The decades of the newe worlde or west India conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the west ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. ... Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden.

¶ The seuenth booke of the fyrst decade, to the same Lodouike Cardinall. &c.

WHen the Admirall was nowe coome to the I∣lande of Hispaniola, he fownde all thynges con¦founded and owte of order. For Roldanus (of whom wee spake beefore) refused in his ab∣sence to obey his brother, trustinge to the mul¦titude of such as were confethered with him. And not onely behaued hym selfe proudely a∣geynst the Admiralles brother and Lieuetenaunt sumtyme his maister, but also sente letters to his reproche to the kynge of Spayne, therin accusinge bothe the brehtren, leying heynous matters to theyr charges. But the Admirall ageyne, sent mes¦sengers to the kynge, which myght informe hym of theyr re∣bellion: Instantly desyringe his grace, to sende hym a newe supplye of men, wherby he myght suppresse theyr licēciousnes

and punyshe them for theyr mischeuous actes. They accused the Admirall and his brother to bee vniust men, cruel enemies and sheaders of the Spanyshe bludde: declarynge that vppon euery lyght occasion, they wolde racke them, hange them, and heade them: And that they tooke pleasu••e therin. And that they departed from them as from cruell tyrantes and wylde beastes reioysinge in bludde, also the kynges enemyes. Affyr∣minge lykewyse that they well perceaued theyr intente to bee none other then to vsurpe Thempire of the Ilandes: whiche thynge (they sayde) they suspected by a thousand coniectures. And especially in that they wolde permitte none to resorte to the golde mynes, but only suche as were theyr familiers. The Admirall on the contrary parte, when he desyred ayde of the kynge to infringe theyr insolencie, auouched that al those his accusers, which had deuised suche lyes ageynste hym, were nowghtye felowes, abhominable knaues and vylaynes, the∣ues and baudes, ruff••ans aduouterers and rauishers of women faulse periured vagabundes, and suche as had byn eyther con¦uict in prysons, or fledde for feare of Iudgment: soo escaping punyshement, but not leauinge vice wherin they styll contynu∣ed and browght the same with them to the Ilande, lyuinge there in lyke maner as before, in thefte, lechery, and all kyn∣des of myscheefe: And soo gyuen to Idlenes and sleepe, that wheras they were browght thyther for myners, labourers, & scullyans, they wolde not nowe goo one furlonge from theyr houses except they were borne on mens backes, lyke vnto thē whiche in owlde tyme were cauled Ediles Curules. For, to this office, they put the miserable Ilande men, whom they hande∣led moste cruelly. For leaste theyr handes shulde discontinewe from sheadinge of bludde, and the better to trye theyr strength and manhod, they vsed nowe and then for theyr pastyme to stryue amonge them selues and proue who coulde most cleanely with his swoorde at one stroke stryke of the heade of an inno∣cente. Soo that he which coulde with moste agilitie make the heade of one of those poore wretches to flye quyte and cleane from the body to the grounde at one stroke, he was the best mā and counted moste honorable. These thynges and many suche other, the one of them layde to the others charge beefore the kynge. Whyle these thynges were doinge, the Admirall sente his brother the lieuetenaunt with an army of foure score and

