An account of the first voyages and discoveries made by the Spaniards in America containing the most exact relation hitherto publish'd, of their unparallel'd cruelties on the Indians, in the destruction of above forty millions of people : with the propositions offer'd to the King of Spain to prevent the further ruin of the West-Indies / by Don Bartholomew de las Casas, Bishop of Chiapa, who was an eye-witness of their cruelties ; illustrated with cuts ; to which is added, The art of travelling, shewing how a man may dispose his travels to the best advantage.

Among the other Remedies propos'd by the Lord Bartholomew de Las-Casas in the Assembly of Prelats and Learned Men whom the King call'd together at Valladolid, to reform the Affairs of the Indies, in the year 1542, he advises, That the King of Spain should take the Indians under his protection, and consider 'em as his lawful Subjects, that by this means they may be shelter'd and guarded from the continual Tyranny and Insolence of their Enemies, and not be utterly extirpated by Massacres, which have bin so often committed with Impunity. For as fruitful and populous as this New World has been,

it will soon be laid entirely waste, and turn'd into a barren Desert, if the Spaniards be still suffer'd to root out the Inhabitants, as they have hitherto done.

The Words of the Bishop on this Subject are as follows:

The most proper and best Expedient, and which is of great importance for your Majesty's Interest, with∣out which all others will be fruitless, is, that your Ma∣jesty send express Orders to all your Courts and Tri∣bunals in the Indies, to receive all the Indians, both those that have been already subjugated, and those that shall be conquer'd for time to come, into the num∣ber of your free Subjects, that all the Provinces they inhabit be united to the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon, and that all the Inhabitants be incorporated as your own People, so that they shall not be capa∣ble of being inslaved by any Spaniard; and that this Law and Order be inviolably observ'd: that for the future these new Provinces may not be dismember'd and alienated from the Crown of Spain, under any pretext whatsoever, tho never so great necessity should be pretended; and never so pressing inter∣cession be made with your Majesty to obtain the Ti∣tle of a particular Soveraignty for any one: That all the world may know that the Government of those Provinces that are subdued in the In∣dies, is inseparably united to your Majesty's Crown, and a part of your Property. That to confirm this Constitution the better, and to render it the more solemn and inviolable, your Majesty would please to take an Oath upon the Holy Gospel, on your Crown, and all that is most sacred, in the form and manner Princes are wont to do on such Occasions, that you will never revoke this Edict; and that your Succes∣sors

be oblig'd to take the same Oath: And that your Majesty take care to make it one express Article of your last Will and Testament to engage your Succes∣sors to observe this Law, and to make others ob∣serve it, as much as lies in their Power.

Divers reasons are afterwards produc'd to shew that this Policy is of absolute necessity for the Pre∣servation of America, and to hinder the utter Extir∣pation of the Indians.

The insatiable Covetousness of the Spaniards, who mind nothing but to amass together heaps of Trea∣sure, makes 'em unwilling to suffer any Priest or Monk to come into those Cities where they are Masters, for fear their worldly Interest should receive considerable damage by that sort of Men; because (they say) it makes the Indians idle, to assemble 'em (as they do) to instruct 'em in the matters of Reli∣gion; for all the time they take up to preach to 'em, they detain 'em from the Work imposed on 'em. Sometimes when the poor Indians have been assem∣bled for their instruction in Christianity, the Spani∣ards have insolently accosted 'em with Cudgels in their hands; taking such a number of 'em as they think fit, to carry their Baggage or any such like Ser∣vice; and if they are unwilling to obey, they force 'em to it with Blows in the sight of all the rest, and in the presence of the Monks that instruct 'em; which is a great Scandal to our Religion, and a mighty Obstacle to their Conversion, who are strangely terrified and hinder'd in these pious Exer∣cises as well as the Monks that preach to 'em, by this ill usage.

Another Inconvenience the Spaniards pretend they receive from these Instructions, is, that when the In∣dians are converted and plac'd in the number of Chri∣stians, they grow proud and insolent, thinking bet∣ter of themselves than they are, and refuse to work so

hard as they did before. For the Spaniards are very ambitious to command the Indians as their absolute Slaves, and to be obey'd, respected, and even a∣dor'd by 'em; and therefore omit nothing that may hinder them from becoming Christians.

Sometimes 3 or 4 Towns or Villages are given up to the disposal of a certain number of Spaniards, and the Inhabitants distributed among 'em, to some more, to others fewer; and it often happens that a Woman falls to one Man's share, whose Husband falls to the Lot of another, and their Children to a third; so that they divide these miserable Fami∣lies like Flocks of Sheep. They employ 'em in all sorts of service, as to manure the ground, to work in the Mines, and to carry Burdens in Journeys of 50 or 60 Leagues. And their Masters so constantly exact the hard Tasks of Work they set 'em, that the poor Wretches have not time to attend the Instructi∣ons of the Divine Word, and to learn the Rules of Christianity. These People, tho free, have been made Slaves, and the greatest part of 'em destroy'd. Parents and Children have been slaughter'd toge∣ther; Villages and Cities entirely ruin'd, and not a House left standing. And the Spaniards have no more regard to their Salvation, than if their Souls and Bodies died together, and were uncapable of eternal Rewards or Punishments.

The Spaniards undoubtedly have an Obligation of Duty upon 'em to instruct them in the Doctrine of Christ; but they are so ignorant themselves, that 'tis not much to be wonder'd at, if they take no care to inform others. I knew one John Colmenero in the Isle of St. Martha, as dull, as ignorant and whimsi∣cal a fellow as one should meet with, to whom the care of instructing the Indians in a great City was committed, tho he scarce knew how to make the sign of the Cross; and when he was examined about

the course he took to instruct the Indians, could make no other answer, but that he taught 'em to say, Per signin sanctin Cruces. By which one may easily guess at the profound Understanding of the Man. And how indeed is it possible for the Spaniards to teach the Indians Christianity, and to inform 'em what is necessary to Salvation, when the most no∣ted Spanish Lords, and such as make the greatest fi∣gure in the Indies, scarce know how many Com∣mandments there are? For they go into America only to gratify their insatiable Covetousness. They are generally given to all sorts of Vices; and so im∣modest, voluptuous and effeminate, that if a just Comparison were made between them and the In∣dians, these latter would be found to have much more Virtue and Honesty: For as ignorant and bar∣barous as they be, they are content with one Wife according to the Laws of Nature, as a necessary help to 'em; whereas the Spaniards lay aside all respect to the will of their Maker, and take 14 or 15 Women, or as many as they please, to satisfy their brutish Passions, how opposite soever this Plurality of Wives is to the Law of God. The Indians scarce know what it is to take away one another's Goods, and live in∣nocently by their Neighbours, without offering 'em any Violence or Oppression. And what thoughts must such People as these have of those that call themselves Christians, when they see 'em commit all manner of Crimes and Villanies; when they see 'em guilty of so much Injustice and Treachery, and in a word, of all the Abominations of which men that are left of God, and have no principle of honour or conscience can be capable? This makes many Indians laugh at the God we worship, and persist obstinately in their Incredulity. They be∣lieve the God of the Christians to be the worst of Gods, because his Worshippers are the worst of Men.

As for your Majesty, they think you are the most cruel and impious Prince in the World, while they see the Cruelty and Impiety your Subjects so inso∣lently commit; and they verily believe your Maje∣sty lives upon nothing but human flesh and blood. Probably this account may very much surprize your Majesty, who perhaps have not yet receiv'd suffi∣cient information about these matters; but this Opi∣nion is of long standing, and become inveterate among 'em. I could produce a great many Instances, of which I have been an Eye-witness, to convince you of the Truth of it; but I am afraid of making your Majesty too uneasy, and of filling the Reader's mind with too much horror, by reciting such extra∣ordinary and unparallel'd Stories, which may give a just occasion of Wonder, that God has so long defer'd to inflict some exemplary and terrible Judg∣ment upon Spain, to punish all the Abominations the Spaniards have committed in the Indies. The Pretence of subjecting the Indians to the Govern∣ment of Spain, is only made to carry on the design of subjugating 'em to the Dominion of private Men, who make 'em all their Slaves. One Spaniards who has the Government of a Town or City, does more mischief by his vitious and scandalous Example, than a hundred Priests and Monks can do good in en∣deavouring to advance Christianity by all their Piety, and the exemplary Sanctity of their Lives.

When the Spaniards have the Government of any place committed to 'em, or have any personal con∣cern, or special interest in it, they'l be sure to op∣press and harass the poor Indians, and offer 'em all the Abuses that can be. And 'tis now become almost impossible for your Majesty or your Ministers to stop the Course of these Oppressions, and regulate these Disorders; for the Spaniards terrify the Indians by their threatnings, and sometimes kill 'em to prevent

their complaints against 'em: and of this kind of Cruelty we have many Instances: So that the poor Indians are continually molested and harassed, with∣out any calm Intervals in which to compose their Minds, and therefore are not capable of applying their Thoughts to the consideration of Divine things. Their whole Life is spent in Sorrow and Anguish under their Persecutions and Torments. This makes 'em mortally hate your Majesty, and abhor the Christian Religion; for they can't but think you impose a severe Yoke on 'em with intole∣rable Tyranny, that you are the most covetous Prince upon Earth, and that therefore they ought to leave no stone unturn'd to get clear of your Go∣vernment. The despair under which they lie, occa∣sions 'em to belch out a thousand Curses against our God, attributing all the Miseries they suffer to him, whom they accuse of Blindness, Injustice, and want of Compassion, for not punishing the Outrages com∣mitted against 'em under the pretence of obliging 'em to embrace his Religion, and for not chastising the Impiety of such as make a boast of being his Servants, while they are guilty of the highest Abo∣minations. This inflames their Zeal towards their false Gods, which they say are much better than ours, who has brought all manner of Miseries upon 'em, whereas their own were the Authors of all kinds of Blessings.

We shall make it evidently appear to your Ma∣jesty, that the Spaniards in about eight and thirty or forty years have unjustly put to death above twelve Millions of your Subjects; and what an incredible damage must your Majesty have farther sustain'd by these Massacres, as they have hinder'd all these Peo∣ple from multiplying, who would have amounted to an infinite number, the People of this new World being very fruitful, and the Climat generally ve∣ry

temperate and pleasant, and consequently very proper for Generation? The Spaniards have massa∣cred and destroy'd all these Nations, to possess themselves of their Country, and to usurp the Go∣vernment of it, so as to have it entirely at their disposal. And how injust soever those Wars have been which they have made upon the Indians, if the poor Creatures put themselves in a posture of De∣fence, they cruelly cut their throats without any distinction of Quality, Sex or Age: Such as escape their Fury they reserve for Slaves, many of whom they condemn to the Gold or Silver Mines, others they yoke together like Beasts to make 'em carry vast Burdens. They don't much concern themselves whether the Indians live or die, provided they reap some advantage by their Labour, and heap up Gold at any rate in the World. I pass over in silence a great many of the Torments these poor People have been made to endure on all occasions. If any shall attempt to perswade your Majesty of the contrary, we'l undertake to prove what Violence the Spa∣niards have us'd among the Indians by invincible and undoubted Evidence: And shall not scruple to say, that whoever take upon 'em to deny the truth of these matters, have in all appearance partaken of those Robberies, or at least hope to have a share of 'em one time or other. For what shew of proba∣bility is there in saying the Contagion of the Air has so entirely destroy'd the People of a Country of 2500 Leagues extent, that there's scarce a Man to be found?

The Spaniards, who know no other God but their Interest, have sullied the Reputation of the poor Indi∣ans with the most odious Stain that can be imagin'd, in accusing 'em of being addicted to an infamous and abominable Sin against Nature; a Calumny as ill contriv'd as 'tis unjust. For that Crime has never

been heard of in the Islands of Hispaniola, St. John, Cuba, and Jamaica, which have been very populous. This I can speak with assurance, as knowing it to be true, because I took care to inform my self of it as soon as I came ashore in the new World. Nor is it so much as known what this Vice is in all Peru: not one Man has ever been found guilty of it in the whole Kingdom of Yucatan; and the like may be asserted in general of other Countries of America: Only 'tis said, that in some very remote parts of it there are some People addicted to this monstrous Crime: But is it reasonable for this to accuse the whole new World, and to cast an everlasting Re∣proach on so many different Nations? We must say the same of another Enormity charg'd upon the In∣dians, namely their eating of Human Flesh. There are indeed in some particular places a sort of Men so barbarous that they eat their own kind; but 'tis very injust to take occasion from this to report the same of all America in general. Another pretence the Spaniards use, by which to justify their ill Carriage towards the Indians, is their Idolatry; as if it did not belong to God rather than to them, to punish those that offend him by such abominable Worship when he sees meet.

Besides, the Lands and Territories they possess are not under the Jurisdiction of the Spaniards, nor are the Indians oblig'd to own any other Governors than their lawful and natural Soveraigns. Our Ancestors before they were instructed in the Doctrine of Christianity, were buried in the gross darkness of Idolatry as well as the Indians. And before the coming of Christ, all the Nations of the World in general were guilty of that Crime. But that which evidently proves the Minds of the Indians to be ve∣ry susceptible of our Religion, is the Mildness, Hu∣mility and Courtesy they at first express'd to the

Spaniards, and the patience wherewith they have since undergone their Cruelties.

'Tis a most inexcusable piece of Wickedness in the Spaniards, that they have made use of all the Obstructions they could, and that deliberately, to hinder the Indians from imbracing the Christian Faith; they have driven away all the Monks that came into the Indies to preach the Gospel, from those places where they had power enough to do it, be∣cause they did not care these Religious Persons should be Witnesses of the Tyranny and Cruelty they exercis'd on the poor People. They have even debauch'd the Indians by the ill Example they have set 'em, and taught 'em a great many Vices they never heard of before they conversed with the Spaniards, such as Oaths and Blasphemies against the Name of Christ, the Practice of Extortion, Lying, and many other Sins that seem'd opposite to the sweet and peaceable Temper of these People: So that to leave these poor Indians under their Govern∣ment, is visibly to expose 'em to utter Destruction, and to make 'em miserable both in Soul and Body.

King Ferdinando was so far impos'd on by the Ar∣tifices of some self-interested Men, as to give 'em leave to transport the Inhabitants of the Lucay-Islands into Hispaniola: these People were forc'd out of their Houses, and out of their Country, in pur∣suance of this Grant, which was subtily obtain'd, and occasion'd the destruction of above a hundred thousand People; so that there now remain but eleven of 'em in fifty Islands, some of which are bigger than the Canaries, that were well stor'd with People. And this I can affirm on my own know∣ledg, if your Majesty could have seen the Ravages and Massacres that have been committed in the Lucay Islands, you would have been pierc'd with the most lively sentiments of Compassion; and then I should

have been afraid to incommode your Majesty by re∣viving the memory of that Tyranny, in giving an exact Recital of it. We have taken notice above of the injust Wars the Spaniards formerly rais'd against the Indians; we have shewn how they massacred 'em against all Law and Equity, how cruelly they de∣priv'd 'em of their Children, their Parents, and Friends; how they have laid waste one of the finest Countries in the World, and render'd it in a man∣ner destitute of Inhabitants. This Barbarity makes the Earth groan, the Angels lament these Miseries: And God himself has given us to know by the Judg∣ments he has inflicted on us, how much these injust and violent Actions displease him.

The Spaniards have taken from the Indians all they had; they make 'em work till they spit Blood, they expose 'em to all sorts of Hardships, and ex∣act intolerable Tasks of 'em; and, which is yet more horrible, after all they load 'em with heavy Blows, beating, whipping and tormenting 'em with the ut∣most Cruelty. To give up the Indians to the Go∣vernment and Tyranny of these Men, is as great a madness, as to give Children into the hands of Men that are acted by a raging Phrenzy, and have Knives and Daggers ready in their hands to cut their Throats; or to sacrifice Men to the fury of their sworn Enemies, who have long entertain'd the desire of Revenge, and form'd a design to murder 'em; or to expose a young beautiful Virgin to the Discretion of an impudent Ravisher. Who in such a conjuncture, without the interposition of special Grace, would abandon himself to the Conduct of his Passions? In a word, it would be the same thing as to give 'em up to so many wild Bulls, Wolves, Lions and Tigers, when inrag'd with pressing Hunger: for all the Pro∣hibitions that should be given these wild Beasts not to touch such as are expos'd to their fury, would

have just the same effect to prevent 'em from being devour'd, as any Charge that can be given the Spa∣niards to hinder 'em from murdering the Indians to possess themselves of their Gold and Silver. We dare assure your Majesty after the long Observation we have made of these matters, that if your Ma∣jesty should order a Gibbet to be set up at every Spaniard's door, and should swear upon your Crown, that you would cause every Man to be hang'd that should kill or offer any considerable Injury to the Indians to get their Riches; this would not be an effectual Remedy to these Disorders, if your Ma∣jesty gave 'em any Authority or Power over 'em either directly or indirectly. The same occa∣sions of doing mischief would still present, and defeat all the Prohibitions that could be made, and all the Punishments that could be us'd to terrify 'em.

Nor are the poor Indians expos'd only to be made Slaves by the Spaniards, but suffer abundance of Op∣pression from a cruel Tyrant, that has the Govern∣ment of each Town or City, who has a severe Eye over 'em, to see how they acquit themselves of their Labors, and perform the Tasks impos'd on 'em. His business is to plague and torment 'em so many different ways, that their Sufferings are almost be∣yond comparison; he beats 'em with Cudgels, tears their Flesh with Whips, and causes burning drops of Fat to be distill'd on their naked Bodies. He is continually exercising his Invention in contriving new Tortures, he violates their Wives, takes away their Turkeys, which they count one of their great∣est Treasures; these Fowls serve him to make Pre∣sents to the General, who is superior to all these petty Tyrants. But 'tis impossible to give a parti∣cular description of all the Punishments these poor Wretches endure; and after all to stop their Com∣plaints,

they threaten to accuse 'em of Idolatry. Thus the poor Indians are subject to the Authority of several different Powers, to your Majesty, to their Cacique, and to the Spanish Governor, besides twen∣ty other little Tyrants, destitute of Reason, Honor and Conscience, who commit all sorts of Outrages; and likewise the Moors whom the chief Tyrant em∣ploys to rob and oppress the poor Indians.

'Tis much to be fear'd that Almighty God will make Spain feel some extraordinary marks of his Displeasure and Indignation for these enormous Crimes: nay, there appear already some tokens of the Divine Anger against the Spanish Nation, for the Disorders and Devastations made by some in the new World: for tho God had laid up such quanti∣ties of Treasure there, that it may be said neither Solomon nor any other Prince ever possess'd a stock of Gold and Silver comparable to that which the People of these vast Regions enjoy'd; yet they have bin so pillag'd, that now there's little remaining among 'em: But that which is more unaccountable is, that there's scarce any of that Silver now to be found, that was so common in America when the Spaniards first discover'd it. This makes every thing extraordinary scarce there, so that the Spaniards are reduc'd to extreme Poverty and Indigence.

All the while Larés govern'd the Indies, there was no more care taken to instil the Principles of Christianity into the poor Indians, and to put 'em in the way of Salvation, than if they had no Souls to save. This General applied himself only to plun∣der the great Cities, and would give a hundred In∣dians to one Spaniard, and fifty to another, as he had more or less respect for 'em. He made no distinction of Age or Condition, but promiscuously distributed old Men, and big bellied Women, as well as others, Persons of Eminency and Princes as well

as the common People, to oblige his Favorites; as if these Indians were his absolute Property. Their new Masters made 'em work in the Gold Mines, or employ'd 'em in any other Service they pleas'd; and without regard to their Rank or Quality, ob∣lig'd 'em to bear this slavish Yoke till they dy'd.

This Governor suffer'd the Spaniards to confine eighty thousand of 'em in the Mines, who were all married Men, while their desolate Wives were forc'd to labor in the Villages, in digging the ground, making Ditches, and throwing up Banks, a sort of work fit only for the strongest Men, and the rather because they had neither Shovels nor other Instru∣ments proper for their business. In other places they put 'em upon spinning and other works of that kind, which they found would turn to account; and would sometimes keep Husbands and Wives from seeing one another a whole year together; and when they met after this long separation, they were often so fatigued, and consum'd with Hunger and Labor, that they were incapable of Multiplication. Some∣times the Children dy'd for want of Sustenance, their Mothers Milk being exhausted with hard La∣bor and Hunger; by this means there dy'd seven thousand Infants in the space of three months in the Isle of Cuba, of which I was an Eye-witness. Some of the Women transported with despair strangl'd their own Children; others that were with Child took poisonous Herbs to destroy their Fruit. Thus the Men dy'd with hardship in the Mines, and the Women in the Villages; so that the whole Country became desert in a little time, because the Women ceas'd to bring forth Children into the World.

