Had the King of Spain employed the hands of his people, and his Spanish iron so, he had brought to light but little of that treasure that lay so long hid in the dark entrails of America.

Summary

This quote suggests that if the King of Spain had utilized the skills and resources available to him in Spain, he would have discovered only a small fraction of the wealth hidden within the unexplored territories of America. The emphasis lies on the importance of utilizing the workforce and materials at hand to fully unlock the potential of a given opportunity or situation. By not doing so in the context of early American exploration, it implies that the King missed out on greater riches that could have been derived from the newfound territories.

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