tenne footemen, and a few horsemen, (with three thousande of the Ilande men which were mortall enemies to the Cigua∣uians) to meete the people of Ciguaua, with Kynge Guarionexius theyr graunde capitayne, who had doone muche myscheefe to owre men and suche as fauoured theym. Therefore when the Lieuetenaunt had conducted his army to the bankes of a cer¦teyne greate ryuer runnynge by the playne which we sayd be¦fore to lye betwene the corners of the mountaynes of Ciguaua and the sea, he fownde two scoutes of his enemyes lurkinge in certeyne busshes: wherof the one, castynge hym selfe head longe into the sea, escaped: and by the mouthe of the ryuer swamme ouer to his coompanyons. The other beinge taken, declared that in the woodde on the other side the ryuer, there lay in campe syxe thousande Cyguauians redy, vnwares to a••sayle owre men passynge bye. Wherfore the Lieuetenaunte fyndyng a shalowe place where he myght passe ouer, he with his hole army entered into the ryuer. The which thyng when the Ciguauians had espyed, they came runnynge owte of the wooddes with a terrible crye and moste horrible aspect, much lyke vnto the people cauled Agathyrsi of whom the poete vir∣gile speaketh. For they were all paynted and spotted with sundry coloures, and especiall with blacke and redde whiche they make of certeyne fruites nooryshed for the same purpose in theyr gardens, with the ioyce wherof they paynt them sel∣ues from the forheade, euen to the knees: hauing theyr heare (whiche by arte they make longe and blacke if nature deny it them wrethed and rowled after a thousande fasshions. A man wold th••nke them to bee deuylles incarnate newly broke owte of hell, they are soo lyke vnto helhoundes. As owre mē waded ouer the ryuer, they s••otte at them and hurled dartes soo thicke, that it almoste tooke the lyght of the sonne from owre men. In so much that if they had not borne of the force therof with theyr targettes, the matter hadde gonne wronge with them. Yet at the length, many beinge wounded, they pa••••ed ouer the ryuer, which thynge when the enemies sawe, they fled••e: whome owre men persuinge, slewe sume in the chase: but not many, by reason of theyr swyftenes of foote. Thus beinge in the wooddes, they shotte at owre men more safely. For they being accustomed to the wooddes and naked without any lette, passed throwgh the busshes and shrubbes

as it had byn wylde bores or hartes: wheras owre men were hyndered by reason of theyr apparell, targettes, longe iaue∣lens, and ignorance of the place. Wherfore, when he had rested there all that nyght in vayne, and the daye folowynge sawe none steringe in the wodes, he went (by the councel and conducte of the other Ilande men which were in his a••mye) immediatly from thense, to the montaynes in the which king Maiobanexius had his cheefe mansion place in the vylage cauled Capronum, by the which name also, the kynges palaice was cau¦led, beinge in the same vylage. Thus marchinge forwarde with his army, abowte twelue myle of, he encamped in the vylage of an other kynge, which thinhabitantes had forsa∣ken for feare of owre men. Yet makynge dyligent search, they fownde two, by whom they had knowleage that there was tenne kynges with Maiobanexius in his palaice of Capronum, with an army of eight thousand Ciguauians. At the Lieuetenantes fyrst approche, he durst not gyue them battayle vntyll he had sumwhat better searched the Region: Yet did he in the meane tyme skyrmysshe with them twyse. The nexte nyght abowte mydnyght, he sent furth scoutes, and with them guydes of the Ilande men which knewe the countrey. Whom the Cigua¦uians espyenge from the mountaynes, prepared them selues to the battayle with a terrible crye or alarome after their ma∣ner: but yet durst not coome owte of the wooddes, supposing that the Lieuetenaunt with his mayne army had byn euen at hande. The day folowynge, whē he brought his army to the place where they encamped, leaping owt of the wooddes, they twyse attempted the fortune of warre, fiercely assayling owre men with a mayne force, and woundinge manye before they coulde coouer them with theyr targettes. Yet owre men put them to flyght, slewe many, and tooke many. The resydewe fledde to the wooddes, where they kept them styll as in their moste safe houlde. Of them which were taken, he sent one, & with hym an other of the Ilande men which was of his parte to Maiobanexius with commaundement in this effect. The Lieue¦tenaunt brought not hether his army (O Maiobanexius) to kepe warre eyther ageynst yowe or yowre people: For he greately desyreth yowre frendeshippe. But his entent is, that Guario∣nexius who hath persuaded yowe to bee his ayde ageynste hym to the greate destruction of yowre people and vndoynge of

