_ 386 _ the fear is that it may reach Ceuta and Tangier, and perhaps the ports of the strait, so it will be as well to order everything to be prepared in time and at leisure, since in that way things will be done better and with less expense then when forced to it by events. For often to be alert before danger arrives is equally or more important than great expenditure in the last hours of need. Having raised the subject of the state of India, it would not be irrelevant to remind Your Highness that as the contract for spices is now concluded, as I understand, one should try following for some years the opinion and desires of all Your Highness's vassals by opening the sale of pepper to all those who wish to go to find it. The profits from it to Lisbon are very obvious and well proved, and for this reason I will not point them out. The advice is that of the merchants themselves, who do not wish it to be carried out because there is no concealing the good that would result. No one at present hopes for any other decision but if, for our sins, there are reasons and exigencies why this may not be, and another contract has to be made, which God forbid. Your Highness must listen to foreigners who have some knowledge of the matter, even if they are competitors (sic),
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