This Governor deliver'd up all the Indians to the Discretion of the Spaniards, and suffer'd 'em to treat 'em with all the Rigor and Severity they pleas'd, and to oppress 'em with the hardest Labor they

could. They employ'd Men to chastise 'em that were more savage and barbarous than Tygers, these scourg'd and beat 'em most unmercifully, and gave them all the ill Treatment they could devise; they would never discover the least sign of Kindness or Pity, but always shew'd themselves austere and bar∣barously cruel. It would be very inhuman to treat the Moors themselves after this manner, tho they are so very cruel to the Christians, and do 'em all the mischief they can, when they have the Ascendent over 'em. But the Indians are naturally a good-humour'd, easy, peaceable, submissive, and tractable sort of People. Some of 'em have by the many Miseries they suffer'd, been driven to despair of any mitigation of 'em, and therefore fled into the Moun∣tains, where they expected Death every moment. The Spaniards to hinder 'em from flying after this manner, appointed a bloody Fellow to make it his whole business to hunt out these Indian Refugees up∣on the Mountains. The Governor besides establish'd a sort of Officers in the Spanish Cities of great Con∣sideration and Authority, whom he call'd Visitors; to each of these he gave a hundred Indians to serve him, besides his ordinary Domesticks, the better to support his Dignity. He chose such to this Office as had signaliz'd themselves by their Cruelty. When the Alquazils presented the Indians they found on the Mountains to these Visitors, there were Persons suborn'd and instructed to accuse 'em after this manner; This Indian is a lazy Dog, that fled into the Mountains to avoid Work, therefore I desire he may be chastiz'd as he deserves. After the giving of this Evidence, the Visitor us'd to cause the poor Indian to be tied to a Stake, and beat with a tarr'd Rope, which the Seamen call a Salt-Eel, and indeed is like a Rod of Iron, till the Blood would start out in I know not how many parts of his Body, and the

poor Creature would lie for dead upon the place. God is witness of all the Cruelties these miserable Innocents have endur'd: 'Tis not possible to re∣count the hundredth part of what I have seen with my own Eyes. A man had need have a Body of Iron to undergo the Labor they endure in getting Gold out of the Mines. They must delve and search a thousand times over in the bowels of the Moun∣tains, till they dig 'em down from top to bottom; they must work the very Rocks hollow. After this the Gold must be wash'd in some River, and the poor Creatures that do this work must be perpe∣tually in the Water, which gradually alters and spoils the Constitution of their Bodies; and if the Mines happen to be full of Water, they are forc'd to empty 'em. That your Majesty may the better judg of the Labor and Toil they suffer in the Gold Mines, your Majesty may please to consider, that the Pagan Emperors accounted this the worst and most intolerable Punishment to inflict on the Martyrs, next to Death it self. The Indians are sometimes kept a whole year in these Mines: but since the Spa∣niards have observ'd, that it kill'd most of 'em to keep 'em there so long together, because their Bo∣dies were uncapable of sustaining the Fatigues of such a tedious and continual Labor, they resolv'd to make 'em work only for the space of five months successively, and then to give 'em a respite of forty days, wherein they employ'd 'em in melting Gold. But this pretended Rest did 'em no great good, for they were not much less incommoded during this time than before, being employ'd in other very troublesom kinds of Work. The Indians don't know what Holy-days are; for they work as hard and as long on those days as at other times. Nor have they a sufficiency of Bread allow'd 'em; and what they have is a very ordinary sort, that has

not much strength in it, being made of Roots and Cassave; so that if they don't eat Flesh or Fish with it, it yields very little Nourishment. They like∣wise give 'em a sort of Pepper that grows in the Country, and looks much like a dry'd Grape. Those Spaniards that pretend to keep their Slaves extraordinary well, distribute a Porker every week among fifty Indians; but he that presides over 'em at the Mine keeps one half of it for his share, and gives them the other, which is but every one a bit. Some of the Spaniards are so wretchedly covetous, that they send their Slaves into the Fields and Moun∣tains to feed upon what Fruit they can find, and then oblige 'em to work two or three days without giving 'em any thing to eat. Your Majesty may easily imagine, that such kind of Food can't possibly sustain their weak and languishing Bodies, that are continually enfeebled and exhausted with hard La∣bor; or that these poor Creatures that are mace∣rated with all manner of Hardship and Fatigue, without any rest, or relaxation of their Misery, can live long under the pressures of so cruel a Servi∣tude.

The abovemention'd Governor at last order'd they should have Wages distributed among 'em, viz. that three Blancs should be given each of 'em to spend every two days, as the Reward of the hard Labors they exacted of 'em. This was only to mock the poor Wretches, for this Mony would scarce buy 'em the least Trifle. But for many years they had nothing at all given 'em, yet this does not disturb 'em so much as want of Victuals; for there is nothing in the world they so much desire as to eat well, insomuch that if they could but satisfy themselves with one good Meal, they would after∣wards

be content to die. This Governor depriv'd 'em of all the liberty they enjoy'd, and suffer'd the Spaniards to inslave 'em, and treat 'em as severely as they pleas'd; and indeed the ill usage they have met with is beyond what the Mind of man can ima∣gine. They have not the liberty to dispose of any thing they have: The condition of Beasts is prefera∣ble to theirs, for these are at least sometimes turn'd loose to fill their Bellies with Grass in the fields, and have a little ease and liberty; whereas the poor Indians have scarce any time of rest allow'd 'em, but are constrain'd to do whatever the covetous Spaniards command 'em. They lead 'em to work like Beasts of Burden rather than Men. If at any time they give 'em leave to go home to take a little Repose, they neither find their Wives nor Children there, nor any thing to eat, and have no other re∣lief than to lay themselves down and die. The in∣credible Fatigue they undergo wears 'em out the sooner, because they are naturally of a weak and tender Constitution; and when they are sick and faint, they are still made to work without any Com∣passion: nay, the Spaniards are so cruel as to beat and abuse 'em when they are just ready to die, calling 'em lazy Rascals, as if they refus'd to work, and feign'd themselves sick, merely out of Idleness. At last when they see their Illness increase to that de∣gree, that they can expect no more Service of 'em, they send 'em home, giving 'em six or seven great Roots, almost like Turnips, with a small quantity of Cassave, to carry 'em a journey of fifty or sixty Leagues; so that they often miserably languish and die before they have proceeded far on their way: we often found a great many of 'em dead on the Roads, others we found ready to expire, and others by their Groans and Sighs gave us to understand their extreme Hunger. When the Governor had

not a sufficient number of Men for the Works in the Mines, he supplied the places of them that were releas'd by death, by casting Lots for others, which method was observ'd once a year.

When he enter'd into the Continent, he came like a sweeping Judgment of God, or as a Wolf among Sheep: He committed so many Robberies, Massacres and Cruelties, depopulated and destroy'd so many Towns and Cities, giving the Spaniards li∣berty to do what they pleas'd, that no History can parallel his Barbarity: He robb'd both the King of Spain and his Subjects, without being ever call'd to account for it; he left above forty Leagues of a very populous and fertil Country to the discretion or rather fury of his Soldiers: All that pleasant Tract of Ground from Daria where he landed to Nicaraqua was reduc'd to the utmost Desolation; so that five or six Millions of Mony will not re∣pair the Damage done there. This vile and cruel Man abandon'd the Indians to the Tyranny of the Spaniards, which was the source and original Cause of all the Persecutions under which those poor Peo∣ple have since groan'd, and of all the Devastations that America has suffer'd wherever the Spaniards have set their feet. This Contagion by degrees spread far and near; so that this General by let∣ting loose his Soldiers after this licentious manner, has occasion'd the ruin of many millions of Men, and the desolation of divers great Kingdoms that were subjected to your Majesty's Dominion. If we say the Spaniards have destroy'd seven Kingdoms bigger than that of Spain, we can speak it with confidence, as knowing it to be true, and having known the time when they were fill'd with multi∣tudes of People, tho now there are scarce any to be found, the Spaniards having extirpated the Peo∣ple of these large Kingdoms, and left the Walls

and Houses of the Towns and Cities without Inha∣bitants.

Your Majesty has no fix'd and constant Revenue in the Indies; your Effects are like Leaves, which when once they fall from the Trees appear no more till a year after. That the Spaniards are possess'd of the absolute Government of the Indies is the true cause of this Disorder; for the number of the Indians every day decreasing, your Majesty's Re∣venues must necessarily receive a proportionable di∣minution.

The Kingdom of Spain is in great danger to be invaded by Foreign Nations, especially by the Moors and Turks, who perhaps may one day be in a con∣dition to destroy it: For God is a just Judg, and cannot look upon the Villanies and Oppressions, the Robberies and Murders of the Spaniards in the Indies, without indignation. All the Nations of this new World, who were created (as well as his others) af∣ter the likeness and image of God, and ran∣som'd by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, have been unjustly and cruelly tormented and persecuted by 'em; they have made horrible slaughters among 'em to requite the many Kindnesses they heap'd on 'em with all imaginable Freedom and Civility. And that which still aggravates their Crimes the more, and must needs farther provoke the Divine Displea∣sure, is, that God had made choice of Spain to car∣ry his blessed Gospel into the Indies, and to bring many populous Nations to the knowledg of himself; for which if they had fallen in with his Designs, he would, besides those eternal Rewards reserv'd for 'em, have given into their hands many good and fruitful Countries, abounding with Mines of Gold and Silver, Diamonds and other precious Stones and Pearls; in a word, with all sorts of temporal Blessings, beyond what any one can imagine, unless

such as have seen it with their own eyes. And 'tis to be remark'd that God usually observes this Rule in the execution of his Judgments, to proportionate his Penalties to the Crimes committed against him.

The Outrages and Cruelties these innocent People have felt are so horrid and notorious, that their Tears and Groans and Blood, the cry of which has reach'd the Throne of God, will undoubtedly draw down Vengeance on those that have offer'd all this violence to their Persons, and plunder'd 'em of their Estates. The Report of these Cruelties is spread through the whole World, and has been carried even to the most barbarous Nations, and has made 'em ab∣hor the Spaniards, and conceive a mortal hatred a∣gainst 'em: A hatred which extends to the Person of our King, as well as Subjects, and is extremely prejudicial to the whole Nation in general.

None can be so ignorant as not to foresee what Mischiefs the Desolations in America are like to bring upon Spain; and succeeding Generations will be but too much convinc'd of the truth of this Pro∣phecy: And if the King of Spain still suffers the Spaniards to domineer and tyrannize as they have hi∣therto done in the Indies, and makes not effectual provision by proper Edicts to stop the Course of the many Miseries the People of this New World un∣dergo, those Countries will in a little time be totally depopulated. And God will undoubtedly make all Spain feel the Effects of his Wrath in punishing such Crimes as these; since the whole Scripture is full of Threatnings, and plain Instances of the Judgments of God on such as have been accessory to the Sins of others by permitting them.

Most Illustrious and Mighty Prince; The Royal Council for the Indies, animated with a sincere Zeal for the Glory of God, and your Majesty's Honour, desir'd me a few days ago to write to your Majesty

all that I had told you viva voce before, and to ex∣plain to you what Right the Kings of Spain have to those Kingdoms in the Indies: and the rather be∣cause some who are uneasy to see the liberty your Majesty is pleas'd to give me in conversing with your Royal Person about these Affairs, to engage you to regulate those Disorders committed in Ameri∣ca, have declar'd against my Sentiments with a great deal of heat and animosity. They say the Zeal with which I oppose the Violence and Injustice of the Spaniards (and these I'm resolv'd to oppose as long as it pleases God to continue my life) prompts men to call in question the Title the King of Spain pretends to have to the New World. However I have perform'd what the Council demanded of me, and drawn up thirty Propositions, without giving my self the trouble of proving them at large, partly because they are all certain and evident, and partly because I was much urg'd to dispatch the business, and to send them to your Majesty; which I have ac∣complish'd in the fear of God, and according to the dictates of my Conscience, with a strict regard to Truth.

Since the desire I have of being serviceable to God daily increases, I thought my self oblig'd to refute the Impostures and Calumnies of some ill-designing Persons, who wilfully shut their eyes against the Truth, because 'tis directly opposite to the Designs and Projects they have form'd. They flatter them∣selves, that under the false pretext of serving the Kings of Spain, who are ordinarily of a sweet and benign temper, and ready to judg of others by the good Sentiments they find in themselves; I say, they flatter themselves that they shall still be able to im∣pose on 'em, and bear a sufficient sway in their minds to bring 'em into the snares they have laid for 'em. It was the complaint of Ahasuerus in the History of

Esther, that corrupt and vicious Subjects alter'd the good disposition of Princes, and betray'd 'em into Excesses, that occasion'd the ruin of whole King∣doms and their Kings together. 'Tis for this rea∣son, Great Sir, I have briefly drawn up these Propo∣sitions, to set this matter before you in a clear light. This I have done to discharge my own Conscience, and that I might the better answer the Obligations of that Ministry wherewith God has entrusted me. I find my self growing old, being advanc'd to the 50th year of my age; and the great acquaintance I have had with the Affairs of America, has furnish'd me with a very distinct knowledg of 'em; so that my circum∣stances render me in some respects more capable than others of giving proper Advice to those that are propos'd for the Government of America, that they may know how to put a period to its Mise∣ries: for I have no other intention or desire in this matter, than that of suppressing the Injustice and Cruelty that has so long harass'd the Inhabitants of the New World.

They that endeavour to cross my good Design with the greatest warmth, and deck themselves with a false appearace of zeal and affection to your Ma∣jesty, tho at the bottom they have no regard either to truth or justice, take care to hide their Designs under the specious colour of promoting your Ma∣jesty's Service and Interest, and of establishing your Majestiy's Right and Title to America, while indeed all they do is directly contrary to your Majesty's Ser∣vice, whether in respect of Spirituals or Temporals. And I believe all intelligent Christians, that have a true zeal for their Religion, will be of this opinion, when I have made the Errors and Extravagancies of those that oppose my Sentiments appear; for these Gentlemen hand over head maintain that the Kings of Spain have a Right to found and establish them∣selves

a Title to the Government of America by force of Arms, after the same manner that Nim∣rod, who was the first mighty Hunter (as the Scripture expresly observes) and first began to tyrannize over Men, laid the foundation of his Dominion; or as Alexander the Great, and the antient Romans extended the bounds of their Em∣pire; or just as the Turks to this day oppress the Christians, and invade their Territories. All the World may easily perceive that they who reason thus, are ignorant of the true Interest of the King of Spain, and shamefully violate all the Rules of Justice. To prove what they advance, they add new Errors to their first Extravagancies, till they shew by the wretched Maxims they expose, that they have neither Honor nor Christianity. For it often falls out, that while they who wander from the Tract of Truth and Vir∣tue, go about to excuse the Errors they have made, they fall into other Mistakes that are still more gross and dangerous.

There are others of 'em who produce Titles that appear to be somewhat better founded, and alledg Arguments that seem more probable and honest. These say we may justly take possession of the Indies, and subdue the People, because we have a greater stock of Prudence and Wisdom than other Nations, and because our Country is nearer to the Indies than many others. But 'tis easy to see that none of these Reasons are concluding, having no solid Foundation to support 'em.

That your Majesty may the better comprehend the force of the Reasons that have been produc'd be∣fore you, and more easily distinguish what is agree∣able to the Rules of Equity from what is con∣trary to 'em, and discern your faithful Servants from such as mind nothing but their own Interest, I shall come my self, and viva voce explain to your

Majesty the principal Points on which my Judgment is founded. In the mean time I send your Majesty an Abstract of my Propositions, which your Majesty may cause to be translated into Latin, if you think meet, that they may be printed both in the Latin and Spanish Tongues: or if your Majesty don't see good to make 'em publick, 'twill be no great mat∣ter.

I Proposition.

The Pope of Rome Canonically elected to be the Vicar of Jesus Christ, and the Successor of St. Peter, hath received his Authority and Power from Christ himself; and this Power extends over all Men, whe∣ther Believers or Infidels, in matters appertaining to Salvation, and the way of eternal Life. But it is to be observ'd, that he ought to exercise this Power toward Infidels, that never enter'd into the Church by Baptism, nor never heard of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Faith, in a different manner from what he does toward those that either are or have been Be∣lievers.

II Proposition.

St. Peter and his Successors contracted an indis∣pensible Obligation, founded on the Divine Pre∣cept, to procure the publication of the Gospel, and the propagation of the Christian Faith in the whole World, that all Infidels may be brought to the knowledg of the true God, when there is any hope that they will not oppose the promulgation of the Faith, and the Doctrin of the Gospel.

III Proposition.

The Pope by the Authority of his Apostolic Mi∣nistry, may and ought to send capable Ministers

from all the States of Christendom, to preach the Doctrine of Jesus Christ through the Universe: Nay, he may oblige 'em by virtue of his power to accept this Mission and Employ; and they on the other hand are oblig'd to undertake it, in obedience to the Pope, as to Jesus Christ.

IV Proposition.

Among all the Instruments that can be chosen for the publication of the Catholic Faith, and the Conversion of Infidels, Christian Princes are capa∣ble of contributing most to the carrying on of this Work; because their Authority, their Forces and temporal Riches are a great help to preserve and defend Ecclesiastical Ministers that may be sent, and to furnish 'em with proper means to attain the end propos'd.

V Proposition.

The Pope by the Authority which Jesus Christ has given him upon Earth, ought to exhort Chri∣stian Princes to contribute all their Assistance to re∣move the Obstructions that impede the publication of the Christian Faith; to employ their Mony in advancing this Work, and to send such of their Sub∣jects as are capable of instructing Infidels. The Pope may moreover in some sort oblige all Chri∣stians in general, according to their ability, to bear the necessary Charges of those Missionaries in so pious a Work, as occasion may require.

VI Proposition.

No Christian Kings or Princes ought to engage in this Work without the participation of the Holy See, and of the Vicar of J. Christ. And if any Prince should

think himself oblig'd, for the advantage of his Kingdom, to send Evangelic Ministers to instruct the Infidels, he ought to consult the Pope about it, who will use such means as he thinks most proper to advance this design.

VII Proposition.

To avoid confusion, the Vicar of Christ may di∣stribute the Kingdoms and Provinces of the Infidels, of what Sect soever they be, among the Princes of Christendom; and may exhort 'em to be zealous for the propagation of the Faith, and vigorously to ap∣ply themselves to the work of enlarging the Uni∣versal Church, by the Conversion and Salvation of Souls, as the only end they ought to have in view.

VIII Proposition.

In making this division the Pope ought not to re∣gard the increase of the Honors, Titles, Riches and Territories of Princes, but only to have respect to the Conversion of the Infidels; since this alone is the Intention of Christ in the trust he reposes in 'em, to take care of the Instruction of Souls, which is a dif∣ficult and careful Charge, and of which they will be one day oblig'd to render an account before the strict Tribunal of God. For this Employ respects the advantages of Infidels more than the particular Interest of Christian Princes.

IX Proposition.

Christian Princes ought to have no consideration for any thing but the Service of God, and the Ad∣vancement of the universal Church, when they ap∣ply their endeavors to propagate the Faith of Christ:

In this affair they ought to have no temporal Advan∣tage in their eye, but to look upon all earthly things as transitory and of small consequence: Yet it would not be just, if they can do any thing for the advan∣tage of their Dominions, while they are procuring the Augmentation of the Kingdom of Christ, to oblige 'em to neglect so favourable an occasion, pro∣vided it be done without any considerable prejudice to the Infidels, or to the Princes that govern 'em.

X Proposition.

Those Infidels that live in Countries remote from Europe, and have never heard of Jesus Christ, or the Christian Religion, have their own lawful Kings and Princes, who are the natural Rulers of the particular Countries they govern, and have right to make Laws, and to establish all things necessary for the good Government of their respective Dominions; so that they can't be expell'd out of 'em, or depriv'd of what they possess, without doing violence to the Law of God as well as to the Law of Nations.

XI Proposition.

That Opinion which contradicts the Principle just now laid down, is erroneous and pernicious; and if any Persons set themselves obstinately to defend it, they'l become guilty of Heresie. For it opens a door to all Impieties and Villanies, to Robbery and Cruel∣ty; in a word, to many irreparable Mischiefs, and hainous Sins which dishonor the name of Christ, hin∣der the progress of the Catholic Faith, and bring the greatest Miseries on Mankind in this life, together with the inevitable destruction of multitudes of Souls ransom'd by the Blood of Christ. So that this would be the way to stifle all the Sentiments of Piety, Hu∣mility, and Evangelic Meekness, nay of all Christian Virtues in general, to introduce Violence, Treache∣ry,

Revenge, and other vices that are most contrary to the Maxims of the Gospel in their stead.

XII Proposition.

Infidel Princes ought not to be depriv'd of their States for their Idolatry, nor any other of those great Sins they commit; nor may their Subjects be depriv'd of their Estates or Honors for the like Crimes.

XIII Proposition.

Idolaters ought not to be punish'd for their Ido∣latry, or other Sins, how enormous and great so∣ever, during the time of their Infidelity, before they have voluntarily receiv'd Baptism: There being no Tribunal or Judg in the world that has a right to molest 'em on that account, unless they directly op∣pose the publication of the Gospel, and after they have been admonish'd and warn'd of it, obstinatly persist to obstruct it out of mere malice.

XIV Proposition.