yowre countrey, may haue dewe correction aswell for his dis¦obedience towarde him, as also for raysing tumultes amonge the people. Wherfore, he requyreth yowe and exorteth yowe, to delyuer Guarionexius into his handes. The which thynge yf yowe shall performe, the Admirall his brother wyll not only gladly admitte yowe to his frendeshyppe, but also enlarge & defende yowre dominion. And if herein yowe refuse to accom¦plys••••e his requeste, it wyll folowe, that yowe shall shortelye repent yowe therof. For yowre kyngedome shall be wasted with swoorde and fyer, and yowe shall abyde the fortune of war••e wherof yowe haue had experience with fauour, as you shall further know here after to yowre payne, yf with stober∣nes yowe prouoke hym to shewe the vttermoste of his poure. When the messenger had thus doone his errante, Maiobanexius answered, that Guarionexius was a good man, indued with ma¦ny vertues as all men knewe: And therfore he thought hym worthy his ayde: especially in as muche as he fledde to hym for succoure, and that he had made him such promesse, whom also he had proued to bee his faithfull frende. Ageyne, that they were nawghty men, violent and cruell, desyringe other mens goodd••s, and suche as spared not to sheede innocentes bludde: In fyne, that he wolde not haue to doo with suche myscheuous men, nor yet enter into frendeshippe with them. When these thynges came to the Lieuetenauntes eare, he com¦maunded the vylage to be burnte where he hym selfe encam∣ped, with many other vylages there abowte. And when he drewe nere to the place where M••iobanexius lay, he sent messen¦gers to hym ageyne, to common the matter with hym, and to wyll hym, to sende sume one of his moste feythful frendes to entreate with hym of peace. Where vppon the kynge sent vn¦to hym one of his cheefe gentelmen, and with hym two other to wayte on hym. When he came to the Lieuetenauntes pre∣sence, he frendly requyred hym to persuade his lord and ma∣ster in his name, and ernestly to admonysshe hym, not to suf∣fer his floryshinge kyngedome to bee spoyled, or hym selfe to abyde the hasarde of warre for Guarionexius sake: And further to exhorte hym to delyuer hym, ex••epte he wolde procure the destruction bothe of hym selfe, his people, and his countrey. When the messenger was returned, Maiobanexius assembled the people, declaring vnto them what was doone, but they cried

owte on hym to delyuer Guarionexius: And beganne to curse the daye that euer they had receaued hym, thus to disturbe theyr quietnes. Maiobanexius answered them, that Guarionexius was a good man, and had well deserued of him, giuinge hym many princely presentes: And had also tawght both his wyfe and hym to synge and daunce, whiche thynge he dyd not lyttle esteeme. And was therfore fully resolued in no case to forsake hym, or ageynste all humanitie to betraye his frende whiche f••edde to hym for succoure: but rather to abyde al extremities with him, then to minister occasion of obloquye to slaunderes to reporte that he had betrayed his geste whom he tooke into his house with warranties, Thus dismissinge the people sigh¦inge and with sorowfull hartes, he cauled Guarionexius before hym, promysinge hym ageyne, that he wolde bee partaker of his fortune whyle lyfe lasted. In so muche that he thowght it not beste to sende any further woorde to the Lieuetenaunt: but appoynted hym whome before he sent to hym, to keepe the way with a garryson of men, to thintent that if any mes∣sengers shulde be sent from the Lieuetenaunt, to sleye them by the way, and admitte none to communication or further entre¦tie of peace. In the meane tyme, the Lieuetenaunt sent twoo, wherof the one was a captiue C••guauian, and the other an I¦lande man of them which were frendes to owre men: They were bothe taken and slayne. The Lieuetenaunt folowed thē onely with ten footemen and foure horsemen. Fyndinge his messengers deade in the waye, he was further prouoked to wrathe, and determyned more extremely to deale with Maioba¦nexius. And therefore wente forwarde incontinently with his hole army to his cheefe palaice of Capronum where he yet laye in campe. At his approche, all the kynges fledde, euery man his way, and forsooke theyr capitayne Maiobanexius: who also with all his famelye, fledde to the rowgh mountaynes. Sum of the Ciguauians, sowght for Guarionexius to sley hym, for that he was the cause of all these troubles. But his feete sa∣ued his lyfe. For he fledde in tyme to the mountaynes where he lurked in maner alone amonge the desola••e rockes.

