galleons
and six galleys, so that the forces of both governments being united,
they might at the same time complete the expulsion of the Dutch from
the archipelago and seize their forts and factories. That idea would
have been very commenda