Pope Alexander VI. under whose Popedom the West-Indies were discover'd, was indispensibly ob∣lig'd by the Divine Law to chuse a Christian Prince, to whom he might commit the care of making pro∣vision for the preaching of the Gospel in this new World, for the advancement of the Universal Church, the Catholic Faith, the Worship of God, the Conversion and Salvation of the Inhabitants of America, and for all things necessary to attain this end.

XV Proposition.

King Ferdinando and Isabella his Queen had some special Advantages preferable to those of all other

Catholic Princes, to induce the Pope to chuse them rather than any other Potentates of Europe, to con∣fer on 'em the Trust of publishing the Catholic Faith in the Indies, and, without any other reason, by the Authority which God has given him, to invest 'em with this Dignity, and constitute 'em the Ministers of the Apostles in the Indies. Among o∣ther Privileges peculiar to them, this is the princi∣pal, that they have taken a world of pains to rescue those Kingdoms which they inherited from their Ancestors out of the hands of Infidels and Mahome∣tans, who are declar'd Enemies of the Catholic Faith. For this they expos'd their Royal Persons to imminent danger, when they attempted to enter again into the Kingdom of Grenada, to which they had a lawful Title, and which they at length re∣duc'd under the Yoke of Christ, and the Catholic Church. Another Reason to their advantage is, that they sent the famous Christopher Columbus to America at their own charge, and honor'd him with the Title of Chief Admiral of the West-Indies, when he had discover'd those rich and vast Coun∣tries.

XVI Proposition.

The Pope might well chuse them as the most proper Persons to establish Christianity in the new World, just as he made choice of the Emperor for his Son to be the Defender of the Catholic Faith. But if this Choice should in the issue become preju∣dicial to the establishment of the Faith, 'tis not to be doubted that the Pope might revoke it by the Authority he has receiv'd from God. And for the same reason he might forbid all other Chris∣tian Princes to send Missionaries into the Indies without the consent of the holy See, on pain of Excommunication. And whoever should act con∣trary

to this Prohibition, would grievously offend God.

XVII Proposition.

The Kings of Castille and Leon are the lawful So∣veraigns of many Princes and Kings of the new World; therefore this universal Jurisdiction over the Indies, of which we have been speaking, belongs to them.

XVIII Proposition.

The Soveraign Empire which the Kings of Spain have over the Indies, obliges the natural Kings of those subjected Nations to submit to the Jurisdiction of the King of Spain.

XIX Proposition.

All the natural Kings and Princes, all the Na∣tions, Cities and Communities of the Indies, over whom the Kings of Spain have acquir'd a lawful Right, ought to acknowledg them for their right∣ful Soveraigns in the manner we have said, since they have freely and voluntarily receiv'd the Catho∣lic Faith and Baptism. But before they receiv'd it, or submitted to Christianity, and before the Kings of Spain had acquir'd any right over 'em, they de∣pended on no Tribunal, nor Jurisdiction of any Judg in the World.

XX Proposition.

The Kings of Spain are oblig'd by the Law of God to chuse out and send into the Indies such Mi∣nisters as are capable of preaching the Gospel and the Catholic Faith, to exhort all the People of the new World to embrace the Doctrine of Christ,

and to seek all just and necessary means to accom∣plish this Work.

XXI Proposition.

The Kings of Spain have the same Power and Jurisdiction over these Infidels before their Conver∣sion, as the Pope has in quality of Christ's Vicar, because the charge and care of spreading the Light of the Gospel amongst these Idolaters, and of do∣ing all that's possible for their Conversion, is com∣mitted to them.

XXII Proposition.

The manner of establishing the Christian Faith in the Indies ought to be conformable to that which our Saviour used to introduce his Religion into the World; that is, it ought to be a mild, peaceable, and charitable method. Humility, and the good Examples of a holy and regular way of living, are to be imploy'd to gain upon all Infidels, especially the Indians, who are naturally of a sweet and easy Temper, and ready to submit to the Yoke of Christ. They ought moreover to be engag'd by Presents, and we should with alacrity give 'em a share of what we have, without regarding their Riches. By this means they would be easily perswaded, that the God whom the Christians worship, is good, just and gracious; they would more readily give ear to his Word, and would make no difficulty to forsake the Worship of their false Gods.

XXIII Proposition.

To go about to subdue the Indians by force of Arms, is a course utterly against the Law of God,

who is full of Kindness, Grace and Love. 'Tis to follow the method which Mahomet and the Romans before him us'd to spoil and conquer the World: and the Turks and Moors to this day take the same course, but 'tis unjust, tyrannical, infamous, and unworthy of Christians: It would be the occasion of many blasphemous Reflections on the Name of Christ, and the Christian Religion, as we have been taught by sad Experience, since the Spaniards have exercis'd so many Cruelties on the Indians; for they believe that the God we worship is the most unjust, unmer∣ciful and cruel of all Gods: Therefore the way of Violence and Severity would be an invincible Obsta∣cle to the Conversion of the Indians.

XXIV Proposition.

'Tis to be expected that Infidels will alway oppose such as attempt to invade their Country, in order to take possession of it by the Title of Conquest; so that to go about to subdue 'em as the proper way to convert 'em, is to lose time, and ruin so holy an Enterprize.

XXV Proposition.

From the time when Christopher Columbus disco∣ver'd the Indies, the Kings of Spain have always expresly forbidden their Subjects to make War up∣on the Indians: so that the Spaniards can shew no Authority or Permission that was ever given 'em by the King of Spain to commit any Act of Hostility in the new World: or if they can shew any such Commissions, they are forged, or have bin surrepti∣tiously obtain'd by false Informations, invented to obtain a power of taking away the Riches of the Indians, or of making them Slaves with impunity.

On the contrary, the Kings of Spain have often on this account renew'd their Orders to obviate the Cruelties and Outrages that were committed on the Indians.

XXVI Proposition.

Seeing the Spaniards have not been supported ei∣ther by the Authority of their Prince, or any law∣ful reason to make War against the Indians, who liv'd peaceably in their own Country, and had done the Spaniards no wrong: All such Conquests that have been, or may hereafter be made in the Indies are to be accounted unjust, tyrannical, and null, being condemned by all the Laws of God and Men. For the proof of this Proposition one need only produce the Proceedings against these Tyrants, which are yet to be seen in the Archives of the Royal Council; or those Prosecutions that might still be made against 'em every moment. For both Heaven and Earth cry aloud against the Violence they have offer'd the poor Americans.

XXVII Proposition.

The Kings of Spain are by the Law of God ob∣lig'd to establish so good a Government in the In∣dies, by causing those Indian Laws and Customs that are good to be observ'd, and by abolishing the bad, which are less numerous than the other, that no∣thing contrary to good Manners and the Rules of civil Policy may be tolerated. And the most likely way to succeed in such a design is to publish the Gospel among those People, by which means both the King's Interest and that of the Indians will be provided for effectually.

XXVIII Proposition.

The Devil could never have invented any thing more pernicious for the extirpation of the Peo∣ple of this New World, and the desolation of so many great and populous Kingdoms in a little time, than the distribution the Spaniards have made of these Nations among themselves, taking possession of the Inhabitants as their own Property, and then treating 'em as ravenous Wolves do a flock of Sheep: For this is the most barbarous kind of Tyranny that can be imagin'd, because it hinders all those Nations from embracing the Christian Reli∣gion: For the Spaniards employ 'em night and day in the Mines, and all other kinds of Labor; some∣times obliging 'em to carry heavy Burdens forty or fifty Leagues, so that their condition is worse than that of Beasts. Besides, they persecute those Indians with fresh Cruelty, who apply themselves to the Monks to be instructed in the Gospel, because they are afraid (if these Religious Men should be encou∣rag'd to come among the Indians) they would be witnesses of their Robberies and Cruelties.

XXIX Proposition.

The distribution which the Spaniards make of these People among themselves, as if they were so many head of Cattel, was never commanded nor allow'd by the Kings of Spain since the Spaniards enter'd the Indies. They never thought of autho∣rizing so injust and tyrannical a kind of Govern∣ment, and which so much tends to the destruction of the People of the new World. Queen Isabella of immortal memory, under whose Reign the Indies were discover'd, gave express Orders to Christopher

Columbus, who was the first Governor and chief Admiral of the Indies, and to Francis Bobadilla, who succeeded him, and also to General De Larés, who came after both the former, to preserve Peace and Liberty among the Indians, and to do 'em Justice in every thing. Admiral Columbus gave only three hundred Indians to such of the Spaniards as had done great Service to the Crown; and for his own part, contented himself with having only one Indian to serve him: The Court of Spain was then at Grena∣da, where the Queen issued out an Order that these three hundred Indians should be releas'd and sent home, only she permitted Columbus to keep one In∣dian whom he had taken for his Service. What then would this great Queen now say, to see how the Spaniards have inslav'd the People of America? The continual Avocations the King has had, and the frequent Journys he has been oblig'd to make into Italy, having not permitted him to inform himself exactly of the Miseries those People endure from the hands of the Spaniards.

XXX Proposition.

From all that has been said it may well be con∣cluded, that if the soveraign Jurisdiction of the In∣dies belongs only to the Kings of Spain, the Conquests that private Men appropriate to themselves are injust and tyrannical; that the shares they have made among themselves are founded upon no lawful right: and that those who usurp the Lands of the new World, without the Consent and Authority of their Prince, are absolute Tyrants, in acting (as they do) directly contrary to his Orders, and the Regulations of the Royal Council; which is a matter so public and notorious, that there's no Spaniard in the Indies can justly excuse himself by pretending ignorance.

A Dispute between Don Bartholomew de Las-Casas, Bishop of Chiapa, and Dr. Sepulueda.

DR. Sepulueda, at the instigation of some Spa∣niards who had committed great Ravages in the Indies, wrote a very elegant Book in Latin in the form of Dialogues, which contain'd principally two Conclusions, namely, that the Wars of the Spaniards in the Indies were very just, and that they might lawfully subjugate the People of this new World; and that the Indians were oblig'd to submit to the Spaniards, and acquiesce in their Government, be∣cause these are more wise and prudent than the others. And in case they refuse to submit, this Doctor asserts, that they may be constrain'd to it by force of Arms. These are the two Points that have occasion'd the ruin of incredible numbers of Indians; so that the Country is almost entirely un∣peopled for the space of two thousand Leagues, where the Spaniards have left the marks of their boundless Cruelty. This Doctor, to give some co∣lor and shew of Truth to his Reasons, declar'd that he had no other design in writing than that of justi∣fying the King of Spain's Title to the Indies. He presented his Book to the Royal Council, and was very importunate to obtain leave to print it, which was several times refus'd; after which he ap∣plied himself to some of his Friends, who were in the Emperor's Court, to patronize this Work. The Bishop of Chiapa being well inform'd of the steps this Doctor made, with all his might oppos'd the Impression of his Book, plainly demonstrating what ill Consequences the publication of it might pro∣duce. The Members of the King's Council per∣ceiving

this matter was purely Theological, resolv'd to dismiss it to the Universities of Salamanca and Alcala, desiring them to make a thorow Examina∣tion of this Treatise, to see if it contain'd any thing that might justly obstruct the printing of it. These two Universities after they had accuratly examin'd it, declar'd that it was not fit to be printed, as containing unsound Doctrine. The Doctor now despairing of seeing his Book obtain in Spain, sent it to Rome, earnestly recommending it to the Bishop of Segovia, who was one of his particular Friends. When it was printed, it was prohibited by the Em∣peror's express Order, who caus'd the Copies to be seiz'd, forbidding any of 'em to be sold in Spain: but because it was impossible to prevent divers Co∣pies in the vulgar Language from being spread among the People; the Bishop of Chiapa thought himself oblig'd to refute this Book in defence of the Indians, and to let all the world know how scan∣dalous Doctrine it contain'd, being accommodated to open a door to all manner of Disorders. Dr. Se∣pulueda was cited to give an account of his thoughts on this Subject by word of mouth, and the Bishop of Chiapa was engag'd to answer him: The Dispute lasted five whole days, after which Dominic de Soto, a great Divine, and Confessor to his Majesty, was de∣sir'd to give a summary account of this Dispute, which he did before the Assembly in these terms.

Most Illustrious, most Magnificent, and most Reve∣rend Lords and Fathers.

YOU have bin pleas'd to order me to give a succinct and summary account of the Dispute maintain'd between the famous Dr. Sepulueda, and the Bishop of Chiapa, without adding any thing of my own, or troubling my self to seek other Reasons

to support the Sentiments of either of 'em. The Point about which you desire to be inform'd, is in general what method ought to be us'd for the publication of the Catholic Faith in the new World, which has bin lately discover'd by the permission of God, and how the Emperor may subject those Nations to his Go∣vernment without offending his Conscience, in con∣forming himself entirely to the Bull of Pope Alex∣ander. 'Tis first necessary to enquire whether the Emperor may justly make War with the Indians before the Faith of the Gospel be preach'd to 'em; and whether these People will be in any condition to receive the Light of the Gospel, after they have bin subdu'd by force of Arms; whether they will be more tractable and docil, and better dispos'd to receive the Impressions design'd to be given, so as to reject their Errors, and embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel. Dr. Sepulueda maintains, that this War is not only allowable and lawful, but necessary. The Bishop of Chiapa is of the contrary Opinion, and pretends that this War is unjust, and an invin∣cible Obstacle to the propagation of the Faith in the Indies.

Sepulueda supports his Opinion by four principal Arguments: The first is founded on the enormous Crimes of which the Indians have bin, and are eve∣ry day guilty, especially their Idolatry, and their Sins against Nature. His second Reason is taken from their Barbarity and Ignorance, which may be reform'd under the Government of a People so in∣telligent and polite as the Spaniards. His third Reason respects the facility he supposes of publish∣ing the Christian Faith to the Indians when they are once subdu'd. His fourth Argument is taken from the cruel Treatment the Indians give one another, in that they offer human Sacrifices to their false Gods. He confirms his first Reason three ways: 1st. By

Examples and Authorities taken out of the holy Scripture. 2dly. By the Suffrage of Doctors and Canonists. 3dly. By a particular account of the gross Crimes which the Indians commit. He cites a Passage out of Deut. 20. to explain after what manner War ought to be made on the Indians; the words are these: When thou comest nigh unto a City to fight against it, then proclaim Peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of Peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be that all the People that is found there∣in, shall be Tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no Peace with thee, but will make War against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: And when the LORD thy God hath deliver'd it into thy hands, thou shalt smite every Male thereof with the Edg of the Sword: ver. 10, 11, 12, 13. and ver. 16. But of the Cities of these People which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an Inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth. The Doctor adds, that this Passage is not to be strictly taken, and enforc'd a∣gainst the Indians with so much severity: tho 'tis al∣so said, Thus shalt thou do unto all the Cities that are very far from thee; by which Passage the Gloss understands those of different Religions. From hence he con∣cludes, that we may lawfully declare War against those Nations that are of a Religion different from ours.

My Lord Bishop answers him four ways. First, he says, it was not to punish the Sin of Idolatry, that God commanded the Israelites to make War with the Gentiles and Infidels: That God was pleas'd to single out precisely seven Nations, the Canaanites, the Jebusites, &c. mentioned in Deut. 7. who possess'd the Land of Promise bequeathed to Abraham and his Posterity. He allows it to be true, that God de∣sign'd to punish the Idolatry of those Heathen Na∣tions, in giving 'em up to the Israelites; but he says

if God's intention had bin only to chastise 'em for their Idolatry, he would also have punish'd all the Nations of the whole World after the same manner, seeing they were all polluted with the same Sin. Whereas God specified only these Nations to be abandon'd to the Sword of the Israelites, to shew that it was rather to accomplish the Promise he had made to Abraham, than to punish these Idolaters that he deliver'd 'em into the hands of their Ene∣mies. That God himself expresly forbad the Israe∣lites to offer any Violence to the Edomites, or to the Egyptians who had entertain'd 'em when they were strangers in their Country.

Secondly, That the Passage of Luke 14. where it is said, Compel them to come in, is not to be under∣stood of an external Constraint by War and Arms, but ought to be interpreted of internal Inspiration, and the Motions which God produces in the Hearts of Men, either immediatly, or by the Ministration of Angels.

In the third place the Bishop maintains, that Chris∣tian Emperors have never engag'd in War with Heathen Nations to oblige 'em to renounce Idolatry, and to induce 'em to imbrace the Christian Faith; that the Wars of Constantine were purely on a po∣litic account, and that the Passage of the Eccle∣siastical Historian, lib. 10. cap. 6. is to be understood in that sense. That this Prince who was so ani∣mated with Piety, when he subdued by his Arms the Goths, Sarmatians, and other barbarous Nations, ex∣cepted those that sought his Friendship, and desir'd Peace. That because he subjected himself to the Divine Commands, God was pleas'd to recompense his Virtue in subjecting all the People of the World to his Dominion. Besides, he says, Constantine made War with the Goths and Sarmatians, because they made incredible Ravage and Spoil wherever they

came. But when these barbarous People were at peace with the Christians, and offer'd 'em no Injury, they were suffer'd to live at quiet.

He adds in the 4th place, That if we would do a∣ny good upon Pagans, it must be by the power of good Examples, and not by Violence. He cites to this purpose a passage of St. Augustin, who says it belongs only to men transported with Rage, and to Assassins to use force against those that are inferior to 'em in Power: that this Father also condemns such as were not able to do the Pagans any hurt, and yet rashly offer'd themselves to death, to gain the repu∣tation of Martyrs. He also quotes a Passage out of Deut. 7. When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the Land whither thou goest to possess it, &c. ver. 1. Ye shall destroy their Altars, and break down their Images, and cut down their Groves, and burn their graven Images with Fire, ver. 5. Upon which Passage he says St. Au∣gustin expresses himself after this manner: Many of the Pagans have Idols in their Fields, must we take upon us to break these Idols in pieces? 'Tis much better to endeavour to get 'em out of their Hearts. When they have embrac'd Christianity, and exhort us themselves to break these Idols, we shall do it with pleasure. We must in the mean time pray for their Conversion, without appearing violent and passio∣nate against 'em because of their Idolatry: We are not ignorant where they hide their Idols, and yet we let 'em alone, because God has not given us a Commission to take 'em away without their leave. When then does God give us leave to take 'em from them? Not till the owners of these Idols are become Christians.

He farther produces the examples of the Apostles and Martyrs, who took no other course to overthrow Idols but by their Doctrine. He grants that indeed on some accounts War may be made with Infidels;

for instance, if they have violently usurp'd the Lands of Christians, as they have the Holy-Land; if they profane our Churches, break down our Images, and offer any great outrages to Christians, in hatred and contempt of their Faith: That when the Emperor Constantine forbad the Heathens to keep their Idols, it was for fear the Christians should be scandaliz'd by 'em.

He says, If God severely punish'd the Crimes of the Sodomites, it does not therefore follow that we may take upon us to punish all Infidels for their un∣natural Pollutions: That we are to admire the Judg∣ments of God, but not always to imitate every thing he does. He says, we may punish Infidels if they blaspheme the Holy Name of God, or dishonour the Saints and the Church; if they openly hinder the publication of the Faith, and if they massacre those that preach it: but that it is not lawful to de∣clare War against 'em merely on the account of their Idolatry, their unnatural Sins, or any other Crimes they commit among themselves.

And whereas Dr. Sepulueda says, The Indians are a barbarous People, and born for Slavery: the Bi∣shop of Chiapa answers this Objection, in saying, That we ought not to make War upon Infidels to bring 'em to the true Religion, which is only to be demonstrated by genuin Reasons, that the under∣standing may be captivated according to the words of St. Paul, That it must be a pious Affection to the Christian Faith that will dispose men to embrace it; and that care ought to be taken that they may have no aversion against those that preach it; who therefore ought by their good Examples to engage the Indians to relish the Doctrine they endeavour to propagate among 'em: That War is visibly contrary to this end, because it fills the minds of those Ido∣laters with horror and indignation against the Chris∣tians,

for bringing so many Miseries upon 'em; and that they cannot chuse but think the Law of Christ an execrable Doctrine, since it authorizes (as they imagin) such terrible Disorders. The Bishop con∣cludes in saying, 'tis a mere delusion to assert, that the Wars made against these Infidels are not design'd to introduce Christianity among 'em by open force, but only to subjugate those barbarous Nations the better to dispose 'em to receive the Faith of Christ voluntarily. He pretends that this is ill reasoning, because War spreads so much terror among those People, that if they afterwards embrace the true Faith, 'tis to be suppos'd they do it rather out of fear than love: and that their Neighbours when they hear what Violence, Spoil, and Massacres have attended this War, may probably, to avoid the like Mischiefs, blindly embrace the Faith, without knowing what they do themselves.

