<17^ SPANISH HISTORY provinces for a period of three years. This will suffice to give us a notion of the policy pursued by the Spaniards in their relations with the neighbour- ing insular states. The wars of the Spaniards in the Archipelago with the Dutch and Portuguese, produced little direct injury to the Philippines, except by the de- predations upon commerce, which affected more remotely the internal prosperity of the country. But the contests for the possession of the Moluccas are to be enumerated as among the great causes which contributed to the ruin and desolation of these islands. Spain and Portugal were at first rivals for the possession of the Moluccas, and when the former acquired the dominion of the lat- ter, a new enemy sprung up in the Dutch and English. The native princes took part in their quarrels, hoping, in vain, to find in every new pre- tender a protector from the oppression which in turn they were doomed to experience from all. The Spaniards were the weaker party in their con- tests with the Portuguese, and then feigned a soli- citude for the welfare of the natives. When they got possession of the country, no change was made in the condition of the natives, whose sufferings, indeed, were daily aggravated to the last moment of the continuance of their government. When the Dutch presented themselves, they began with professions still more liberal, and with censures the most unmeasured, on the tyranny of their prede-
