10 this purpose, could defeat these nations. On the contrary, they had the upper hand, especially after the Persians occupied the fort of Hormuz, with the support of these nations: so that if this is not remedied in due course, there will be an absolutely obvious danger that the other places and forts of the said Philip will not even exist anymore. Since, as it was then exposed, the said King Philip, on the occasion of the facts already exposed, has burdened his own patrimony of the Kingdom of Portugal with a very heavy debt for the recovery and conservation of the aforementioned places and forts - by which the usefulness and convenience of both clerics and subjects of the Kingdom of Portugal are protected no less than the salvation and security of the Catholics living in these parts of India - he has burdened the general contributions of the Kingdom, that even the sum of two hundred thousand ecus(1) given to the King for this purpose by our dear sons, the community and citizens of Lisbon, is not enough, and that he is obliged to have recourse to a subsidy from the clergy, the said King Philip has therefore humbly begged us to design, out of our apostolic goodness, to remedy the above as it should be done. Now we have been in no greater hurry since the beginning of our pontificate than not only to preserve all the churches, their leaders and their persons, safe from any exaction, but 1- Ecus: Gold coin of French origin, called “Crown”. First cast in the rein of Louis IX, king of France in 1266. Its value changed over time.
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