Dr. Sepulueda urges for another reason of War, that the Indians massacre innocent Persons, either to sacrifice, or to eat 'em. To which Argument the Bishop returns this answer, That if the Church ex∣horts us to undertake the defence of Innocents, it ought not in this case to be by the way of Arms. First, because of two Evils we ought to chuse the least. If the Indians massacre some innocent Persons to eat 'em, 'tis indeed a great Evil; but War would bring much greater slaughters with it: besides, that these Wars dishonour our Religion, and render the Christians odious to the Infidels; who tho they sa∣crifice men, are not altogether inexcusable, because of their great Ignorance, and have reason not to put themselves into the hands of the Spanish Soldi∣ers, who come with their Swords in their hands to rob and kill 'em, instead of instructing 'em in Reli∣gion; whereas they have no right to punish 'em for their Errors: That Plutarch says, when the Romans

subdued divers barbarous Nations, who were wont to offer men in Sacrifice, they did not punish 'em for that Crime, but only forbad 'em to do the like for the future. That it is not to be expected of the In∣dians, that they should renounce their Errors in a mo∣ment; that the light of Nature which informs 'em there is a God, teaches 'em to shew him respect, and to return him thanks for the Benefits they receive of him, and likewise to endeavour to make atone∣ment for the Sins they commit against his Divine Ma∣jesty; and that they ought to devote the best they have to him in Sacrifice: Consequently their evil Custom of sacrificing human Creatures to the sup∣pos'd Deities they worship, is the less to be wonder'd at, since they have no knowledg of Divine Revela∣tion, but only the glimmerings of natural Light to direct 'em; which Light too is obscur'd with much thick darkness in the minds of Pagans. That these People believe they perform a very acceptable Ser∣vice to God, when they offer him the Lives of Men; that this may be confirmed in some sort by the Te∣stimony of Holy Writ, seeing God, when he would try the faithfulness of Abraham, commanded him to sacrifice his only Son, whom he tenderly lov'd; which God might do, as he is the absolute Master of the Lives of Men: that besides this Instance, the Scripture testifies that God requir'd the Israelites to redeem their own Lives by the sacrifice of Animals. That the Word of God remarks, that 'tis impossible to give a greater Testimony of Love, than to offer ones self for the Person belov'd: that those Women in the Indies that were most dear to their Husbands while they lived, chose to be buried alive with 'em, to give the greater proof of their conjugal Fidelity and Affection.

In answer to the other Argument alledg'd by Dr. Sepulueda, namely, that the barbarity of the Indians

which (he says) shews they were born for Slavery, is a sufficient reason to declare War against 'em, in order to subject 'em to the Government of the Eu∣ropeans: the Bishop of Chiapa says, there are three different sorts of Barbarians. First, that this Term is taken in general to signify any Nation that differs from others by some strange Opinion, or peculiar Customs, tho they want not Prudence or Policy to conduct their Affairs. That the second kind of Barbarians is of those, who have no Language pro∣per by which to express themselves to other People; such as the English formerly were, when they had no Letters or Characters whereby to explain their Thoughts. The third sort of Barbarians are such as resemble savage Beasts, by the dulness and stupidity of their Minds, by their brutish Inclinations, and by the extravagance of their Customs; who wander up and down in the Fields, never dwelling together in Towns or Cities; who are without Laws or Civil Government, and take no care to observe the Law of Nations; who rove about to commit Robberies, and use Violence on all that have not power enough to resist 'em; such as the Goths and Alans were for∣merly, and such as the Arabs in Asia are to this day: That 'tis as lawful to make War with this sort of People, as to hunt wild Beasts, and would be a great piece of service to the World to reduce 'em to any tolerable Disciplin. But as for the Indians, that tho they have some extravagant Customs, but not any good Policy, yet they ought not to be look'd upon as properly Barbarians; seeing they are of a quite contrary disposition, being meek, civil, and tractable in their Manners; that they are a nu∣merous People, who have Cities and Laws, and un∣derstand divers Arts; that they have Princes over 'em, and live under a kind of regulated Government; that they not only punish Sins against Nature, but

have Laws that award capital Punishments for some Crimes of lesser consequence: That their Policy has its particular Rules; that upon all these Accounts their pretended Barbarity is not a sufficient Reason for any to declare War against 'em, but would be a piece of visible Tyranny and Injustice; and that this Course would be so far from promoting the Gospel, that 'twould be the very way to cut off all hope of establishing Christianity among them. That therefore the best expedient would be to send Preachers into the Indies, to endeavour to convince some of the principal Indians of the truth of our Religion; and to make Treaties of Peace with 'em, to favour the entrance of the Europeans into the In∣dies by such a gentle and peaceable Method as this: that if any danger should arise after this, we might build some Forts upon the Frontiers, and so treat with 'em with the greater Security, and make 'em gradually relish our Religion, by setting 'em good Examples.

The Royal Council for the Indies having heard this Dispute, between the Bishop of Chiapa and Dr. Se∣pulueda, concerning the manner in which the Indians ought to be treated, order'd the Bishop to draw up his Thoughts of this matter in Writing, whereby they should be the better able to determin this questi∣on, Whether they might lawfully inslave the Indians, or were oblig'd to set at liberty all they had hitherto reduc'd to slavery. In answer to their desire, the Bishop farther explain'd his Sentiments after the fol∣lowing manner.

All the Indians taken in the Indies since the disco∣very of the New World to this day, have bin un∣justly inslav'd; and the Spaniards who retain 'em in bondage against their wills, can't do it with a good

Conscience, because they had no right to declare War against 'em; for it follows by consequence they could not lawfully deprive 'em of their Liberty, nor were they ever authoriz'd by their Prince to make War upon 'em. Now there are but two Motives that can render any War just, namely, some righte∣ous Cause, or the Authority of one's Prince. And what just motive then could the Spaniards have to de∣clare War against the Indians, who never did 'em any wrong, nor ever gave 'em any disturbance? They were people they had never seen; they had never made any descent into any Country that belong'd to the Spaniards, to spoil and ravage it; they had ne∣ver profess'd Christianity as the Moors of Africa had done, who were Christian in the time of St. Au∣gustin; or as the Kingdom of Grenada, the Empire of Constantinople, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem did formerly. Nor can we justly reproach the Indians as declar'd enemies to our Religion, or that they ever attempted to destroy it by open Persecutions, or se∣cret Perswasions, by Presents, or any other manner whatsoever, that can be used to engage Christians to renounce their Faith, and turn Idolaters: For nei∣ther the Law of God, nor that of Nations ever permitted War to be made against any People mere∣ly to establish Christianity among 'em. Unless any one will pretend that the Gospel of Christ, which a∣bounds with Charity, Meekness, and Humanity, ought to be introduc'd into the World by Force like the Religion of Mahomet.

The Spaniards can't say, that they had no other end than that of protecting the Innocent, seeing they have made it their whole business to rob, pil∣lage, and murder the poor Indians, taking upon 'em to usurp their Goods and Lands. Besides, if the War they undertook had bin in defence of those poor Wretches the Indians unjustly put to death for Sa∣crifices,

it would not have bin carried so generally thro' the Indies, but would have bin a sort of Civil War kept up only in some particular Places: Nor would the Spaniards have had right even in such Pla∣ces, to have made Slaves of those whom they took in such a War.

They can't so much as pretend that ever they had a Command or Order to this day from their Prince, to declare War against the Indians: 'Tis easy to e∣vidence such a Fact as this; for the Governors and Generals have nothing to do but to show their Com∣missions if they have any. There's not one of 'em who has any fear of God, or respect for his Prince, that will pretend to shew any such Commission, ex∣cept the Vice-Roy Don Antonio, and Don Sebastian Ramire Bishop of Cuenza; all the rest that have made War on the Indians, are Thieves, and Robbers, Mur∣derers, and declar'd Enemies of Mankind. Seeing then the Spaniards have had no lawful reason to sup∣port their Declarations of War against the People of America, nor have bin authoriz'd in such Proceed∣ings by their Prince, it evidently follows that the War they have made is injust, and contrary to the Laws of God and Men, and consequently that the Indians ought not to have bin treated as Slaves.

All the ways the Spaniards have us'd to compass this end of inslaving these People, have bin mon∣strously wicked, made up of nothing but Fraud and Treachery, unlawful Tricks and Artifices, and such unheard of Villanies as can't but fill the Minds of all that hear 'em with astonishment and horror. Some to insnare the poor Indians that liv'd among 'em, have constrain'd 'em to own themselves their Slaves in Courts of Justice: after which extorted Confes∣sion, the Governors have order'd the King's Arms to be fix'd upon their Skin with a hot Iron; tho they were not ignorant what an unlawful Course had been

taken to abuse the poor Creatures. Others hir'd the Indians with a little Wine, or a Shirt, or by giving 'em some other trifle of small value, to bring 'em fa∣therless and motherless Children, whom they put on Shipboard, and transported into other Countries, where they were sold for Slaves, especially into New-Spain, the Islands of St. John, and Cuba, or other neighbouring Islands. But at first the Spaniards us'd open Violence, attacking the Indians that liv'd peaceably in their Houses, setting their Towns on fire, massacring some, and after the exercise of all this Cruelty, carrying away those they could take alive to sell 'em for Slaves. They us'd without any formal process, to brand 'em with the King's Arms; which was enough to make 'em pass for Slaves; and accordingly they were sold from one hand to ano∣ther, till they were transported into the Islands. These were all the forms of Justice the Spaniards ob∣serv'd in carrying away the Indians from the Conti∣nent into the Islands of New-Spain, the Isles of Cuba and St. John, the Coast of Pearls, Yucatan and Panu∣co. And by these execrable Artifices they have since carried away vast multitudes of People of every Age, Sex, and Condition, from the Kingdoms of Ven∣cuéla, Guatimala, and Nicaraqua, to fell 'em in Pa∣nama, and in Peru. They once put 4 or 500 of 'em in one Ship, the greatest part of whom died in their passage for want of Food, the Allowance given 'em being so very small.

At a Town consisting of about 200 people, the Spaniards would require the Cacyque to send 'em 300 Indians at such a certain day and hour, to carry their Provisions, and work for 'em. The poor Cacyque was mightily concern'd he could not ex∣ecute this Order, not having People enough in the whole Town; and not knowing what to do in the case, desired to have a day or two more allow'd him:

But these Brutes would interpret this delay as an ex∣press breach of their Orders; and immediately ask∣ing leave of the Governor to go and fall upon 'em, would attaque 'em in their houses, cutting the throats of many of 'em in a barbarous manner, and carrying away the rest as Prisoners of War, whom they inslav'd contrary to all Law and Equity. Some∣times they would order a Cacyque to send 'em half a hundred men to labour for 'em, and would set 'em to what work they thought good, after which they would embark 'em in Ships and carry 'em away; and sometimes would mark 'em with the Letters of their own Names without fixing the King's Arms on 'em. When they were angry with 'em, they would load 'em with Chains, and make 'em carry heavy Burdens beside, for 100 or 200 Leagues. Af∣ter they had us'd 'em in what Drudgery they pleas'd, they would sell 'em, tho the Indians are as freeborn as any other Nation. By this means the Spaniards have unpeopled the Province of St. Michael, which is situate between Guatimala and Nicaraqua.

When they formerly advanc'd far into the Coun∣try to make further Discoveries of the Indians that liv'd there, these good-natur'd People came to meet 'em loaded with Turkeys, and other Provisions, which they freely offer'd 'em, but for their kindness were either hew'd in pieces, or lese made Slaves, on pretence they were found in Arms in the Fields. Nor could the Governors be ignorant of these Violences and Disorders or the Soldiers, since them∣selves had the best share of the Spoil.

When they had divided those Countries among themselves, which they had so unjustly usurp'd, and render'd themselves the absolute Masters of the In∣dians, as if they had coquer'd 'em in a just and lawful War, they oblig'd the Caciques and natural Princes of those People to bring 'em such a Sum of

Gold as they were pleas'd to command 'em. If they had not such a quantity, they told the Spaniards, they would willingly give 'em all they had to ap∣pease 'em; but receiv'd a severe reply from these cruel Men in such terms as these: If you don't bring us all the Gold we demand within such a time, we'll set fire to all your houses. The poor Cacyques would some∣times make such a return as this in a lamentable Tone: Indeed our Country has no great store of Gold in it; and besides, we have not bin curious to search for Mines. Upon such an Account as this the Spaniards have fasten'd 200 Stakes at a time in the ground, and tied the poor Wretches to 'em with terrible Menaces, and then let loose those ravenous Dogs up∣on 'em, that us'd to be fed with human flesh. It may be the Cacique would be so terrified with such a horrible Spectacle as this, that he'd go among his Subjects, and take Children out of every Family, and give 'em to the Spaniards for Slaves to pacify 'em. If there were but 2 Children in a house, one of 'em was taken away, and that must be the strongest and likeliest to do service. When the Cacique had got together such a number of his People as the Spa∣niards requir'd, he would come to present 'em to them himself. And it was a most lamentable thing to hear the Sighs and Crys of Parents, when their dear∣est Children were ravish'd from 'em, to be transport∣ed into remote Countrys for Slaves. When these Children were brought to the Governor to be brand∣ed, the Spaniards would order the Caciques to engage the Indians to testify that they were Slaves, and the Children of Slaves, and that they were bought in the Market; and would threaten to burn 'em, unless they would stand to such Lies as these. And when the Person appointed to examin them, who was well acquainted with all these Tricks, would ask the Children of what Country they were; they

made 'em answer, that they were Slaves, and that their Parents were so, and that they were bought in such a Market. After this Examination they were mark'd with the King's Stamp. His Majesty's Go∣vernors and Officers are very well acquainted with all this Roguery of the Soldiers, and have had too great a hand in the invention of these Artifices, as appears by their having the largest share of the Booty.

When the Missionary Monks had got a great num∣ber of Indians together in their Church to instruct 'em in the knowledg of the true God, the Spani∣ards would suddenly come upon 'em with their Swords in their hands, and take what number of 'em they thought meet; which could not but much scandalize the rest, and extremely griev'd the Mis∣sionaries, who were only told by the Spaniards, that they wanted Men to carry their Baggage and Provi∣sions, and so were forc'd to take all patiently. When they had thus seiz'd the poor Indians, they set their mark upon 'em, and sold 'em for Slaves.

The Governors at first seldom refus'd any that ask'd leave to plunder the Indians, and ruin and de∣polulate the Country. This was a kind of recom∣pense they gave 'em for the great Services they had render'd the King of Spain. But afterwards they took a Course that did not seem so dishonest and cruel, but was equally pernicious to the People of the New World, which was to buy Slaves of the Caciques, threatning 'em to burn 'em alive if they did not furnish 'em with such a number as they de∣manded, for which they would only give 'em a Shirt or some such Trifle; so that the poor Caciques became themselves the ruin of their own Country for fear of being burnt, and made it their business to go among their Subjects to gather great numbers of Slaves together, to sasisfy the Avarice of the Spa∣niards.

At last they would make the Caciques pay 'em this tribute with other People; so that they were constrain'd to go to some of the neighbouring Caciques, and would make their Complaint to 'em after this manner: These Tyrant threaten me (would one say) to cut my throat if I don't furnish 'em with such a number of Indians for Slaves, and they won't suffer me to chuse out some of my own Subjects for 'em; therefore I desire the liberty to take some of yours, and you shall have as many of mine for 'em. I am content (would the other say) and the rather because I my self am oblig'd to pay such a Tribute as you are, and to seek for Slaves out of my own Country to satisfy the Spa∣niards. The Caciques themselves were wont to bring these poor Slaves to be mark'd, and were made to swear they were none of their Subjects, but that they had taken 'em among their Neighbors; which was true, but the Spaniards were never the less guilty in constraining 'em so to do. The Governors that knew their injustice and roguery, wink'd at it, and would never accuse any of 'em of these prevarications be∣fore the Judges of the Royal Council; for they made it no part of their care to perform their Duty to God and the King faithfully; nor did they seem to be touch'd with the least Compassion in observ∣ing all the violence committed against those misera∣ble People.

I could produce a multitude of proofs to con∣firm what I say, but one shall suffice at present. There came an Order from the King to the Gover∣nor of the Province of Nicaraqua, to forbid him to inslave any Indians, or to brand him with the King's Arms: at the same time there was a Ship in the Road that was design'd to be fill'd with Slaves; which made the Governor forbear to publish the Order he had receiv'd, till the Vessel was laden with Indians, and ready to set sail; nay he privately

gave notice to those that were concern'd in the Ship, to make what haste they could, and carry away as many Slaves as they needed, because the King had sent an express Prohibition to hinder any from being inslaved for the future.

It was once matter of Astonishment to see the fruitfulness, plenty and multitude of Inhabitants, that fill'd the Province of Honduras; and 'tis now as de∣plorable to behold the Misery, Desolation, and want to People there, which resemble it to a melan∣choly Wilderness. The Governor of this Province made use of a trick not much unlike that of which we have been speaking. He ow'd a great Sum of Mony to some Merchants for Wine and other Com∣modities he had bought of 'em; who had their Vessels in the Port, and expected this Governor to pay 'em in Slaves. But the Emperor's Order forbid∣ding him to make any Slaves in this Province being very strict, he durst not take up Indians publicly to pay his debts, for fear of provoking the Emperor by acting directly against his Command: He therefore sent out two of his Captains, one to the Sea-Coast, and the other farther up into the Continent, with Orders to take up such Indians as were likely to make the least noise and disturbance by their Complaints; these he order'd to be embarqued, and to prevent to himself any danger from the Court, he pretended these In∣dians were seditious Persons and Malefactors, whom he was oblig'd to banish, because it would have been of ill consequence to have let 'em remain in their Country: This was the Pretext under which he sold 'em for Slaves to pay his Debts. And with this sort of Coin the Spaniards us'd to buy all sorts of Com∣modities that came from Europe, and whatever else they thought necessary. So that 'tis no wonder that those fine and rich Provinces are become for∣lorn Deserts, since this Trade of buying and selling

Slaves has been allow'd, which was first practis'd in Hispaniola. Sometimes the Spaniards to deceive the Indians would perswade 'em they should go with them into Spain, when they design'd only to carry 'em to the Isle of Cuba, and sell 'em there. And there are many still at Havana, that were taken af∣ter this manner; for when other Spaniards heard of the Stratagems their Countrymen us'd to impose on the poor Indians, they would use the same Tricks, and brag of 'em instead of being asham'd; so that the World has been sufficiently inform'd of these Ar∣tifices. The Miseries and Desolations of the Provin∣ces of Nicaraqua and Guatimala, of the greatest part of Mexico, Tabesco, and Panuco, are incontestible Proofs of the Cruelties and other Crimes of the Spaniards. The Archbishop of Mexico wrote an Account of 'em by way of complaint to the Royal Council for the Indies, wherein he inform'd 'em that the Governor had loaded twenty eight Ships with Slaves. The Governor of the Province of Xalisco took for his own Share 4560 Slaves, Men, Women and Chil∣dren, some of whom were but one, others two or three years old; all was fish that came to net; be∣sides an infinit number that other Spaniards took in this Province, against the King's express Orders, who was much displeas'd that those People should be inslav'd, who ought to have bin instructed in the knowledge of the true God, and of the Christian Religion, in order to their Salvation. Those Fle∣mish Merchants that got possession of the Kingdom of Vençuela, to pillage and destroy it, made horri∣ble Spoil there for the space of twenty years. That all I say is the very Truth, may better appear by consulting the Archives of the Royal Council, which are full of complaints against the insidious Contrivances of the Spaniards, and the great Violen∣ces they have committed to enslave the poor Indians.

These poor Wretches have no body to interceed for 'em, or to protect 'em; and are always in great consternation, because continually expos'd to the in∣sults of their Enemies, who oppress 'em without be∣ing call'd to account for it. So that they despair of relief, not knowing to whom to address themselves for justice.

Now seeing the Artifices that have bin us'd to in∣slave these poor Creatures, are so unjust and tyranni∣cal; and seeing these People as well as others are born free, it follows that the Spaniards have acted contrary to the Law of Nations, in inslaving all those Indians whom they have taken for that end ever since the Discovery of the New World, and have by their Violences evidently transgress'd the Law of God and Nature.

To prove yet farther that the Spaniards are ob∣lig'd to restore those Indians their Liberty, whom they yet detain in bondage, there's only need of making one reflection, namely, that the Law of God obliges us to make restitution of every thing we have taken unjustly from our Neighbours, and to make reparation for the injuries done 'em; and without doing thus 'tis impossible to be sav'd. Up∣on this Principle 'tis evident, that the Spaniards ought to release their Indians Slaves, and to do what in 'em lies to make 'em amends for the wrong they have done 'em, against all Law and Equity; for 'tis not to be suppos'd the sin will be forgiven, till what has bin unjustly taken away is restor'd; and consequently the Spaniards who have treated the poor Indians after so ill a manner, and yet don't go about to make 'em satisfaction, are under the guilt of a mortal Sin.

To make this appear yet more evidently, two things must be suppos'd. First, that there were no Slaves in New Spain, on the Borders of which there

dwelt divers Nations, especially the Mexicans, that are more dexterous and politic than other Indians: This every one knows who is acquainted with the new World. Secondly, That the term Slave does not signify the same thing among the Indians as among the Europeans, but only denotes a Servant with the former, or one that has some particular obligation to assist us in our necessary Affairs; so that to be the Slave of an Indian, is to be but one degree below his Son; 'tis to dwell in his House, to take care of his Goods and Silver, to wait on his Wife and Children, which is consistent with the enjoyment of his Liberty: He sets the House in order, sows the Land, and does any necessary work, as occasion requires. And his Master on his part treats him with a great deal of Kindness and Hu∣manity, as if he were not oblig'd to render him this Service. Those Missionaries that have learn'd the Indian Language, and know the import of their words, can testify the truth of what I say.