Whereas nowe the Lieuetenauntes souldiers were forwe∣ryed with longe warre, with watchinge, laboure, and hun∣ger, (for it was nowe three moonethes sence the warres be∣ganne) many desyred leaue to departe to the towre of Concep¦tion,

where they had graneges and exercised tyllage. He gaue them theyr pa••seportes with alowance of vytayles, and soo that only thyrtie remayned with hym. These three moonethes warre, they contynued very paynefull and myserablye: Soo th••t duryng al that tyme, they had none other meate but only Cazibi: that is, suche rootes whereof they make theyr breade, and that but syldome to theyr fyll: Also Vsias, that is, lyttle beastes lyke Conyes, if by chaunce now and then, they tooke sume with theyr houndes. Their drinke was none other then water, such as they fownde, sumtyme sweete, and sumtyme muddy saueringe of the marysshes. Emonge these delicates, that lyttle sleepe that they had, was euer for the moste parte abrode vnder the firmamente: And that not without watche∣men, and in contynual remoouinge as the nature of warre re∣quyreth. With these fewe therfore, the Lieuetenaunt determi¦ned to searche the mountaynes, dennes, & caues, if he coulde in any place fynde the steppes of Maiobanexius or Guarionexius. In the meane tyme certeyne of his menne (whom hunger enfor∣ced to goo a huntinge to proue if they coulde take any conies) chaunced vppon twoo of Maiobanexius familyers, whiche were sent to certeyne vylages of his, to make prouision of breade. These he enforced to declare where theyr lord lay hydde. And vsed the same also for guides to bringe owre mē to the place. Twelue of owre men tooke this enterpryse in hand, painting them selues after the maner of the Ciguauians. Soo that by this stratageme or policie, they came sodenly vppon Maiobanex¦ius, and tooke hym prisoner with his wyfe, children, and fa∣milie, and conueighed them to the towre of Conception to the Lieuetenaunt. Within a fewe dayes after, hunger compelled Guarionexius to coome owte of the dennes: whome, certeine of the people fearinge the Lieuetenaunt, bewrayde to owre hun¦ters. The Lieuetenaunt beinge certified hereof, sent furthe a bande of foote men, commaunding them to lye in ambushe vn¦tyll suche tyme as Gu••rionexius wente from the playnes to the mountaynes, and then soodenly to intrappe hym. They went as they were commaunded, tooke hym, and browght hym a∣waye with them. And by this meanes were all the Regions nere abowte, pacified and quyeted. A certeyne noble woman of nere kynred to Maiobanexius, and wyfe to an other kynge whose dominion was yet vntouched, folowed hym in al these

