The tears of the Indians being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent people, committed by the Spaniards in the islands of Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, &c. : as also in the continent of Mexico, Peru, & other places of the West-Indies, to the total destruction of those countries / written in Spanish by Casaus, an eye-witness of those things ; and made English by J.P.

To all true English-men.

NEver had we so just cause to exclaim in the words of the Pro∣phet Jeremiah; O that our heads were waters, and our eyes fountains of tears, that we might weep for the Ef∣fusion

of so much Innocent Blood which provok'd these sad Relations of devout CASAUS, by reason of the cruel Slaughters and Butcheries of the Iesuiti∣cal Spaniards, perpetrated upon so many Millions of poor innocent Heathens, who having onely the light of Nature, not knowing their Saviour Iesus Christ, were sacrificed to the Poli∣tick Interest and Avarice of the wicked Spaniards.

The blood of Ireland, spilt by the same Faction,

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in comparison of these Massacres, was but as a Drop to the Ocean. It was the Saying of Christ himself, the Son of Mer∣cy, and Redeemer of the World, That we ought not to cast the Childrens Bread to dogs: But what would he have judg'd of those, that not onely cast the Bread, but the Blood; and not onely the Blood, but the Innocent Blood of men, women and children, to satisfie the contemptible hunger of their Hounds?

The intention of these men was Murder; and they kill'd up the poor Indians, not as if they had been their Fellow-Mortals, but like Death it self; and in∣vaded their Land, not like Men, but like the Pesti∣lence, whose destruction is Epidemical.

When our own Case had a small Resemblance of this, how sensible the People were, and how they mour∣ned at the burning of a poor Village; the usual Acci∣dents, or rather, things to

be expected, in a tedious and necessitated War: but, had you been Eye-witnesses of the transcending Mas∣sacres here related; had you been one of those that lately saw a pleasant Coun∣try, now swarming with multitudes of People, but immediately all depopula∣ted, and drown'd in a De∣luge of Bloud: had you been one of those that saw great Cities of Nations and Countries in this mo∣ment flourishing with Inha∣bitants, but in the next,

totally ruin'd with such a general Desolation, as left neither Person living, nor House remaining: had you seen the poor innocent Hea∣thens shaming and upbraid∣ing, with the ghastliness of their Wounds, the devilish Cruelties of those that cal∣led themselves Christians: had you seen the poor crea∣tures torn from the peace and quiet of their own Ha∣bitations, where God had planted them, to labour in a Tormenting Captivity, by many degrees worse then

that of Algier, or the Turkish Galleys; your Com∣passion must of necessity have turn'd into Astonish∣ment: the tears of Men can hardly suffice; these are Enormities to make the Angels mourn and be∣wail the loss of so many de∣parted souls, as might have been converted and redeem∣ed to their eternal Mansi∣ons.

We read of old, of the Ten Persecutions wherein the Primitive Chri∣stians were destroy'd by the

Cruelties of the Heathen Emperours: but we now read of Christians, the Professors of a Religion grounded upon Love and Charity, massacring, where there was no cause of An∣tipathy, but their own obsti∣nate Barbarism; as if be∣cause their Wickedness had so far transform'd them into Devils, they were re∣solved to deface the image of God, so innocently con∣versing among them. The Turks and Scythians shall be now no more the Ada∣gies

of Cruelty among us; for here is a Christian Na∣tion which hath taken off that Envie from them, and entayl'd it upon them∣selves.

And now, O men of England, let me ask you but this Question; Whether you, that for these many years have had the Honour to be the Patrons of Religi∣on; whose Charity hath still relieved, and whose Power hath still defended the Cause of the Oppressed at home

and abroad; whether you can withdraw your Assist∣ance from this Great Work, and deprive your selves of that Birth-right which you seem to have among the Nations, God still con∣tinuing the Management of his Iustice in the hands of our most Fortunate and Lawful Magistrate, whom he hath rais'd up, as his Great Instrument, to re∣venge the Blood of that in∣nocent People.

Consider this, more∣over, That you are not

uow to fight against your Country-men, but against your Old and Constant E∣nemies, the SPANI∣ARDS, a Proud, De∣ceitful, Cruel, and Treache∣rous Nation, whose chief∣est Aim hath been the Conquest of this Land, and to enslave the People of this Nation; witness those Invasions in the days of Queen ELIZABETH; whose Leagues of Amity we had more reason to re∣pent of, then to rejoyce at, as being destructive to the

Nation, and made with those that onely sought the Advantages of Peace, that they might be more safe to do us Mischief: and so little they car'd for Peace with us, that they never sought it, but when meer Vrgencies of State re∣quir'd; and never kept their Articles, when they had the least hope of Pro∣fit to themselves: Of which we need not look for ancient Examples; they are fresh in Memory, and have been too sadly and

undeservedly sustain'd, both nearer home, and of late years in the West-Indies also, as appears by that Pious and Prudent DE∣CLARATION set forth by his Highness the LORD PROTECTOR; as if Providence had so or∣dain'd it, that by the Wrongs of our Country∣men in those Parts, we should be interested in the Quarrel of those Innocent Nations.

Neither need we to fear the Vaunts of the Spanish

Monarch, whose Govern∣ment stands not on those strong Foundations that some imagine; Blood and Tyrannie being the chief Pillars of his Greatness, or rather, his Arcana Impe∣rii; & his Empire being one∣ly strong in this, That the Weaknesses thereof have not yet been well look'd into. Should we chase him from his Indian Treasures, he would soon retire to his Shell, like a Snail tapt up∣on the horns. And per∣haps it would not a little

avail to the General Peace of Europe, whereby we should be strengthened a∣gainst the Common Enemy of Christianitie. For doubtless it hath been the Satanical Scope of this Ty∣rant, To set all the Euro∣pean Princes at Variance, and to keep them busie at home, that they might not have leasure to bend their Forces against his Golden Regions. But he pre∣tends a Right to them, though upon very slender Grounds: for that the

English may better claim then himself; it being first discovered, as is well known, and tendered to Henry the Seventh, by Sebastian Ca∣bot, one of his own Ca∣ptains. Which brings to minde the Poor Spirits of our English Kings, who would not regard such an Advantage, so highly im∣porting the Honour of the Nation, so far as to be almost guilty of the Bloud shed in those parts, through their neglect. But for far∣ther satisfaction concerning

the Right of the English to the West-Indies, I shall refer you to a further Trea∣tise, which I may ere long put forth.

And now, honoured Coun∣try-men, seeing that by Divine Providence the Cru∣elties and Barbarous Mas∣sacres of the Spaniards have been so apparently present∣ed to you, I cannot but be confident of your En∣deavours, as you tender the Good and Welfare of your Native Country, to

acquit your selves in so just a Cause, which God hath put into the Heart and Hands of our Supreme Magistrate, who is so Vigilant to embrace all Op∣portunities for the Good of the Nation.