It is farther to be suppos'd, that in New Spain and Mexico many unlawful ways have bin us'd by the Spaniards to inslave the Indians, in so much that one would have thought they knew nothing of the true God, nor had ever heard of the Precepts of the Gospel. When there was a Famin there, which sel∣dom happens in those rich and fertil Countries, those Indians that had a stock of Corn, perswaded them that were poor to sell 'em their Children for some of their Corn: with this proposal they com∣ply'd very willingly, because their Servitude is so easy, their Slaves not being oblig'd to any very hard Labor. And the Indians are naturally obsequious and submissive to those on whom they depend; they would give one of their Children for five Bushels of Corn, and this was the ordinary Price they gave. 'Tis true, this was an unjust method of making

Slaves, because all things ought to be common in a time of extreme Necessity; for the Law of Na∣ture obliges us freely to give or lend to those that are under pressing want.

Another occasion on which the Spaniards made the Indians their Slaves was this; when any one had found an Indian with some Ears of Corn which he had stolen, he had Authority to make him his Slave. The Missionaries have observ'd that some of 'em would maliciously scatter Ears of Corn in the High∣ways, that they might seize those for Slaves that had innocently gather'd 'em up. Besides this, the Parents and Relations of him that had the Corn found upon him were made Slaves for this imagina∣ry Theft, which is a very unjust and criminal Ar∣tifice. They likewise had invented a sort of Play among 'em, in which he that lost was made a Slave; the best Players would make as if they knew not how to play, to insnare those that were ignorant into their Service. If any one whom they had thus caught, presum'd to run away, his nearest Relations were forc'd to supply his place. When a Free-man had lain with a Woman that was a Slave, her Master had power to seize him, or his Wife, if he were married, and to oblige him to serve him till she was brought to bed. Which Custom obtain'd through∣out the whole Country. He that had a young Maid to his Slave, would inslave any one that lay with her, which was attended with great Inconveniences; for the Masters of these young She-slaves would put 'em upon enticing Men to lie with 'em, on purpose to catch 'em in this Trap. If a Slave took any thing out of his Master's House to give it to his Relations, they all immediately became his Master's Slaves. When several Merchants went into other Countries for Slaves to sell in New Spain, where they had the best trade for 'em, they lent those that were poor

their Goods and Corn upon Usury; and when they were not in a condition to pay for what they had bought, they seiz'd 'em for Slaves. If he that ow'd the Sum, died before the Debt was discharg'd, and his Wife and Children were not capable of paying the Creditor, they became his Slaves. In time of Fa∣min, Parents would sell one of their Children to serve a Master for a certain number of years; but indeed there was no end of this Servitude, for if the Master dy'd, his Relations would take possession of his Slave. But the Bishop of Mexico, who is a very pious and virtuous Prelat, has written an account in Latin of all the Tricks the Spaniards have us'd to inslave the Indians; by which 'tis easy to see with how much Injustice they have abus'd the Simplicity and Neces∣sity of these poor wretches to reduce 'em to a mise∣rable state of Bondage.

From what I have been relating it appears, that the Indians being Idolaters, and destitute of the knowledg of the true God, and the Rules of Chris∣tianity, don't regulate their Actions by such Mo∣tives as the fear of Hell, and the desire of Heaven, and the hope of having their good Works rewarded hereafter: Therefore they are vicious and corrupt in many respects; for instance, they don't observe the Law of Nations in the Wars they make one up∣on another; by which one may well guess there are many other injust things done among 'em.

But the Faith of Christ, and the Precepts of the Gospel are for preserving only good Laws and Customs, and for abolishing those that are bad, espe∣cially such as are opposite to the Law of Nature, and prejudicial to Human Society. Therefore those Indians that are converted, who have bin guilty of Polygamy, are oblig'd to put away all their Wives but one, according to the prescription of the Law of God, as well as to restore all the Goods they

have gotten by unlawful ways of Robbery or Extor∣tion. If Christians follow the evil Customs of In∣fidels, or tolerate 'em when they can hinder 'em, they manifestly render themselves Accomplices in the Crimes of those Idolaters, because we are ob∣lig'd by the Divine Law to abstain from such Actions as may occasion Scandal, or any way injure the temporal or spiritual Welfare of our Neighbor. For this reason St. Paul commanded Christians not to eat things offer'd to Idols, lest it should be thought they approv'd of those damnable Sacri∣fices; tho they might eat of those very meats, pro∣vided the Pagans did not see 'em, and so were not scandaliz'd by the Action.

All Christians are oblig'd by the Divine Word to do what in 'em lies for the Abolition of sinful Customs, or at least to abstain from 'em, and dis∣approve 'em themselves. And when a man doubts whether any Action he is about to do is just or injust, he can't do it with a good Conscience: this is a ge∣neral Rule that admits of no exception, because Christians are oblig'd by the Doctrin of the Gospel, rather to lose all they have than to commit the least Sin. Therefore while the Mind hesitates and doubts, whether the Action on which one thinks be sin or no, we ought necessarily to abstain from it. The very desire of doing such an Action is contrary to right Reason, and to the Love of God; because it would be to expose one's self to the hazard of trans∣gressing the Divine Will, to do that concerning which one labors under an uncertainty whether it be lawful or forbidden. And the Doubt, when one thus ventures to sin, is no longer a mere Doubt, but most certainly becomes an Offence against God, because we are always oblig'd to take the safest course. When it falls out that we meet with two ways, and are uncertain which is the right, we

ought always to chuse that which is the least dan∣gerous, according to that Maxim of St. Augustin in his penitential Book, Take what is certain, and leave what is uncertain.

The Rules of the Civil Law, which are confirm'd by Reason, by the Law of Nature, and that of Christian Charity, admit of a Dispensation in some cases, when there is a prospect of some great Good, to which a greater strictness would probably be prejudicial. But 'tis a general Rule, that when a Man deliberates on two doubtful things, he is to determin his choice on that side where he may avoid Sin, where there are the fewest Inconveniences, and where his Neighbour's Interest runs the least hazard. Upon this Principle, Clergy-men ought not to be oblig'd to retire and live separatly from their Mothers, Grandmothers or Sisters, or to for∣sake their Father's House; because such a Separation may be very disadvantagious to 'em, tho there may possibly be some Inconvenience likewise in their dwelling together.

That man retains a thing with an evil Conscience, about which he is in doubt whether it be lawfully gotten, or which he has receiv'd of one who had no right to it, or who had reason to doubt whether it belong'd to him or no. Whatever is possess'd under such circumstances, is kept contrary to the Rules of Justice, and against both the Law of God and Nature. Therefore the Spaniards who keep those Indians in slavery, concerning whom they are in doubt whether they have bin bought, or given to those of whom they had 'em, act contrary to Justice and to the Law of God, in retaining 'em while under this doubt. Every one knows that a man is oblig'd to restore whatever he does not law∣fully possess, and whatever he has receiv'd from one that had no just right to it, because a man can't

communicate a right to another which he has not first himself. Thus when any one buys or receives any thing from a Person who sells or gives it, and yet has no right to it, he is unjust if he keeps it, and is oblig'd to make restitution. The Reason is evident, because 'tis no less than the commission of Theft, wilfully to retain any thing against the will of him to whom it appertains. And tho this thing should have past through a thousand hands before it came to you, you would have no right to withold it from the proper Owner, because these were all unlawful Possessors, and consequently ought to have made restitution. And tho some human Laws give permission to retain a thing which one has bought with Mony that is coin'd with the King's stamp, and is current in the Commonwealth, yet this is no law∣ful Title to it, because human Laws must not pre∣scribe contrary to the Law of God and Nature, nor to good Morals, which forbid Theft, and the with∣olding of another man's Goods against the consent of the rightful Owner. Inferiors, and such are Kings themselves in respect of the Divine Majesty, can't justly establish any thing in prejudice to the Law of God, which is superior to all other Laws.

He that buys stolen Goods knowingly, is an Ac∣cessory in the Robbery: and if he does but suspect they are stolen, and has not bin so diligent as he might have bin, to inform himself whether they were lawfully gotten, he can't keep 'em with a good Conscience; because no man can innocently do that which exposes him to Sin. And if we will not take the pains to inform our selves whether that which is sold or given to us be lawfully gotten, when we are in doubt about it, we can't be the lawful Pos∣sessors, because this is a culpable and wilful Igno∣rance. Those who have in such cases consulted Men capable of giving information, are excusable, un∣less

themselves be of such a Character as obliges 'em to be acquainted with Law and Equity, as Ci∣vilians, Judges, and the like; or when they ask ad∣vice, content themselves with consulting only one Person, tho they have opportunity of advising with many; or ask counsel of interested Persons, and such as will not answer according to the Dictates of their Conscience, instead of consulting Men of Integrity who will give advice according to the Rules of Law and Equity; or when they address themselves to Persons whose Honesty is suspected upon good grounds. A Man is not excusable under such Cir∣cumstances as these, tho he ask Counsel of the Learned in the Law; and after having taken their Advice, acts contrary to Right and Equity. These four Circumstances being regarded, may be of great use to ease scrupulous persons of their doubts, and to give 'em peace of Conscience.

And by these Principles it may be easily known that the Spaniards unjustly retain most of their In∣dian Slaves against the Law of God: and if they have a right to any of 'em, the number is very small, and they have reason to doubt whether these have been lawfully made Slaves; because those they have had from the Indians have been brought to 'em as a Tribute extorted from 'em against their will, by Fear, Menaces and Torments; so that they have no just Title to 'em: or if they have bought 'em of Indians, they have us'd unfair tricks to procure 'em, having terrified the Caciques, and constrain'd 'em by Tortures to deliver up their Subjects into their hands, threatning otherwise to acuse 'em to the Judges for worshipping and offering Sacrifices to Idols; so that the poor Caciques when they could not give the Spaniards as many Indians as they de∣manded, us'd to steal 'em where they could▪ 'Tis true, when these Disorders came to be known to his

Majesty, he expresly forbad any such ways of in∣slaving the People for the future.

As for those few Slaves which the Indians have voluntarily sold, tho the Spaniards have hitherto made no question that they had a lawful right to 'em, they have had however reason enough to doubt it, and they ought by no means to have taken possession of 'em, till they had first us'd all necessa∣ry diligence to get information whether they might do it with a good Conscience; and if after all their inquiry the matter remain'd dubious, they ought not to have bought 'em while under that scruple: So that all the ways they have taken to procure themselves great numbers of Slaves are unlawful: And when the Indian Princes saw how eagerly the Spaniards pursu'd this trade, they would tyrannize over their Subjects, and force 'em to become Slaves, that they might be capable of answering the Spaniards demands, and of buying the trifles they sold 'em. The Judges of the Royal Council, who have sounded this matter to the bottom, have declar'd, that scarce any of the Indians have been lawfully inslav'd, and on this account have set many of 'em at liberty.

The Missionary Monks who understood the Lan∣guage of the Indians, and were acquainted with their Secrets, have declar'd, that those who have kept 'em as their Slaves, have done so without any just ground: and they had no interest to speak after this manner, being only concern'd about the Salva∣tion of Souls.

And can it be thought that the Spaniards were ig∣norant of what themselves had done, who made themselves formidable to the poor Indians, and forc'd 'em by severe Punishment to procure 'em what Slaves they requir'd? And these ignorant Infidels, who have so little of the fear or love of God, might easily perswade themselves that there was no In∣justice

in doing what they saw Christians do before 'em; so that their ill Examples might well embolden 'em to steal away fatherless Children, to trepan the ignorant, and even to make use of force and vio∣lence to get Slaves to sell to the Spaniards. For after this manner have the Indians been corrupted and induc'd to commit all kinds of Injustice against their own Country-men to procure Slaves, since they have had Conversation with the Christians, who incouraged 'em in these Tricks, not only by their Words, but likewise by their Example. And 'tis most certain, the Spaniards could not be igno∣rant of these unrighteous Proceedings, since them∣selves were the occasion and instruments of all this Mischief: and it must at least be granted, that they were oblig'd to suspect whether the Slaves that were brought 'em were taken as lawful Prisoners of War, and to inquire whether they might keep 'em with a good Conscience or not.

They drove this trade with suspicious Persons, and therefore might well have presum'd that they offended the Rules of Justice; and that those that gave or sold these Slaves to 'em, had no right so to do. Men ought to be very cautious how they deal with the Indians, lest they approve of the Theft and other Crimes of these Infidels. The Spaniards knew well enough what was commonly reported of the Indians every where, that they us'd many unjust and tyrannical ways to get Slaves on all sides; and there∣fore ought to have scrupled the buying of 'em such as were naturally free, and who had bin inslav'd against the Law of Nations: So that they can ne∣ver excuse themselves from possessing 'em unjustly, and from participating of the Crimes of the Indians in stealing and captivating great numbers of People. Among a hundred thousand Slaves whom the Indians have sold to the Spaniards, or paid 'em by way of

Tribute, perhaps not one of 'em was properly a Slave, or taken in a just and lawful War. But al∣lowing some of 'em to be so, how could they be dis∣tinguish'd from the rest in this vast number? Besides, that there is a great difference, as we have already observ'd, between the Slaves of the Indians and those of the Europeans: The former make Slavery not very uneasy or troublesom, their Slaves being in a manner free, and not much differing from their Children; whereas Slavery among the Spaniards is a most terrible condition, and those that are subjected to it, enjoy no Favor, Comfort or Rest, but are con∣tinually expos'd to Hunger and Thirst, and other severe Punishments: Nor are there any Laws or Statutes that can soften the cruel Temper of the Spaniards, and hinder 'em from exacting of their Slaves such Service as surpasses human Strength.

From all the Principles we have been establishing, it follows, First, that his Majesty is oblig'd by the Law of God to set all those Indians at liberty, whom the Spaniards have made their Slaves, and unjustly retain as such. First, Because his Majesty is oblig'd to do Justice to all the World, to great and small, without respect of Persons, without de∣spising the Cause of the miserable and afflicted, who are not in a condition to defend themselves, or re∣dress their own Grievances. 'Tis the principal du∣ty of Kings to execute Justice, and protect the weak against the oppression of the strong; and when they fail in this, they sometimes draw down the Divine Vengeance on their own Persons and Kingdoms; because the Cries of the poor, and such as labor under Misery, incessantly go up to the Throne of God. And since the Spaniards unjustly oppress the Indians, who have no way to secure themselves from the Violence and Tyranny of their Persecutors; 'tis evident his Majesty is oblig'd to

stop the course of their Injustice, and to restore those poor People their Liberty who groan under so cruel a Bondage. Nor ought this to be one mo∣ment deferr'd, seeing these Vexations are publick and notorious, and his Majesty cannot be ignorant of 'em.

Those Kings that are willing to observe the strict Rules of Justice, whether Pagans or Christians, ought to use their utmost Efforts to keep their Subjects in peace, tho at the same time they should forget no∣thing that may conduce to lead 'em in the way of Virtue; because the end that every Governor of a Commonwealth ought to propose to himself is, to act so as to render all his Subjects virtuous. How much more are Catholic Princes, who profess to follow the Rules of Christ, oblig'd to govern their Subjects according to his Precepts, and to remove all the Obstacles that are likely to turn 'em out of the way of Truth? In which Enterprize they cannot succeed without giving 'em good and equal Laws, and obliging 'em to an exact observance of 'em.

Christian Princes are moreover bound to exhort their Subjects to serve the true God, and to yield obedience to the Doctrin of Christ, as much as possibly they can. And seeing the Spaniards by un∣justly retaining the Indians in slavery, are continually in the habit of a mortal Sin, and consequently don't live according to the Laws of Christ, our Kings ought to command 'em to release all the Indians, that they may remove this great Obstacle which lies in the way of their Subjects Salvation. The Royal Character of Princes obliges 'em to make Laws and Regulations, that Justice may be maintain'd, and the People subject to their Government preserv'd in the practice of Virtue; and are likewise requir'd by the Divine Law to employ their temporal Power for the augmentation of the Catholic Church, and

the maintenance of Ecclesiastical Disciplin, that the Professors of Christianity may not rebel against the Ministers of Christ. In this they may lawfully em∣ploy the terror of their Arms, to keep all People to their Duty; for otherwise Temporal Powers would not be necessary for the administration of the Affairs of the Church. From hence it may fairly be concluded, that the King of Spain ought to use his power to render Justice to the poor Indians, who are so tyrannically oppress'd, and to strengthen the hands of the Ministers of the Church in the Indies by his Authority, who are not able to make any progress by their Ministry among the Natives, nor to reclaim the Spaniards from their Vices, while they are suffer'd to afflict and persecute the poor Indians, because these continual Violences, and their fix'd resolution to persist in 'em, are habitual Sins. At present they regard not at all the Remonstrances and Menaces of Prelats, or Ecclesiastical Censures, but go on adding Sin to Sin, in so much that the Church in the Indies is in a forlorn condition, and under great difficulties: so that the Indians ought to be set free, that the Obstructions lying in the way of their Salvation may be remov'd, and that they may the better be engag'd to submit to the Doctrin that is preach'd to 'em: For by this means Christian Pastors will have a full liberty to exercise their Mi∣nistry, and to discharge their Apostolic Functions.

The Bishops of America are oblig'd by the Law of God continually to sollicit his Majesty and his Royal Council to deliver the Indians from the Op∣pression under which they groan, and to give 'em their former Liberty, because these Bishops are ne∣cessarily engag'd by their Character to do the best they can for the discharge of their Pastoral Office, which consists in governing and teaching the People under their Conduct, and in providing for all their

spiritual necessities; as also in securing 'em as well as they can from any temporal Injury, and in rescuing 'em from the hands of Oppressors, especially when the Vexations they suffer are so many stumbling blocks in the way of their Salvation. Nor ought they to be wanting in procuring 'em all the tempo∣ral Advantages they can.

The Dominican and Franciscan Friers are very pi∣ous and prudent, and deserve to be highly commend∣ed, in that they have agreed to refuse absolution to all the Spaniards of New Spain, who keep Indian Slaves, and to oblige 'em to bring this affair under examination before the Royal Council, in con∣formity to the Laws newly made; tho they would have done better not to have had recourse to this Tribunal. These Monks know very well by experi∣ence what unjust and deceitful Methods have been us'd to inslave the Indians, and can't doubt but God has been highly offended by these Violences, and that those who have committed 'em are oblig'd to repair the Injuries of which they have been guilty. A Confessor who undertakes to hear Mens Confessi∣ons, one who officiates in quality of a Bishop or Curat as a spiritual Judg, ought to understand the Obligations of his Ministry, and to have that know∣ledg and prudence which is requisite to perform it after a becoming manner, that he may pass a wise and just Judgment on all matters propos'd to him, and rightly discern what wrong is offer'd to any op∣pressed Party. If his ignorance or negligence is the cause of his Mistake, so that he obliges not his Pe∣nitent to restore any ill-gotten goods, he commits a great Sin, and is himself bound to make restituti∣on and amends for the Injustice done the offended Party: Just as a Physician who has through igno∣rance done some considerable Mischief to his Pa∣tient, or occasion'd his death, ought to make some

special Reparation for his fault. The same may be said of Judges that pass an unrighteous Sen∣tence, while they are ignorant of the Law, or take no care to inform themselves of the merit of the Cause before 'em, because such neglect and igno∣rance are criminal, and they ought to know the matters on which they are intrusted to pass a Judg∣ment.

'Tis certain all the Ecclesiastical Persons in New Spain are well assur'd that the Indians have been in∣slav'd, and are still kept in bondage, contrary to all Law and Equity; and therefore are not oblig'd to refer the Examination of this Affair to the Royal Council: besides, there are all sorts of tricks and devices used to divert the Council from taking cog∣nizance of the matter, lest they should suppress those vexatious Practices. His Majesty ought with all speed to issue out his Orders for the release of these miserable People, and so much the rather, because the oppression they are under is the occasion of the ruin of an infinit number of Souls. And this is the only way to reclaim the Spaniards from the habit of a mortal Sin, and to put the Prelats in a conditi∣on freely to acquit themselves of their Ecclesiastical Functions.

Among all the Expedients Frier Don Bartholomew de Las-Casas, Bishop of the Royal City of Chiapa, propos'd for the reestablishment of Peace and Tran∣quillity in America, the most effectual was that of directly subjecting all the West-Indies to the Crown of Spain, that so the Spanish Lords might be uncapa∣ble of making the Indians their own Subjects and Vassals. And he supported this Proposal with many very cogent Reasons.

