This war hath kept the King of Spain busy ever since it began, which [is] some thirty-eight years ago: and, spending all the money that the Indies, and all the men that Spain and Italy could afford, hath withdrawn him from persevering in any other enterprise. Neither could he give over this, without foregoing the means to undertake anything hereafter upon France or England; and, consequently, the Hope of the Western Monarchy. For without that handle [_i.e._, _that hope_] the mines of Peru had done little hurt in these parts, in comparison of what they have. The cause of the expensefulness of it, is the remoteness of those Provinces from Spain; by reason of which every soldier of Spain or Italy, before he can arrive there, costs the King a 100 crowns [= _£30 then_ = _£135 now_], and not above one in ten that arrive, proves good. Besides, by reason of the distance, a great part of the money is drunk up betwixt the Officers that convey it, and pay it. The cause of the continuance of it, is not only the strength of the enemy; but partly, by reason that the Commanders themselves are content [that] the war should last, so to maintain and render themselves necessary; and partly, because the people of those Countries are not so eager to have the other reduced, as willing to be in the like state themselves. The usual revenue of those Provinces which the Archduke hath, amounts to 1,200,000 crowns [= _at 6s. the Crown, £360,000 then_ = _about £1,600,000 now_] a year. Besides which, there come from Spain every month, to maintain the war, 150,000 crowns [= _£45,000 a month, or £540,000 a year, then_; = _£2,430,000 annually now_]. It was, at the first, 300,000 crowns a month [_or, in present annual value, about £5,000,000_]; but it fell by fifties [_i.e., 50,000_] to this, at the time when the Treaty began. Flanders pays more towards the war, than all the rest; as Holland doth, with the States. There is no Spaniard of [_belonging to_] the Council of State, nor Governor of any Province: but of the Council of War, which is only active; there [_in which_] they only are, and have in their hands all the strong towns and castles of those Provinces, of which the Governors have but only the title. The nations of which their army consists are chiefly Spaniards and Italians, emulous one of another there; as on the other side, [are] the French and English: and of the country, chiefly Burgundians and Walloons. The Pope's Letters, and SPINOLA's inclination keep the Italians there; almost in equality of command with the Spaniard himself. The Governors for the King of Spain there, successively, have been the Duke of ALVA, Don LOUIS DE REQUIESCENS, Don JOHN of Austria, the Prince of PARMA, the Archduke EARNEST, the Cardinal ANDREW of Austria, and the Cardinal ALBERT till he married the Infanta.