Therefore freedom of trade is based on a primitive right of nations which has a natural and permanent cause; and - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - quod naturalem et perpetuam causam habet, ideoque tolli non potest, et si posset non tamen posset nisi omnium gentium consensu: tantum abest ut ullo modo gens aliqua gentes duas inter se contrahere volentes iuste impediat. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - so that right cannot be destroyed, or at all events it may not be destroyed except by the consent of all nations. For surely no one nation may justly oppose in any way two nations that desire to enter into a contract with each other. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CAPVT IX _Mercaturam cum Indis propriam non esse Lusitanorum titulo occupationis_ Primum inventio aut occupatio hic locum non habet, quia ius mercandi non est aliquid corporale, quod possit apprehendi; neque prodesset Lusitanis etiamsi primi hominum cum Indis habuissent commercia, quod tamen non potest non esse falsissimum. Nam et cum initio populi in diversa iere, aliquos necesse est primos fuisse mercatores, quos tamen ius nullum acquisivisse certo est certius. Quare si Lusitanis ius aliquod competit, ut soli cum Indis negotientur, id exemplo ceterarum servitutum, ex concessione oriri debuit aut expressa aut tacita, hoc est praescriptione; neque aliter potest. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CHAPTER IX _Trade with the East Indies does not belong to the Portuguese by title of occupation_ Neither discovery nor occupation [which have been fully treated in Chapters II and V], is to be invoked on the point here under consideration, because the right of carrying on trade is not something corporal, which can be physically seized; nor would discovery or occupation help the case of the Portuguese even if they had been the very first persons to trade with the East Indies, although such a claim would be entirely untenable and false. For since in the beginning peoples set out along different paths, it was necessary that some become the first traders, nevertheless it is absolutely certain that those traders did not on that account acquire any rights. Wherefore if the Portuguese have any right by virtue of which they _alone_ may trade with the East Indies, that right like other servitudes ought to arise from concession, either express or tacit, that is to say, from prescription. Otherwise no such right can exist. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CAPVT X _Mercaturam cum Indis propriam non esse Lusitanorum titulo donationis Pontificiae_