First he says, the Princes and People of the New World being Infidels, and their Conversion to our

holy Faith appearing necessary, 'tis very proper they should be under the Protection of a Catholic and powerful King, who has a true zeal for the ho∣nor and propagation of the Christian Religion, and might send able Missionaries into the New World, to bring those Idolaters to the knowledg of the true God, and to embrace our Divine Religion, and sub∣mit themselves to the Holy See. And hence it ap∣pears that nothing can be more advantageous to the Indians, than to put themselves under the protecti∣on of Catholic Princes, that no particular Lords may be capable of taking possession of 'em as their Property. This is what the Kings of Spain ought to regard, without sharing with any others that Pow∣er and Authority they have acquired over the In∣dians; for they ought to preserve this Jurisdiction immediately to themselves, and not divide it to in∣vest private Men with it. And this is an Affair of so great consequence, that no less than both the temporal and eternal Welfare of those Nations de∣pend on it; for the Conversion of the New World would be a very advantageous thing to the Com∣monwealth.

'Tis neither just nor possible to abandon this Juris∣diction to private Persons, since none but the King can be invested with it; because when the Pope has once made choice of any Person or Power for this Af∣fair, it ought not to be delegated or entrusted to ano∣ther. When he has in this matter declar'd himself in favor of any Person illustrious by his Character and Merit, who has a perfect knowledg of any Cause he may have to determin, 'tis to be presum'd he'l pass such a Judgment as the Pope himself would have done. Now 'tis manifest that in the Case in question we have a Person cloth'd with Grandeur and Dignity, seeing he is King of Spain, a very good Christian, and zealous for the Catholic Religion;

and the matter is of great importance, because it concerns the preaching and propagation of the true Faith and Worship of God, the Conversion of nume∣rous Nations, and the Government of 'em; which is to be administred with Lenity and Prudence, that Justice may be maintain'd among 'em, and the love of Virtue inspir'd into 'em: which is an Em∣ploy too great for any but Soveraign Princes to perform.

'Tis certain the Holy See has chosen the King of Spain to be entrusted with the Government of the In∣dies; which may be prov'd by two considerable Cir∣cumstances. The first of which is the Clause added in the Commission, We rely upon your Fidelity, Prudence and Justice: which is inserted in the Bull of Grant and Commission of the Indies to the most serene Kings of Spain, wherein the Pope says in express Terms;

Knowing you to be Kings truly Catholic, as we have been assur'd by many experiences, and that your Piety is every where regarded throughout the Christian World, we doubt not but you will use all the care and diligence you can for the Exaltati∣on and Increase of the Catholic Faith; as you have spar'd no charge or pains to rescue the Kingdom of Grenada from the hands of Sarazens and Infidels, which has so much conduc'd to the Glory of the name of God.

The second Circumstance is, that when any ex∣press Order is added in the Commission, the first Clause of it is express'd in these Words:

We exhort you by your Holy Baptism, which obliges you to submit to our Apostolic Orders; and we conjure you by the Bowels of Compassion in Jesus Christ, that you would generously under∣take this Expedition, to engage the People of the New World to embrace the Christian Religion: nor let any Hardships or Perils discourage you, but

put your trust in God, who will make your Work succeed to his Glory.

The other Clause contains a kind of Command, and is thus express'd;

We command you in virtue of the holy Obe∣dience you owe us; and we doubt not but you will undertake this Affair with a great deal of zeal and fervor, and send into the Islands and Continent Men fearing God, able, experienc'd, and capable of instructing the Inhabitants of the New World in the Catholic Faith, and of inspir∣ing 'em with the love of Virtue.

These Circumstances make it sufficiently appear, that the Pope gave the charge of causing the Indians to be instructed to the Kings of Spain, in conside∣ration of the signal Services render'd the Church by that Crown; nay, that he has oblig'd them to un∣dertake this good work by his express Command to apply themselves to it, in virtue of the holy Obe∣dience they owe him.

Pursuant to this these Princes solemnly engag'd themselves to second the Pope's designs with all their Power: Their Promise was turn'd into a Covenant, and became a formal Obligation on 'em; and con∣sequently 'tis the indispensible Duty of the Kings of Spain to be the Ministers of the Holy See in carry∣ing the Word of God into the Indies, and contribut∣ing all their Power to continue the work of convert∣ing the Indians: Their care should be extended to their temporal as well as spiritual Concerns; and they ought to neglect nothing that may be necessary for their preservation or conversion. Nor is it law∣ful for these Princes to abdicate this Authority, and divest themselves of this Jurisdiction.

Let your Majesty therefore please to consider se∣riously how strict and indispensible this Obligation is; be pleas'd to remember that in the year 1499,

when Christopher Columbus, the first Discoverer and Admiral of the West-Indies, had permitted each Spaniard that accompanied him to take one Indians in recompence of the great Services done the Crown of Spain in that Voyage, when those Indians arriv'd in Spain, your Majesty so much resented it, that 'twas not easy to appease your Anger on that occa∣sion. Your Majesty ask'd if the Admiral had power to destroy your Subjects; and commanded the Spa∣niards to send back to the Indies all the Indians they had brought from thence on pain of Death. Ac∣cordingly they return'd in the year 1500, when Francis Bobadilla went to take the Government of the New World.

The second reason that proves your Majesty under an obligation to incorporate the Indies into the In∣heritance of your Crown, and not to suffer the Spa∣niards in the least to usurp any thing in quality of Lords and Masters, is, that otherwise 'tis impossible the People should ever be brought to espouse Chri∣stianity. To comprehend the force of this Reason it must be remember'd that the Design of your Maje∣sty's Title to possess these newly-discover'd Nations, is no other than the publication of the Gospel, to spread the knowledg of Jesus Christ among 'em; and consequently your Majesty is oblig'd to remove all Impediments that oppose this end, by establish∣ing good Laws and Orders, and using all other just ways and means to render this design prosperous. The End is always the great Spring that should give motion and direction to our Actions; and 'tis this we ought to have principally in view, that we may the better foresee what Obstructions are likely to lie in our way, and take the most sutable measures to attain the end propos'd. Now 'tis certain, that the Power usurp'd by the Spaniards over the Indians is one of the greatest hindrances to the preaching of

the Gospel among 'em for their Conversion. All the World knows their excessive Avarice makes 'em unwilling to suffer the Missionary Monks to preach the Gospel to the Indians, whom those Tyrants look upon as their Vassals; because the publication of the Gospel (they say) occasions a considerable damage to 'em two ways. First, because these Monks make the Indians lose too much time in hearing their In∣structions; these People (say they) are naturally lazy and negligent, so that when they are diverted from their Work, 'tis hard to bring 'em to it again. It has often happen'd when the Monks had got the Indians together in their Church to instruct 'em, the Spaniards have come upon 'em, and taken away a hundred or two by force, beating 'em cruelly to the scandal of the rest, in spite of what the poor Monks could say or do. And such Violences can't but ex∣tremely impede the Salvation of the Indians. Another Disadvantage the Spaniards pretend to receive from the Conversion of the Indians, is, that when they are once instructed in the Maxims of Christianity, they grow proud and untractable, and not so capable to serve 'em: and is not this an open Confession that their private Interest is dearer to 'em than the Sal∣vation of these Peoples Souls? The frame of their mind is an habitual mortal Sin against Charity, the Order of which they pervert, not only in not pro∣moting their Salvation themselves, which they ought every day to do, being oblig'd in Conscience either to instruct 'em, or procure others to do so; but also in that they are so far from acquitting them∣selves of this duty, that with all their might they hinder others from informing 'em, without being afraid of the Judgments of that God, who will one day severely punish 'em for want of Charity to their Neighbours, in witholding light from 'em, tho

they have so much need of Information. They hinder the pious Missionaries from coming to preach to 'em, lest they should become acquainted with their Vexations and Cruelties, which are so great and strange, that the Monks are seiz'd with horror when the Indians relate 'em. And when they see with their own Eyes how miserably the Indians are treated, they make it their business (as they are bound in duty to God) to oppose these Disorders. They sometimes advertise the Judges of those Tribunals your Majesty has established there of these things, to seek to redress 'em that way; tho the means hi∣therto used have had very little effect; because the Governors and Judges having a great many In∣dians themselves, to whom they are unmerciful and cruel, abuse their Power in oppressing these poor Creatures, causing 'em to be punish'd rigorously for the slightest faults. This is the true reason why the Monks are look'd upon as so many troublesom Spies, and the Enemies of their temporal Interest; so that they can't endure so much as to see 'em, nor would they willingly tolerate 'em in the Country, but often curse 'em, and invent all sorts of Calum∣nies against 'em. The poor Indians almost despair to see any end of their Miseries; and having nothing to trust to but the Zeal and Charity of the Monks, do love and reverence 'em as their Deliverers and Protectors, still putting great Confidence in them under all their troubles; they often come in Bodies out of their Towns and Cities to meet 'em: But 'tis a great mortification to the Spaniards to see the In∣dians pay these good Men so much respect; and they take occasion from hence to reproach 'em, pretending the Monks design to make themselves the Lords and Masters of these poor Wretches. But God only knows what Labors and Hardships these

Missionaries undergo, and to what Extremity they are often reduc'd by poverty and hunger; when they undertake great Journeys with inexpressible fatigue, in rough and troublesom ways, to assist the Indians, and shew 'em the way of Salvation; and to admonish the Spaniards of their enormous Sins, in tormenting 'em so many ways, in robbing and mur∣dering 'em: all which Violences call for large resti∣tution, if they expect to be sav'd. Covetousness and Injustice reign more in the Indies, than in all the World besides; tho the Spaniards have no just right nor power there, since they don't derive it of your Majesty. The Indians are naturally timorous and cowardly, or rather the ill Treatments and Cruel∣ties of the Spaniards have terrified 'em to that de∣gree, that consternation and dread are become na∣tural to 'em, insomuch that they scarce remember they are Men.

'Tis impossible for Men in their Condition to ap∣ply themselves to hear the preaching of the Gospel, that so they might become Christians, since the Spaniards so strenuously oppose it; who ought there∣fore to give up the Title they have usurp'd over them, ever since they made a Conquest of 'em, as they are wont to boast. They that have any Interest in a Governor's favor, dispose of the Persons of the Indians as their proper Goods, and divide 'em among themselves, as if they were born absolute Vassals. Two or three Spaniards will sometimes appropriate to themselves a whole Nation of Indi∣ans. It may be the Master of the Family falls to the Lot of one, his Wife to another, and their Children to a third. They are sent to the Mines loaded like Horses, and forc'd to carry heavy Bur∣dens a hundred or two hundred Leagues; this is seen every day. To obviate these Disorders, it

will not be sufficient that your Majesty demand your Tributes, and threaten those with severe Punish∣ment who shall presume to torment the Indians for the future, or exact such Tasks of 'em as they are not justly oblig'd to perform; for they'l still persist in the same course.

As the severe Bondage of the Indians is a great obstacle to their Conversion on the one hand, so on the other is the course taken to disperse 'em at a distance one from another, whereby 'tis almost im∣possible to assemble a considerable number of 'em. Both these ways prevent their being instructed in our Religion, and put in the way of Salvation. 'Tis necessary in order to their being fed with the Divine Word, that they live in Society, and be in a condition to be easily assembled; and 'tis as ne∣cessary they should enjoy an entire Liberty, that they might voluntarily embrace the Word of God. The Learned say there was no System of written Laws given by God in the time of Abraham, because the Church was his Family, and did not consist of any whole Nation. Nor did God see good to give his Law to the Israelites while in Egypt, tho they were then a numerous People, and computed to be no less than six hundred thousand Men able to bear Arms, because they were not a free People, being yet in Captivity. But the Almighty gave 'em his Law when these two conditions were found in 'em to∣gether, namely, when they were both Numerous and Free; which was not till he had employ'd his Power to deliver 'em from the Yoke of Pharaoh. But of all Laws, that of the Gospel especially requires both these Conditions, because it supposes Persons at liberty to seek to be instructed in it, and to put the Precepts of it in practise. And 'tis very pro∣per for those that observe the Laws of Christ to

incorporate themselves and live in Societies, that they may perform the solemn Acts of Divine Wor∣ship by the practice of the seven Sacraments and other Ceremonies of the Church. 'Tis necessary for Christians to meet together from time to time in public to hear the Word of God, and assist at other parts of his Worship, that so new Converts may be confirm'd in the manner of Life they have embrac'd; for without these helps they would in∣sensibly decline in their Zeal, and might come even to lose their Faith. In short, if the Spaniards are permitted to keep the Indians scatter'd up and down on the Mountains, and in the Vallies, and to employ 'em perpetually in performing the unreasonable Tasks they exact of 'em, it will be impossible to instruct 'em in our Religion to any purpose.

By what has been said, your Majesty may very well conceive what Disorders reign in the Indies, and how necessary 'tis to hinder the Spaniards from re∣taining the Natives under so severe a Yoke, and from proceeding to depopulate the Country as they have hitherto done. And that which is yet more deplorable, is, that they suffer 'em to die without taking care to have the Sacraments administer'd to 'em, having no more regard for 'em than for Dogs or Horses. One would think they believ'd these People to have no immortal Souls, but were uncapa∣ble of Rewards or Punishments in the other Life.

The Spaniards are no way qualified either to be Lords and Masters of the Indians, or to teach 'em the Doctrin of the Gospel, or to induce 'em to im∣brace it by their Examples. A considerable num∣ber of Indians were committed to the care of John Colmenero to be instructed in our Religion, tho he was so ignorant that he knew not well how to make the sign of the Cross, or give any tolerable account of his own Faith; in so much that when he was ask'd

what he taught those Indians under his Conduct, he could make no other Answer than that he taught 'em to make the sign of the Cross, but pronounc'd the words wrong that are us'd in that Ceremony. When the Indians of one Province had brought all their Idols to the Missionaries, with Protestations that they now detested that impious Worship, and were resolv'd to serve the true God for time to come, the Spaniards sold these very Idols to other Indians, or exchang'd 'em for Slaves. What concern of Mind can the Spaniards be suppos'd to have for the Salva∣tion of these People, when they only design to en∣rich themselves, and thereby to be qualified for Em∣ployments above their Rank; and when they are so ignorant, that they don't know the Creed, or ten Commandments? They are sordidly covetous, and indeed give themselves up to all sorts of Vices; so that their Lives are infamous and abominable. The Indians are comparatively more honest and virtuous than they are: for tho they are Pagans and Idola∣ters, yet are content with one Wife, as Nature teaches 'em, while they see Christians take fourteen or fifteen Women, how expresly soever the Law they profess forbids it. Many of the Indians scarce know what it is to rob one another, to offer Vio∣lence to any one, or to commit Murder: Whereas they see the Christians guilty of all these, against all Reasons and Justice, and that they violate all their Oaths, so that there is no ground to put the least confidence in 'em. The poor Indians that are Wit∣nesses of the Crimes of such as call themselves Christians, think the God they worship is the vilest and most unjust God in the world, because he does not immediately inflict some signal Punishment on those that pretend to serve him, for their flagitious Lives. They also think your Majesty the most cruel of all Princes, because your Subjects are so abomi∣nably

vicious; they fancy (as I have before said) that your Majesty drinks human Blood, and eats the Flesh of Men. And tho these things may ap∣pear strange and surprizing to your Majesty, they are no news to us who have been accustom'd to 'em. And we can't but wonder, that some extraordinary marks of the Divine Anger and Indignation have not been inflicted on Spain to make her smart for the Crimes committed by the Spaniards in Ame∣rica.

Your Majesty may by this time very well perceive the Character of those Men to whom the charge and care of the Souls of the Indians is committed. And 'tis no wonder that there's so little done either for their temporal or spiritual Advantage, since the dis∣covery of the Indies, under such Conduct. God is no more known there now than he was before, un∣less it be in the Province of Mexico. And that slight Instruction the People have had there has cost 'em very dear: Tho the Son of God commanded his Disciples to give that freely which they had freely receiv'd. The Indians were committed to the Spaniards, on condition they would undertake to teach 'em the Christian Religion: therefore since they have acquitted themselves so ill of that Com∣mission, they ought to make restitution of all they have taken from 'em under this pretext. However, God will not be mocked, who sees all things, and is a witness of all the wicked Actions of the Spaniards, who have made it their business only to torment and inslave these poor People instead of taking care to inform 'em of the Truth. And indeed these secular Men are not very proper to be made Preachers of the Gospel. Your Majesty has been ill serv'd in not having had good Information given you of the ill deportment of your Subjects. For 'tis not to be doubted but your Majesty would

have provided a Remedy, if due care had been taken to give you advice of it: Or if your Majesty had not done it, you would have very much wrong'd your Conscience in sending such Men into the new World to preach the Faith, and give testimony to the Doctrin of Jesus Christ, who are absolutely un∣capable of so honourable a Ministry, and even de∣cry and debase it by their scandalous Conversation. 'Tis therefore necessary that this Employment be taken away from Secular, and committed to Reli∣gious Persons, as agreeing better with their Cha∣racter, which may be done without giving these Ecclesiastical Ministers any occasion to claim a tem∣poral Jurisdiction over the Indians; for if that should be allow'd, we should fall into the same In∣conveniences we are endeavouring to avoid. The corrupt Lives and evil Examples of the Spaniards do more hurt than the preaching of an infinit number of Priests and Monks can do good. There∣fore your Majesty is oblig'd in Conscience to de∣prive the Spaniards of the power they usurp over the Indians, and never suffer 'em to make 'em their Vassals.

One principal Reason that proves this Proposi∣tion is, that People ought to enjoy Peace and Tran∣quillity, that they may be in a condition to at∣tend the Worship of God, and the good Works prescrib'd by the Christian Religion, and not to be diverted from the Sacraments by being condemn'd to continual Labor. Which state of Peace and Rest can't subsist without preserving to every Man his Property, and guarding him from all the assaults of Injury and Injustice. The Governors of Com∣monwealths are bound by the Law of God to re∣move out of the way all Obstructions to so necessary a Peace, and speedily to allay those Dissensions and Troubles that may continue Discord among such as

profess Christianity, because 'tis directly opposit to the end of God in creating Men; for he sends 'em into the World to observe his Commands, and to apply themselves to the exercise of Religion and good Works, that they may thereby merit eternal Life. This good order is necessary in every Christi∣an Republic, but there especially where the Christian Faith has been but lately entertain'd. The Spaniards are too covetous and self-interested to have any Jurisdiction over the Indians granted 'em, because they'l never give 'em any respit or repose, but go on to rob and torment 'em all the ways they can in∣vent. There is no kind of Injustice but they com∣mit it to spoil these poor People, and therefore there is no way to shelter 'em from their Oppres∣sions, but by annexing the Indies to the proper In∣heritance of your Majesty's Crown. The Spaniards kill the Indians with impunity in the Fields, in the High-ways, and in the Mines, and do it more bold∣ly, because many times there are no Witnesses pre∣sent to convict 'em of their Cruelties. So that no∣thing can be more evident, than that the Indians are not in a condition to compose their Minds to at∣tend to the Divine Word, so as to be induc'd to obey the Divine Commands, while the Spaniards are their absolute Lords, who will continually harass 'em with endless Trouble and Persecution, which will fill their minds with Anguish and Vexation, and all kinds of Misery, nay with an aversion to your Majesty, and a great hatred to our God, and to his Law, which seems to 'em so severe, so heavy and intolerable a Yoke. They can't but think your Ma∣jesty's Government is tyrannical, as well as that the God whom we adore is unjust and unmerciful; sup∣posing him the Author of all the Violence they suffer from the Spaniards; because while they, on pretence of preaching the Catholic Faith, bring so many

terrible Calamities upon 'em, their God suffers this without punishing their Injustice and Impiety after a very remarkable manner. These unfortunate Peo∣ple have no other Relief than what they find in their Tears, which they pour forth day and night, protesting their own Gods were more kind and fa∣vourable than the God of the Europeans, and saying they enjoy'd a settl'd Peace, and all the Cove∣niences of Life while they serv'd their own Gods, whereas ever since they had been under the power of the Christians, they had been expos'd to all man∣ner of Abuses. This makes 'em abhor the Catholic Faith, and by consequence puts those that preach to 'em out of a condition to attain their end: So that your Majesty is beyond all question oblig'd by the Law of God to rescue the Indians from the Yoke of the Spaniards, and to take 'em under your own Protection.