aduersities. They affirme this woman to bee the fayrest and moste bewetifull that euer nature browght foor••he in the I∣lande. Whom, when the kynge her husbande who looued her moste ardently (as her bewetie deserued) harde saye that shee was taken prisoner he wandered vppe and downe the deser∣tes lyke a man owte of his wytte, not knowinge what to doo or saye. But at the lengthe, he came to the Lieuetenaunte, promysinge moste faythfully that he wold submitte hym selfe and all that he coulde make, vnder his poure, soo that he wolde restore hym his wyfe. The Lieuetenant accepted the cō¦dition & restored him his wife, with certeyne other rulers and gentelmen which he had taken prisoners before: Charginge them, and byndinge them with an othe, to bee euer redye at his commaundement. Shortly after, this kynge, of his owne free motion, came ageyne to the Lieuetenaunt, bringyng with hym fyue thousande men without weapons, sauynge onely suche instrumentes as they vse in tyllage of theyr grownde. He brought with hym also, seedes to sowe: wherwith at his owne charge, he caused suche plentie of theyr corne and frui∣tes to growe in sundry places of the large vale whereof wee spake before, that shortely after, were seene manye fayre and fruitefull fieldes that came therof. And for his gentelnes be∣inge rewarded of the Lieuetenaunte with certeyne of owre thynges, he departed ioyfully. When the report hereof came to the Ciguauians, it mooued the myndes of the kynges to hope of clemencie. Where vppon they came togyther to the Lieuetenaunt with humble submission and faythful promesse euer after to bee vnder his obedience: desyring hym to restore vnto them theyr kynge, with his famylie. At theyr requeste, the kynges wyfe and his householde was sette at Libertie, but he kepte styll as a prisoner. These thynges dyd the Lieue∣tenaunt in the Ilande, not yet knowinge what his a••uersa∣ries and accusers had layde to his charge before the kynge of Spayne: who beinge disquyeted with theyr quarelinges and accusacions, and especially for that by reason of theyr discen¦tion, of soo greate abundaunce of golde and other thynges, there was as yet but lyttle browght into Spayne, appointed a newe gouernour which shuld see a redresse in these thinges: And eyther to punyshe suche as were fautie, or elles to sende them to hym. What was fownde ageynste the Admirall and

his brother, or ageynst his aduersaries whiche accused hym, I doo not wel knowe. But this I am sure of, that both the brethrene are taken, browght, and cast in prison, with their goodes confiscate. But as soone as the kynge vnderstoode that they were browght bounde to Cales, he sent messengers in poste, with commaundemente that they shulde bee loosed and coome freely to his presence: wherby he declared that he tooke theyr troubles greeuouslye. It is also sayde, that the newe gouernoure sent letters to the kynge, wrytten with the Admiralles hande in straunge and vnknowen sypheringes, to his brother the Lieuetenaunt beinge absente, wyllynge hym to bee in a redynes with a poure of armed men to coome and ayde hym if the Gouernoure shulde profer hym any violence. Wherof the gouernour hauinge knowleage (as he saythe) be∣inge also aduertised that the Leauetenaunt was gonne to his brother before the men which he had prepared were in a redi¦nes, apprehended them bothe vnwares, before the multitude came togyther. What wyl folowe, tyme, the moste trewe and prudent Iudge, wyll declare. Thus fare ye well.

Notes

• The spany∣ardes rebe••l in the Admi∣rals absence
• The Spany∣ardes accu••e the Admirall.
• The Admira¦les answere.
• In••olencie & idelnes of li∣bertie.
• These had the cust••••••es of the tēp••ts.
• A cruel and deuel••she pa∣styme.
• kynge Guari∣onerius is ca∣pitaine of .vi. thousand Ci∣guauians.
• Pie••i Agathyrsi.
• Naked men painted with the ioyce of certē fruites.
• heare made longe & black by arte.
• The vse of targettes.
• The Ci••uani an•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dryuē to ••l••ght.
• kynge Maio∣banexius.
• An army of viii. thousand Ciguau••a••••.
• A Larome.
• The Ciguaui¦ans out to f••yght ageine
• The Lieuete¦naunt his am¦bassage to kynge Maio∣banexius.
• kynge Guari∣onexius.
• Maiobanexi∣us h••s an∣swere.
• Natural ha∣tred of vyce.
• The Lieuete¦naunte•• gen∣telnes toward Ma••obanexius
• A rare fayth∣fulnes in a barbarous kynge.
• The Lieuete¦nauntes mes∣sengers are slayne.
• A•• the k••nges are dryuen to ••lyght.
• The Spany∣ardes are peinful in the warres.
• A desperate aduenture with .xxx. men
• A police,
• kynge Maio∣banexius is taken.
• Guarionexius is taken.
• A Bewtifull woman.
• A kynge sen∣deth the lieue¦tenaunt fyue thousand mē to tyll the grownde.
• The kynges submit them selues to the Lieuetenaunt
• A newe go∣uen••our of the ilande.
• An vnwoor∣thy r••warde fo•• soo greate paynes.