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OF MANY NEW LANDS, INSTRUCTORS OF SHIPS AND ARMAP ? S. PROPHETS AND EVANGELISTS OF THE v ^SPELS. TRADERS AND MERCHANTS,	NQUISTADORES AND
EXPLORERS, INDUSTRIOUS, HARD WORKING AND ACHIEVERS. THERE IS A TESTIMONIAL IN EVERY BASQUE VILLAGE OF SOMEONE WHO ACHIEVED SOME-THING GREAT SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD, TO THE GLORY OF SPAIN OR FRANCE. THESE GREAT EXPLORERS, SCHOLARS, AND MERCHANTS, HELPED TREMENDOUSLY IN THE BUILDING OF THESE NATIONS. THESE WERE MEN AND WOMEN, BOTH ILLUSTRIOUS AND ANONYMOUS, WHO PARTCIPATED GREATLY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE LANDS. THEY CONTRIBUTED THEIR NAMES TO THE HISTORIES OF THESE LANDS, THAT EVERYONE IN EVERY PART OF SPAIN AND FRANCE (AND THE WORLD) WOULD KNOW THAT BASQUES PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN THE HISTORIES OF THESE LANDS.
TRADING HOUSES / STOCKS AND SHARES ANOTHER NATIVE TRADITION OF THE BASQUES: SELLING SHARES IN A COMMON ENTERPRISE, THE EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS OF ?THE COMPANY OF THE WEST INDIES? WAS BAYONNE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY. BASQUES OFTEN LED IN (LOUISIANA AND LATIN AMERICAN) PRODUCE TRADE OF COTTON, TABACCO, INDIGO, COFFEE, CHOCOLATE, CORN, AND OF COURSE COD AND WHALE BY-PRODUCTS.
DONOSTI	BAIONA	BILBO DONIBANE-GARAZI GASTEIZ IRUNA
SAN SEBASTIAN BAYONNE	BILBAO ST. JEAN DE LUZ VITORIA PAMPLONA
MAULE-MAULEON
THE KINGS AND QUEENS SWEAR AN OATH I LOUIS XIV, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF FRANCE AND OF NAVARRE
(BASQUE COUNTRY)
I CARLOS PR1MERO, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF CASTILLA, ARAGON Y LEON
Y DE VIZCAYA Y NAVARRA (BASQUE COUNTRY)
WITH A CROSS IN MY HAND, AND BEFORE THE HOLY GOSPELS, WITH AUTHORITY AND DOMINION, DO HEARBY SWEAR TO SUPPORT, DEFEND, AND PROTECT YOUR NATIVE LAWS (LAGIZARRA) OF THIS LAND, AND TO PRESERVE AND RESPECT YOUR NATIVE RIGHTS, PRIVLEDGES, ESTABLISHED TRADITIONS AND THE WAYS, OF THESE NOBLE AND SOVEREIGN PEOPLE, AS YOUR CHOSEN MONARCH, I DO HEAR-BY SWEAR TO DO THIS!
I SWEAR!
JE PROME T? '?
JURO!
THE MONARCHS OF FRANCE AND SPAIN HAD LONG CARRIED ON THE TRADITION OF GOING BEFORE THE OAK TREE OF GUERNIKA OR SAINT JEAN DE LUZ, TO RECITE A PLEDGE LIKE THIS BEFORE THE BASQUE PEOPLE. IN TURN FOR HIS/HER ROYAL PLEDGE TO PROTECT, PRESERVE AND DEFEND THE BASQUES, THEY IN TURN GAVE LOYAL AND WHOLE-HEARTED SERVICE TO THE MONARCH. AS LONG AS THE MONARCHS REMAINED, THE BASQUES WERE PROTECTED, THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS RECOGNIZED AND THEIR EFFORTS REWARDED. WITH THE ABOLISHMNET OF THE MONARCHY CAME THE PERSECUTION OF THE BASQUES, AND THE ATTEMPTS TO ERRADICATE THEIR LANGUAGE IN HISTORY. THIS BROUGHT ABOUT THE REWRITTING OF HISTORY AND THE GLOBAL IGNORANCE OF THE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS ACHIEVED FOR THIS WORLD BY THE BASQUES.