I farther add, that the power your Majesty has over the People of the New World, has been granted you by the Grace of God and the Suffrage of the Church, both for the temporal and eternal Advantage of the Indians, which Privilege is a kind of necessary means of their Salvation. So that the Government of 'em belongs of right to none but your Majesty, with the exclusion of all other Powers whatsoever, unless they desire to frustrate all the Advantages both spiritual and temporal, which the Indians might hope to reap from the Conversation of the Europeans. Your Majesty's Character and Jurisdiction over 'em engages you to remove all Ob∣stacles that may hinder them from obtaining these Advantages, and being sav'd through Faith by the preaching of the Gospel. Your Majesty ought not to suffer your Authority to become infamous and odious, nor your Subjects to usurp a tyrannical Power that will infallibly issue in the destruction of

the Indians, if they must be Vassals to the Spaniards, who treat 'em so cruelly and inhumanly. When we first arriv'd in the New World, we saw innu∣merable multitudes of People inhabiting the Pro∣vinces of New-Spain, Cuba, Jamaica, and the Isle of St. John, which are now all desolate. The Pro∣vinces and Kingdoms of the Continent are in a yet more deplorable condition, tho once as well peo∣pled as Toledo and Seville. There's scarce any place in the World where Men and other Animals multi∣ply so much as they do in the Indies, because the Air of the Country being temperate, favours Ge∣neration. But the Spaniards have found out the art of entirely depopulating large Countries fill'd with infinit numbers of People, for they have un∣justly massacred some to possess themselves of their Gold and Silver, others they have destroy'd by ex∣cessive Labors, or by forcing them to carry unrea∣sonable Burdens in long Journies; in a word, they have sacrific'd the poor Indians to enrich themselves. We advance nothing but the very Truth, and all that we have said does not express half of what we have seen; nor will it be a difficult task to convince them of falshood who dare maintain the contrary before your Majesty. None but such as have shar'd in the fruit of this Rapine and Cruelty, will oppose the truth of such Facts as are known to all the world. And 'twill be in vain to pretend that any contagious Distemper has made a Country of 2500 leagues desolate, which before was very populous.

The manner of governing Kingdoms ought to be conformable to the Law of God and Man, for the good and profit of the People, who are to be de∣fended and preserv'd from the Violence and Injustice of those that are destitute of the fear of God, and use a tyrannical Power, merely obtain'd by Usur∣pation, for the ruin and destruction of those that are

under 'em. Your Majesty may easily be inform'd how the Spaniards have abus'd the Power you grant∣ed 'em for the Conversion of the Indians, in turning it to afflict and destroy 'em with unexampled Cruel∣ty. And that which makes the case yet more la∣mentable is, that none of those who have been em∣ploy'd in your Majesty's service have ever given you advice of these great Disorders, tho so very preju∣dicial to your Interest, besides the loss of an infi∣nite number of Souls who have perish'd in the dark∣ness of Paganism, out of which they might have been easily reduc'd if the Spaniards had in the least been govern'd by the fear of God.

Your Majesty may please to remember that one Article of the Will of the most Serene Queen Isa∣bella, is express'd after this manner:

Item, Since the time wherein the Apostolic See granted us the Isles and Containent of the Ocean, it has always been our principal Intention to cause the Light of the Gospel to shine on the People of the New World, and to send Prelats and Monks thither to convert and instruct 'em in the truth of the Catholic Faith. Therefore I beseech my Lord the King, and the Princess my Daughter, to labour with all their might to render this Enterprize successful, and to secure the Indians from receiving any damage either in their Estates or Persons, but on the contrary to take care they be treated with all sorts of kindness; and that strict and speedy Justice be executed upon any one that shall offer 'em the least Injury, and to keep exactly to the terms of the Apostolic Brief dispatched for this Grant.

These are the express Words of that Il∣lustrious Princess: And yet no sooner was she ex∣pir'd, but the Spaniards began to abuse the Indians, and to offer 'em all the Outrages of which we have been speaking, and could give your Majesty a more ample Relation.

To all the foregoing Reasons it may be added, that the Spaniards are declar'd Enemies to the Indi∣ans, and design nothing but their destruction, and to get possession of their Country; which is so un∣doubted a truth, that 'tis altogether needless to prove it. For he is properly a Man's declar'd Ene∣my, who goes about to accuse him of some ca∣pital Crime, that deserves death; who deprives him of his Liberty and the greatest part of his Goods; who makes a cruel War upon him and inslaves him; who seeks all Occasions to kill him, and takes away his Wife and Children to inslave 'em; who usurps all the Goods of his Relations when they die, and unjustly ravishes from him all that is dear to him. Certainly such Violences as these are against the Rights both of People and Princes; and 'tis suffici∣ent to demonstrate the Spaniards to be the declared Enemies of the Indians, that they have done 'em all the mischief which we have been relating. For they have calumniated and accus'd 'em of the most horrible and infamous Crimes that can be imagin'd, meerly to get possession of their Estates, and strip 'em of all they had under this pretext; whereas the practices they charge 'em with are purely imagi∣nary, and such as have never been so much as heard of in the great Islands of New Spain, Cuba, Jamaica, and St. John, tho they have been all very populous; for after the most exact Enquiries we were able to to make, we could never find the least appea∣rance of those abominable Sins, to which some few Persians are addicted. The Indians of the Kingdom of Yucatan know not what this unnatural Vice is. Nor are there any great number of 'em that eat hu∣man Flesh. They are farther accus'd of Idolatry; but Men have no right to punish 'em for this Crime, which ought to be left to the Judgment of God. Our Ancestors were formerly Idolaters, as the In∣dians

are now; and the whole Universe was pollu∣ted with this Sin before the coming of Christ, and before the Apostles had preach'd the Christian Faith. For God dispers'd them up and down the World to dissipate the darkness that was spread over the Earth: and they did not employ violence and force of Arms to punish Idolatry, or other Sins that were the Consequences of Infidelity; they made use of nothing but the good Examples of their Virtue and Holiness, together with their Doctrin, which con∣tain'd the Menaces and Promises of the Word of God; and we ought to do that in the Indies, which they did in other parts of the World. This was the Course which Christ himself first took, and then oblig'd his Apostles to follow his Example. The Son of God came to seek and to save that which was lost. Which of our Ancestors could have been sav'd if they had been put to death for Crimes commit∣ted in the time of their unbelief? the express Words of the Gospel are contrary to this Method; for Christ says to his Disciples, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of Sins should be preach'd in his Name among all Nations, be∣ginning at Jerusalem: And ye are Witnesses of these things, Luke 24. 46, 47, 48. which evidently proves that the Gospel ought to be at first preach'd to Infi∣dels, by declaring of Peace, and the remission of Sins that are past, since Christ has given no power or permission to men to punish 'em.

The Spaniards have moreover presum'd to main∣tain that the Indians were like brute Beasts, utterly uncapable of disciplin, and unfit to receive the light of Christianity. Your Majesty has good reason to punish those that declare such notorious Falshoods: For under this Colour they have obtain'd of your Majesty a power to possess themselves of the Indies

as their absolute Property, and to do the Indians what mischief they please. Thus have they impos'd on the Conscience of the most Catholic King; and ob∣tain'd leave to carry away the Inhabitants of the Islands and Countries that lie near Hispaniola, and have accordingly forc'd 'em out of their own Coun∣try against all Law and Equity; so that an innume∣rable multitude both of Men and Women that in∣habited above fifty Islands, some bigger than the Ca∣naries, have been destroy'd, insomuch that there are but eleven Persons left. I have been an Eye-witness of this desolation, as well as Peter de Lisle, who is a man of honor and credit, and now a Monk of the Order of St. Francis. He built a Brigantine, and man'd it with Sea-men to make a review of those once populous Islands; and they found in all that vast Country but eleven People (as has been said) tho they spent two years in making this Voyage. 'Tis impossible for me to express to your Majesty, on the one hand, the great meekness, goodness of temper, and sincerity of the People of the New World, and on the other, what enormous Rava∣ges and Cruelties the Christians have exercised up∣on 'em. Your Bowels would be mov'd with Com∣passion, and your heart too much affected, if an ex∣act description of all this were made you.

Cruel Wars have been rais'd in divers rich Pro∣vinces, without any fair occasion, but only to gratify the covetous humour of the Spaniards: At the same time they flatter themselves that they have Authority from your Majesty to employ force and violence to inslave these People. And all the difference they make between those Indians they look upon as their Sub∣jects, and those whom they treat as Slaves, is, that they sell the latter publicly, but use a little more for∣mality about selling the former, by seeking pretences to hide their Injustice. In the unjust Wars they have

made with 'em, after having kill'd the Masters of Fa∣milies, they have also murder'd their Wives and Chil∣dren, and possess'd themselves of all they had. And God is now pleas'd every day to shew us by his severe Chastisements that he has been grievously offended by these Robberies and Cruelties. The Welfare of the Indians both as to Body and Soul is in the great∣est danger; for if they must be subject to the abso∣lute Power of the Spaniards, they'l utterly destroy 'em, without sparing any, so much as to propagate their Race. If the Law of Nature forbids us to commit a Pupil to the charge of one that is a mor∣tal Enemy to him or his Parents, or has embezel'd his Estate, or set him an ill Example; and yet he has been given up to the care of a Person of this Cha∣racter; the Judges would be oblig'd to rectify the matter, by taking him from under his Conduct, whatever security he offers to give for his fidelity. 'Tis much the same case with the Indians in respect of the Spaniards, for these would have it believ'd that they are the Guardians, Tutors, and Protectors of the other: tho 'tis only a fraudulent pretence to en∣snare 'em. The Indians know well enough how to govern themselves, without being beholden to Guar∣dians; and the Spaniards are no way capable of in∣structing 'em in the things of Religion, which yet is the main thing the Indians want, and the greatest kindness that can be done 'em. And 'tis easy to see what disposition the Spaniards have towards 'em, as to their temporal advantage. So that 'tis most cer∣tain they are their declar'd Enemies; since they have strip'd 'em of all their Goods, offer'd all sorts of abuses to their Persons, and taken away their Wives and Children, whom they have condemn'd to perpe∣tual Slavery; which course, together with the cruel Wars made upon 'em, has almost quite unpeopled the New World. How is it possible that men that lead

such kind of Lives, should inspire the Indians with the desire of embracing the Law of God, and the love of Virtue, especially seeing they many ways persecute the very Monks, who are so zealous for the Reformation of these Idolaters? On the con∣trary, the Spaniards spare nothing that may debauch 'em, and expose 'em to all sorts of Vice by the evil Patterns they set 'em: They teach 'em to swear and blaspheme the holy Name of God, tho in reality the poor Indians don't do it designedly, but only because they hear the Spaniards use such Expressions. 'Tis therefore plain that the Spaniards ought not to have any Jurisdiction over the Indians, if their advantage either as to this Life or that to come be consider'd, seeing they are the mortal Enemies of this People, and think of nothing but how to destroy 'em. It would therefore be a piece of great Injustice to abandon 'em to such Men, when their Disposition toward 'em is so well known; it being a mortal Sin to expose one's Neighbor to evident danger of losing his Life: And we doubt not but your Majesty will be cautious of falling under the guilt of such a Crime, and not give up the Indians to the fury of the Spaniards.

All just and reasonable Laws, and those Philoso∣phers that have written on Morality are against placing any Government in the hands of necessitous and covetous Men, whose greatest end is to get rid of their Poverty, and to deliver themselves from that mean condition in which they live, and there∣fore are ready to sacrifice all the obligations of Duty to the desire they have of becoming rich. And because this greedy Passion is continually in∣creasing, and their Minds are wholly set on the ways of heaping up Wealth, and filling their Chests, they find no rest but in satisfying their Avarice. They abhor Poverty as Nature does a Vacuum, and there∣fore

have no other thoughts night or day but to contrive means of amassing together as much Trea∣sure as they can. Upon this account the Philosopher determins that 'tis a dangerous thing to put Nations or Provinces under the Government of such as are covetous or needy, who are resolv'd to be rich at any rate in the world. We are inform'd in Histo∣ry that the Romans being about to send two Consuls to govern Spain, one of whom was poor and the other covetous; when this Affair was propos'd to the Senat, Scipio Africanus gave his opinion that neither of 'em was proper to make a Governor, there being reason to fear that both would abuse their Authority to feather their Nests out of the public Stock; because such kind of Persons are like Leeches in a Commonwealth, and make it their principal care to gather something on every side, and to devour the Substance of the People, making themselves rich at their charge, because their covetous Desires can never be satiated as long as they remain in this World: Nay it must be ad∣ded, that this Vice most commonly proves incura∣ble; so that if Men greedy of Lucre get Authority over any People, they will not fail to spoil and ruin 'em, because the Passion that animates 'em, keeps no bounds or measures. No Laws nor Penalties with which they can be menaced, will be strong enough to restrain 'em, as long as they are invested with Power; and the more successful any covetous Man finds his Industry to be, the more earnestly does he desire and pursue Riches, which he accounts the supreme Good. The desire of being rich produces much the same effect in the mind of a poor cove∣tous Man, as the hope of Celestial Happiness would in that of a good Man; for as this perfectly fills up the Capacity of his Mind that ardently wishes for it, so the Miser's Soul can desire nothing besides

hoards of Treasure, wherein his Happiness consists, because Money answers all things: For this is that which capacitates Men to undertake the greatest Enterprizes, and to obtain whatever they desire in this World, the highest Employments, Honors and Dignities, costly Habit, and the most delicious Dain∣ties; this facilitates their commission of all sorts of Crimes, gives 'em opportunity to be reveng'd on their Enemies, to acquaint themselves with Persons of great Quality, and to obtain their Favour and Esteem. 'Tis on these accounts that the Men of the world seek it with all their might, and expose them∣selves to so many Fatigues and Perils, as well as per∣petrate the greatest Villanies to procure it.

Now the possession of Riches can never satisfy the Soul, so as to give it perfect content; for 'tis perpetually craving what it does not yet possess. Therefore the Worldling, who has chosen Mony for his chief Good and last End, is indifferent as to other things, but devotes himself entirely to this, employing all his care and diligence to increase his Bags; and his thirst of Gold grows more and more violent, by how much the more his Estate swells, according to the Philosopher's Maxim, that Motion is by so much the more impetuous, by how much the nearer it approaches its end.

Avarice is a more incurable Evil than Concupis∣cence, because its Object, and the things it promises attract the Hearts of Men with greater violence; and the power of Mony is of a larger extent, be∣cause it puts a Man in a condition to gratify his Lust, whereas this on the other hand can't procure him Riches. The love of Mony endures longer on the Mind than the Appetite of sensual Pleasures, how violent and impetuous soever they may be for a time. Covetousness is always on the advance, and seldom extinguish'd but with a Man's Life: For the

more a Man's natural Infirmites increase, the more the desire of heaping up Wealth fortifies it self; as 'tis observable in old Men, that the nearer they ap∣proach their end, the more covetous they usually grow; because as their Health and Strength gra∣dually diminish, they think they have the more need of the assistance of the things of this World.

These Reasons make it evident, that if any Ju∣risdiction or Government be given to covetous Men, they will not fail to oppress and vex those that are subjected to them, that they may make themselves rich at their costs; and that nothing will hinder 'em from gratifying their Avarice whenever they have a fair occasion; for this Vice is the root and spring of all others, 'tis the source of Treason, Fraud, Perjury, Violence, Rapine, and barbarous Cruelty. This Passion is said to be blind, because it occasions blindness in the Mind, and benights the Reason with the grossest Darkness, and hinders him that is cap∣tivated with it from perceiving his danger. The sight of Gold, tho it causes the commission of all manner of Crimes, and is the source of Calumnies, gives him more Joy than the light of the Sun, be∣cause he finds his Account in the ruin of others. It excludes Fidelity, and banishes Union and Con∣cord out of the World; it violates Charity, and produces all manner of Mischief; it knows no Com∣passion, but induces Men to disclaim their very Pa∣rents, and break all the ties of Faith and Amity; it never suffers a Man to sympathize with his Neigh∣bour's Miseries, but even makes him disregard his Relations as if utterly unacquainted with them. The covetous Man never forgives himself his own Expences, and leads a miserable Life in the midst of Plenty and Wealth. This greedy humor so darkens the Understandings of those that are bewitch'd by it, that they know not how to make a right Judgment

of any thing, but instead of following the Dictates of reason, are on all occasions driven down the im∣petuous Current of their beloved Vice, all their Thoughts and Desires are directed this way, and yet they can never quench the insatiable Thirst that preys upon their Souls.

But I must now apply all these Reasons to the sub∣ject in hand: and I beseech your Majesty to give attention to the Consequences I draw from 'em. All the Spaniards that leave their own Country to go into the Indies are poor, and 'tis only Avarice that drives them thither; for they don't only pre∣tend to raise themselves a little above a condition of Poverty and Want, but to amass vast Treasures to∣gether, without setting any Limits to their unmea∣surable Covetousness, that they may be able to buy honorable Offices and Emploiments, and advance themselves far above their degree. We have been taught by experience that in a few years, many Spa∣niards who were in the meanest and basest condition, and always led a miserable Life, have considerably alter'd their fortune by the Riches they have brought from the New World, and likewise introduc'd great corruption of Manners throughout all Spain. The love of Mony is now grown to that height, that Gold and Silver seem the only Gods that are worship'd. They that know not how to advance themselves by industry and labor, do it by plundring and robbing without any fear of punishment. They take away from the poor Indians all they find in their houses, and after all make 'em work to get still more out of their sweat and labor; so that if any Autho∣rity over the Indians be allow'd 'em, they'l certainly abuse it to enrich themselves, while this detestable covetousness reigns in their minds. And what can the poor Indians do to shake off their tyrannical Yoke, since they are naturally meek, quiet and timo∣rous,

and dare not complain or murmur; or if they should, have no body to hearken to 'em or defend 'em? The Spaniards who have an absolute Power, are always chiding and domineering over 'em wher∣ever they are, in the Fields, on the Mountains, in the Mines, in the Desarts, or in the High-Ways. They take all the furniture of their Houses from 'em, which is their greatest Riches, as well as ex∣pose 'em to the greatest dangers, and most intolera∣ble Labours, beating and inflicting on 'em the se∣verest Punishments for the least Trifle, when they hope to get any thing by it. What a piece of In∣justice then must it be to abandon such meek and submissive Creatures to the fury of such men as these, when they are in no capacity to resist the tyranny of their Persecutors, but are made their meer tools?

What would one say of that Judg, who after he has received information of the violent passion of a wild Spark in the heat of Youth, to a beautiful Virgin, should notwithstanding order 'em to live to∣gether in the same house, and give him an absolute power over her, but withal threatning to punish him severely if he offer'd her any violence? Could any one safely confide in the Promises of such a man as this, whatever Protestations he should make of moderating his passion on so critical an occasion? It is not to be doubted but such a Judg would commit a mortal Sin, in thus exposing his Neighbour to so dangerous a Temptation, tho he should happen to abstain from the Sin to which he has so great a pro∣pension. It almost amounts to the same thing to put the Indians under the Jurisdiction of the Spa∣niards, who are their mortal Enemies; for if they don't massacre 'em in cold blood meerly out of the hatred they bear 'em, they do it however to get their Goods, and rob 'em of their Treasure. And

as in the former Instance it would be next to a Mi∣racle for that amorous Youth not to abandon him∣self to the Conduct of his Passion, when the Object of it is committed to his disposal; so 'tis not to be expected that the Spaniards should abstain from com∣mitting all sorts of Outrages on the Indians, and sa∣crificing both their Estates and Lives to their own Interest, since their Avarice irritates 'em with greater violence (if possible) than Lust does the other in the former case: so that Laws back'd with Menaces and Punishments will make no impressions on the minds of these men, but they'l be sure still to exercise a thousand Cruelties on the poor Indians, if no other course be taken to give check to their Co∣vetousness.

I entreat your Majesty to consider what befals any Province to which you send a Governor. If he be covetous, and regardless both of his Honor or Reli∣on, what Disorders and Mischiefs does he not bring with him? Tho he has not so absolute a Power as the Spaniards have over the Indians whom they keep in their Houses; tho the Royal Council of Spain think themselves concern'd to oppose his Prevarica∣tions; and tho the King's Presence one would think should be a strong Bridle to restrain his Exactions: yet in two years time, such a Governor as we have bin describing will become rich, by the Rapine and Extortion he commits in the Province put under his care. What then is it likely the Spaniards will do, in the remotest parts of the Indies, when they have an unlimited Power over the Indians, and neither stand in awe of God nor the King; and when these poor People are under so great apprehension of still more intolerable Cruelties, that they dare not complain of the violence they suffer? And how shall they report their Grievances? shall they go to the Royal Council, which is it may be three or four

hundred Leagues from 'em; or shall they address themselves to your Royal Throne, which is distant above three thousand? What course shall they take to prove the Insults, Vexations and Persecutions they endure from the Spaniards in Countries so re∣mote, where they can expect no relief?

The Spaniards are so hardn'd by their excessive Avarice, that they are not in the least touch'd with the Groans and Complaints of these miserable Peo∣ple; for nothing makes impression on their minds but Gold and Silver. The Condition to which they advance themselves in the Indies is so far above their former state, that it inspires 'em with intolerable Pride and Arrogancy. They pass away their time in pleasure and feasting, and clothe themselves after so sumptuous a manner, that nothing in the World can be more magnificent. And withal it may well be said that nothing can equal the corruption, licen∣tiousness and dissoluteness of their Manners; and to supply all these superfluous Expences and Excesses, they suck out the very Blood of the poor Indians. Now seeing there's no hope of obliging the Spa∣niards to alter their Conduct, and both the Laws of God, and right Reason, and all the Maxims of Poli∣cy and Prudence oppose the giving of any Govern∣ment into the hands of covetous and indigent Per∣sons, who are prejudic'd with a violent desire of gain: Much less ought your Majesty to suffer the Spaniards to usurp a Title to the Indians as their Free-hold, when they are so greedy and insatiable, that they'l make no difficulty to sacrifice all kinds of duty to the desire they have of raking sums of Mo∣ny together any way in the World. For all their Industry will be employ'd in pillaging their Vassals; and which is yet more to be lamented, while they cruelly deprive 'em of temporal Life, they likewise take a course to expose 'em to eternal Death.

