Page 48 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

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48 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE EAST

charge as the building of a fort, for I have a fit house about
two leagues from the city which I will spare him for a fac­ 1
tory where his people shall not need to fear enemies, for
I will protect them.” j
The royal sarcasm hit its mark. The Portuguese am­
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bassador retired in dudgeon to concoct new plans for the
discomfiture of the hated English.
From this point the struggle became a contest of wits
between the wily Portuguese on the one hand and the bluff
Englishman on the other, with the King in the background
an interested and gleeful spectator of the combat. Lan­
caster’s early association with the Portuguese and his i
perfect knowledge of their ways gave him an immense
initial advantage in the conflict. He knew that it was no
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good wasting time in attempting to counter intrigues on the
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spot, the ramifications of which, in the absence of local
experience, he would be powerless to follow. For him,
situated as he was, the line to take was the bold one of
carrying the war into the enemy’s country—in other words,
to raid the Portuguese shipping in the Straits. He was
the more disposed to adopt this course because of the now
:
obvious impossibility of obtaining a cargo on reasonable
terms. But though he saw his plan of campaign plainly
marked out he only too clearly realized that if the Portu­
guese envoy left a warning would be given to Portuguese
shipping, and he would have but small chance of making
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any valuable captures. After thinking the matter over ;
he decided to enlist the aid of the King in furthering his
projects. As events proved this was an easy matter.
The prince had formed a great liking for Lancaster. The
seaman’s frank, downright manner, with the impression of
force of character which was conveyed in his control of

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