made it a Law, That all Prisoners taken in War, should be con∣demned to some corporall punishment, and so should all that assist∣ed the Enemy, by payment of Contribution.
The United States, as they were necessitated, set forth an Edict to the same purpose, That within a certain time, this Cru∣elty of the Spaniards, with bitter Invectives, might be resented. And now the Villages and Fields were Forraged with wan∣dring Incursions; the Souldiers, so soon as taken, were hang∣ed, and many Examples of strange Fortune were shew'd up∣on all.
First of all, the Priests and Nobility, intreat the Removal of this miserable Destruction from their Possessions, in re∣gard they could not always be provided, to resist a suddain violence upon their Fields, lying open to be invaded. But the Souldiery decreased, and such as remained, fearfully en∣deavoured by all means, to shun any meeting with the Ene∣my, if they could but hear one anothers Voices at a distance. Beside, they cryed out, That they sold their Lives but for a little Money▪ and yet could never have that when it was due; but whether they had or no, they were sure to be drawn out to fight, and must venture all manner of Wounds, and the Victory it self yielded them little advantage.
If at any time, by the Averseness of Fortune, a Souldier sell into the Enemies hands, while he was suffering death by the Executioner's hand, he was laughed at, because he had not fled in time.
The Captains and Tribunes, trembled in silence to think, that the more fortunate they had been, the greater was their hazard.
These things made them admire Antiquity, in the Obe∣dience of the present Times, and at last made them return to their old Custom, to redeem their Lands with Tribute, to make Exchange of Prisoners; and that he who Ransom'd himself, should, for the same, give a Months Pay.