D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10 Avoid a New Inn. eschewed Las Salinas on the return, but that was because they carried gold dust, ivory, spices and merchandise, on the whole above the Salinaists. Unhappily, fortune, in this world, attracts envy and covetousness, Little by little, more slowly on the land than on the seas, Las Salinas’ reputation spread until it had reached San Sebastian. San Sebastian, for the most part, was swayed by the class of which Virgil rhymed—they profit by others’ la- borious accumulations. The governor of the fort and town at the time was Don Nuestradamus Palliro, who, as pro-ruler for King Philip IV., then reigning, had a coast right to anything “cast up’ by the waves, and, on the face of it, salt seems to be comprised in this elastic scope. At least, without consulting the Spanish Grotiuses, he meant to exact his toll. Hearing this, the champion knight of the good Sisters of Maria, Star of the Sea, remembered its claim on all sea produce; and what is salt but a production of the sea—a sort of skimming of that great open kettle of the Atlantic? And, being asked to lend his armed marchers on a visit of inquiry to Salinas, the noble Don Esteban de Sagres, Lord of the Salt Marshes, considered that he had a special grievance, under the Crown, against any one manufacturing salt without each bag being ’ stamped and sealed. In the last instance, while these gentlemen conferred, the Bishop of Catalona considered tithe was due him on this industry, since the fulness of the earth—and the sea —are the Church's. In short, what with soldiers, javelin men, constables, gendarmes, all about their several captains and chief clerks, a formidable force dropped off the cliffs, as from the clouds, upon unwitting Salinas. Being gentry accustomed to spend their earnings as re- ceived, at the inn in their midst, which was mart, ex- change and refreshment hall, they were perfectly unable to pay any tolls and taxes, rightfully or otherwise de- manded. Whereupon the disappointed cohort seized the stoutest Gomicbooks,. co =|