Therefore your Majesty ought to incorporate the Indies with the Inheritance of your Crown, that you may be the universal Father, Protector, Governor and Lord of all the Indians.

I add to all the foregoing Reasons, that the Spa∣niards impose intolerable Burdens on the Indians, and exact such Services of 'em as reduce 'em to the extremity of misery and despair. 'Tis their first and principal duty to serve and obey their own na∣tural Princes; because this is founded on the Law of Nature. In the second place, they owe your Maje∣sty service and obedience, as being their universal Soveraign; which is an obligation of Divine Right, founded on the Engagement your Majesty has con∣tracted to send 'em the Light of the Gospel, and to take care for their Instruction in the orthodox Faith. The third kind of Service is that which the Spaniards oblige 'em to render them whether they will or no, which is a severe and tyrannical Yoke, nay more intolerable than what the Heathen Tyrants im∣pos'd on the primitive Christians; it may be liken'd to the torment the Devils inflict on the Damned in Hell. The Violence of it is contrary to all the Laws of Nature and Reasons, nor can it be justified by any human Laws. It must be remembred that the In∣dians are naturally weak, going always naked, and continually expos'd to the heat of the Sun: 'tis there∣fore contrary to all Justice that they should be op∣press'd with heavy Burdens far above their strength, as well as contrary to Charity, and the Custom of all reasonable Men. All the service these poor Crea∣tures do can't satisfy the Spaniards, who therefore set an Officer over 'em strictly to inspect their Actions, and render their servitude still more terrible. This Employ is usually bestow'd on some cruel and inexo∣rable Monster, who always stands over 'em to make 'em work the harder, and punctually to obey all his

Commands. The Executioners of the divine Wrath in Hell can't be more wicked and hard-hearted than this sort of Men: They brand 'em with hot Irons, and are continually beating and abusing 'em; they are not content to make 'em labor without inter∣mission, and to set 'em unreasonable Tasks, but al∣ways reproach and chide 'em while they undergo this Toil, and besides all this, violate their Wives and Daughters, or make Presents of many of 'em together to their Masters on whom they depend, and who set 'em to work as so many principal Ty∣rants, who also make it their business to invent cruel and unsufferable Torments. And to hinder the Indians from complaining of their Miseries, they threaten to inform against 'em, that they have seen 'em worship their Idols. This is the sad state to which these People are reduc'd. They depend on no less than four several Masters, on your Majesty, their Caciques, the Spaniard to whom they are in∣slav'd, and his Deputy, who is the greatest Plague to 'em that can be. Nay, 'tis impossible to tell how many Masters they have, seeing all the Spaniards do∣mineer over 'em as so many Tyrants, robbing 'em by turns, and making no scruple cruelly to abuse and murder 'em.

Seeing the preaching of the Orthodox Faith is the only thing that could warrant the reduction of the Indians to a state of dependance on any foreign Power, in order to their Conversion; and seeing none can pretend on this account to be their lawful Soveraign but your Majesty; it follows that your Majesty ought with all your might to oppose the Power which private Men assume over 'em, and which can't be look'd upon as any better than Ty∣ranny. Your Majesty is oblig'd for the common good of all your Subjects to establish a regular and stable form of Government among 'em, which may

conduce to their Conversion and Salvation: and see∣ing the soveraign and single Power you have over 'em is sufficient for the end propos'd, other Juris∣dictions are not to be tolerated, because they can only prove burdensom and incommodious, and con∣trary to the common Maxims of Government re∣ceiv'd in the World, which will not allow a People to be subject to several different Princes; much less should the Indians be thus subjected, because of their Poverty, Meekness, Patience, Humility, and the tenderness of their Constitution, partly occa∣sion'd by their going naked, their unwholsom Food, and the Labor they undergo to get their living. After all this 'twould be sufficiently tedious and un∣easy to 'em if no other Duties were exacted of 'em than those which your Majesty and their Caciques, who are their immediat Princes, impose. How then can they be able to endure those excessive Tasks, those heavy Blows, Vexations and Abuses of which we have spoken above? If your Majesty has a mind to preserve the Indians from utter Destruction, these new Burdens ought not to be impos'd on 'em, nor should they be condemn'd to this severe Slavery. This would be to violate the Laws of Justice and Charity: For the Masters of Policy and Prudence usually say, that tho a Prince require extraordinary assistance of his Subjects in some pressing Exigencies of the Commonwealth; yet where these Subjects are under other subordinate and immediate Lords, to whom they are oblig'd to pay the same Duties, this cannot be done, because this would be to over∣charge 'em with endless Taxes: for 'tis contrary to all Justice to oppress 'em with a double Burden, and all good Laws formally condemn it; for the Rules of Equity forbid all Oppression and Injury. There∣fore since the Indians are already bound to serve their natural and immediate Princes, and to pay 'em

all the homage and duty of Subjects, it would be un∣just to subject 'em to such new Masters as pretend to a right of exacting new Services of 'em. The Taxes that are impos'd on any Estate should be pro∣portionate to the Revenue that may be expected from it; and there ought not to be more Homage and Service annex'd to it than is reasonable for the advantage of him that owns that Estate. If in∣animate things have this privilege, how much more ought it to be so with Men, who deserve to be us'd a little better? Since therefore your Majesty's Government alone is sufficient for the welfare and advantage of the Indians, to set other Lords over 'em would be to act contrary to Justice. For who can deny it to be contrary to all the Laws of Equity, to subject the Indians to the Spaniards, who mind no∣thing but to raise Estates by making a Prey of 'em? An 'tis as opposit to Charity to add new Burdens to them that can scarce bear such as are already im∣pos'd upon 'em, and to increase the Calamities of such as are sufficiently beset with Affliction, besides the pains they take for the subsistence of their Wives and Children▪ Charity teaches to do to others as we would have them do to us, to secure 'em from all the Evil we can, and to relieve 'em in their In∣digence when they address themselves to us, and shew us their Necessities, because we our selves are desirous of the Assistance of others, when in distress. The Laws of Christ are founded on such Maxims as these: Do to others what you would have others do to you; and, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self; in which one word, St. Paul says, the whole Law is contain'd. He farther says, Bear ye one another's Burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ.

It is to be consider'd, that all the Inhabitants of the New World are born free: Nor do they lose this Liberty in recognizing your Majesty for their

Soveraign, and universal Emperor of the Indies. On the contrary, if there be any defects in their Polity, your Majesty's Government may supply 'em, by which their Liberty will be render'd the more compleat. This was the design of that most Chris∣tian Princess, Queen Isabella, as appears by all the Writings she left about this Affair. A few days be∣fore her Death she commanded General d' Alcantara, then Governor of Hispaniola, to treat all the Indians as a free People. And in a general Assembly of Divines and Lawyers held at Burgos, his Catholic Majesty declar'd in Council, that the Inhabitants of America were free, and commanded they should be treated as such. The same was done by your Ma∣jesty, after having consulted the most learned Di∣vines and Canonists in the year 1523.

Now if it be an incontestable Principle that all the Indians are free, and that all of 'em that have been, or shall be discover'd in time to come, can't be subjected to any other Jurisdiction but that of your Majesty, and that they own to your Majesty alone that Homage and Obedience which free Cities and Nations are oblig'd to pay their lawful Soveraign, 'tis most evident that no private Men can pretend to the same. Nay, they are more free in respect of us than other Nations, because the Kings of Spain have no Title to 'em as their Subjects by right of Inheritance, or that of Purchase, or of Conquest, as they might have had, if they had been conquer'd in a lawful War, that had bin for∣mally declar'd, for the revenge of some great Offence which the Indians might have commited against the Spaniards, or against the universal Church, or some very considerable Member of it, for which they had refus'd Satisfaction when de∣manded: or if they had unjustly retain'd any Lands or Goods of which they were unlawfully possess'd.

But on the contrary, they have frankly and volun∣tarily submitted themselves to your Majesty. And yet they have bin hitherto not only neglected, but treated by the Spaniards, as wild Beasts are by Hun∣ters, tho they never did any thing to deserve such ill usage. They have yet seen nothing to convince 'em of your Majesty's Grandure, Justice, Goodness, and Magnificence, having found nothing but Ty∣ranny, Violence, Injustice and Cruelty from the Spaniards your Subjects, whose ill Actions and bad Examples render 'em infamous; so that the Indians look upon 'em as the vilest of Men. And this makes 'em think upon the Kings of Spain with horror, who yet never gave 'em occasion to entertain such thoughts of 'em. But they fancy your Majesty per∣fectly knows all the ill treatment they endure, and that 'tis by your Consent and Approbation; they believe 'tis all done by your order, and that you give your Protection and Favour to those that insult over 'em.

The Title your Majesty has to the Indians is founded only on the Obligation you have taken upon your self to have 'em instructed into the true Faith, as appears by the Apostolic Briefs granted on this account: which ought to engage your Ma∣jesty to moderate your Government so much the more, and to treat 'em with the greater tenderness and kindness. The Kings of Spain should signalize the First-fruits of their Soveraignty over the Indies, by the tokens of Peace and Love to these People, and by taking care to furnish 'em with good Ex∣amples: In a word, they ought to treat 'em as their Neighbors and natural Subjects, for fear the com∣mission of any Injustice or Cruelty among 'em should prejudice 'em against the Christian Faith, and in∣dispose 'em to receive the Counsils and Maxims of our Religion. There should not be the least occa∣sion

given 'em on any account to blaspheme the Name of God, which would be an Obstacle to the great end of their Conversion. Nothing should be left undone, that may make 'em love your Majesty, and induce 'em to praise God on finding them∣selves under a Government so easy and commodious. They deserve in some respect to be dealt with after this manner, because of the freedom of their birth, which makes it unjust for any to violate their Li∣berty. 'Tis necessary for the Honor of the Chris∣tian Religion, that they embrace it voluntarily, because God himself will have men make a free choice in matters of Religion; nor is any man whatsoever to be treated with violence in this case, and forc'd to embrace a Religion against his Will. And temporal Princes commit a great piece of in∣justice, if they put a force on the minds of their Subjects in a business wherein they ought to have an entire liberty of Conscience: they should rather observe the Rules which God, the Universal Sove∣raign of all his Creatures, has constituted. There is no Power or Authority on Earth that has a right to violate the Liberty of any People, because 'tis the most valuable thing they possess, and preferable to all other things in the World. Hence it is there are such advantageous Constitutions in the Civil Law in favor of Liberty. And the particular Cus∣toms of the Kingdom of Spain prescribe that no∣thing be determin'd in prejudice of a Man's Liberty in doubtful things, nor the least force or constraint put upon men that are free. And when their con∣sent to any thing is violently extorted, it ought not to be imputed to 'em, because 'tis an infringement of the Law of Nature.

If 'tis unlawful to seize on the Goods of Men that are free without cause, much more is it to offer violence to their Persons, and to inslave 'em, which

is the greatest Injury they can receive next to the loss of Life it self. If a Father can't choose himself another Heir without the consent of his Son, who has a natural Title either to the whole, or at least a 4th part of his Father's Estate; much less may inferior Lords pretend to a right of appropriating the Kings Subjects to themselves, unless his Majesty consent by abandoning his own Right, which is found∣ed on the voluntary Agreement of his Subjects. If the current Mony of the Kingdom can't be alter'd without the People's consent, because the alterati∣on may be attended with great Inconveniences; much less can the People themselves be taken from the Dominion of the King against their Will, and subjected to the absolute Power of private Masters; because this forc'd Change is a Violation of their Li∣berty. It must be farther added, that such as are tributary to your Majesty, can't pass under the Juris∣diction of another Person, which would be more uneasy and disadvantageous to 'em, and under which they would perhaps be condemn'd to a more servile and laborious Course of life. How much more ought they who enjoy an entire liberty under any Prince's Government, to be preserv'd in the possession of their Privileges; and how injurious would it be to deliver 'em up as Vassals to particular Lords, who would probably abuse their Authority, and treat their Persons with violence, as well as greatly prejudice 'em in their Estates? 'Tis most injurious both to the Lives and Liberties of Men, to depend on divers Lords and Masters, because their Service and Labors multiply according to the number of those under whose jurisdiction they are: And 'tis to be presum'd they will not be all alike just and equita∣ble.

'Tis very much the Interest of Princes, not to suf∣fer the number of their Subjects to be diminish'd,

because it will deprive 'em of much of the advan∣tage and service they may reasonably expect from 'em. And 'tis as much the Interest of Subjects, not to suffer themselves to be transfer'd from the Do∣minion of the Prince under which they have always liv'd, to that of an inferior Master. Those that know the difference between the Government of Kings, and that of particular Lords, which is usual∣ly hard and severe, will do any thing to be secure from the latter; while they are well pleas'd with the former, and readily dispose themselves to bear a Yoke that appears so much easier and lighter than the other. And this is the reason why the ge∣nerality of Men do all they can to avoid falling un∣der the dominion of private Men to the prejudice of that Royal Jurisdiction to which they have been continually accustom'd. And this Sentiment is jus∣tified by the suffrage of all wise Men, and favor'd by all just Laws.

'Tis a general Rule, that a Prince can do nothing that may cause any considerable damage to his Sub∣jects, unless they freely give their own consent: And this your Majesty every day observes, where∣in you follow the steps of your Ancestors, who to avoid doing any thing contrary to the rules of Jus∣tice and Equity, frequently us'd to assemble their Council, and to take their advice who were Per∣sons of great Wisdom and Sense, and to make a due improvement of it. In the present affair, it would be injurious to the Indians to give 'em up to the Spa∣niards as their Vassals, because they use 'em so bar∣barously, and reduce 'em to the utmost degree of Servitude. And such a matter as this is not to be concluded, without proposing it to the Indians, and obtaining their consent. For thus to change their condition without consulting 'em, were to put a treacherous trick upon 'em against the Laws of Na∣ture,

Justice and Charity, because this subjection would be to a severe and tyrannical Power; as is evident by what the Indians have hitherto met with from the Spaniards. Beside, such an alteration would be contrary to the Will and Law of God, because it would hinder the progress of the Catholic Faith, and inspire the Indians with hatred to the Gospel, and would tend to the general destruction of those People whom your Majesty is bound to preserve and protect. This you owe 'em from a motive of Cha∣rity and Zeal for the good of your Neighbor, as you are a Christian Prince, and moreover by the Obli∣gation of your Office, as the Vice-gerent of Jesus Christ.

From all the Reasons alledg'd, it may well be con∣cluded, that if even the Indians themselves would voluntarily consent to be inslav'd, and utterly re∣nounce their Liberty; yet this consent of theirs would be void and null of it self, because a thing every way so mischievous ought by no means to be tolerated. Your Majesty would be oblig'd by the Law of God to hinder 'em from ruining themselves in such a manner; because the Tyranny the Spa∣niards exercise over 'em is so great, that many of the Indians have fallen into utter despair under their unsufferable Impositions, and chosen rather to stab or poison themselves than to pine away gradually under their miserable Bondage: Others have fled into the Mountains, where they have become a Prey to Tigers and Lions; others have died merely with Sorrow and Anguish, when they found they were condemn'd to a Life so full of Misery and Toil, without any hope of respit or mitigation. I knew a Spaniards who was so famous for his Cruelty, that above two hundred People kill'd themselves, some one way and some another, to avoid his Barbarities in Hispaniola: A like number underwent the same

fate in the Isle of Cuba, where this Tyrant exercis'd his Violence and Rapine.

But tho the common Interest of all Nations in the World ought to prevent their Kings from alie∣nating them from their own Dominion to make 'em the Vassals and Subjects of private Men, and tho this is founded on natural Reason and Justice; yet some∣times in pressing Exigencies Princes may alienate a part of their Territories to extricate themselves out of some great and perplexing difficulty, from which they cannot otherwise get free. For instance, if they have no other course to take for the defence of the Commonwealth, it seems lawful for 'em to ex∣change the Jurisdiction they have over their Subjects, provided they some way indemnify 'em, or repair any damage this exchange may occasion. But 'twould be impossible to indemnify the Indians if they should be left to the Dominion of the Spaniards, who bring upon 'em inexpressible Calamities and Mischiefs, that can never be repair'd by any advantage they may allow 'em; for they take a course to destroy both their Souls and Bodies. Therefore seeing the Con∣version of the Indians depends principally on your Majesty's Title and Jurisdiction over 'em, you ought not to do any thing that may blast the hope of this Design, and will infallibly hinder these People from embracing Christianity. And it must be remem∣ber'd they have freely and willingly chose your Ma∣jesty for their Soveraign, which is a kind of Con∣tract they have made with your Majesty, that can∣not be violated without their Consent, unless it be to put 'em in a condition more easy, advantageous and secure, than what they enjoy under your Ma∣jesty's Dominion. And your Majesty is oblig'd to promise and swear to 'em, that you will always preserve their Privileges, as they are ordinarily kept in the generality of Kingdoms, when a free People

submit themselves to the Government of a new King. This Practice is almost as antient as the World, for ever since Men began to spread them∣selves upon the face of the Earth, it has always been the custom of Princes to promise and swear to 'em to employ all their Power in preserving and defending 'em from Oppression. Which evidently proves that your Majesty has not power to give up the Indians to the absolute Dominion of the Spaniards, who have had the cruelty to destroy such numerous Na∣tions of 'em, without any legal Process, or leave to make their Defence. For it would be to act contra∣ry to the Law of God and Nature to expose 'em to so many Miseries, which are as so many invincible Obstructions to hinder 'em from turning Christians. Nor is there any Prince on Earth, who can justly pretend to have such a Power: for Soveraign Princes have no Authority to do any thing that may provoke the Justice of God, who has not set 'em over their People for their ruin and destruction, or for the overthrow of the Church; but on the con∣trary has set 'em in the World to defend the Church, to bring their People to espouse the true Faith, and edify 'em in it.

Reason and the Law of Nature direct that those who have made an ill use of the Privileges granted to 'em, should be depriv'd of 'em. Now the Juris∣diction allow'd the Spaniards over the Indians was only on condition they would instruct 'em in Reli∣gion, and defend 'em from their Enemies; and they have not only fallen short of this Engagement, but even barbarously abus'd those they were oblig'd to protect. 'Tis remarkable in the Laws of Spain, that if a Master treats any one of his Slaves inhu∣manly, he is oblig'd to sell him, because 'tis but just that he who tyrannizes over his Subjects should lose his Jurisdiction over 'em, which of right devolves

on the Prince. He that abuses his Title is not wor∣thy to possess it: and a Man neither owes Homage nor Obedience to a Tyrant. So that your Majesty ought in quality of Soveraign Lord of the People of the New World, to defend 'em, and do 'em Justice, when they are wrong'd; and consequently to rescue 'em from the power of the Spaniards, that they may enjoy their Liberty.

'Tis moreover a Custom establish'd by the Laws of Spain, That if the King grant any Privilege contrary to the Catholic Faith, 'tis null and void, as much as if it were contrary to the civil Good and Welfare of the Kingdom, or to the Rights of any particular Persons. And the same account is to be made of any Privilege given contrary to the Law of Nature: as for example, if a King should take away any private Man's Estate, to bestow it on ano∣ther. Therefore your Majesty cannot divest the na∣tural Princes of the Indians of their Dominion over 'em, to invest the Spaniards with it, who not only are Foreigners to 'em, but also treat 'em after a tyrannical manner. 'Tis therefore necessary for your Majesty to revoke so unjust a Privilege, destructive to the People, and directly opposit to the Catholic Faith, as well as to your Majesty's Service, the advantage of your Kingdom in general, the good of many Members of the Commonwealth in particular, and which is contrary to Reason, and the Law of Na∣ture.

'Tis farther constituted by the Customs of Spain, in conformity to the Imperial Laws of your Ma∣jesty, as well as those of the Church, that when a Privilege in process of time proves injurious, and occasions more hurt than good, it ought to be im∣mediately abolish'd, without so much as consulting the Prince that granted it; because from that very moment wherein this Privilege began to be detri∣mental,

it ought to be suppos'd the Prince design'd to revoke it: so that it can have no more force or authority, because not according to the Prince's In∣tention, who always ought to have Equity and the Divine Will in view. Now since the Privilege granted the Spaniards to subject the Indians as Vassals is become so pernicious, and occasions an irrepa∣rable damage to the Christian Religion, and to the Crown of Spain, and has bin the cause of the ruin of such vast numbers of People, and of the desola∣tion of some of the finest Countries in the World; and seeing in all appearance it is the very reason of those Calamities with which God is now afflicting Spain, 'tis necessary to apply a speedy Remedy, and to go to the root of the Disease, in revoking so pernicious and tyrannical a Grant.

Besides, the Dominion of the Spaniards over the Indians has never bin judicially approv'd by the Kings of Spain. He that first shar'd these poor People among 'em, as if they had been so many Sheep, had no order to make this distribution, which absolutely desolated and unpeopled New Spain, but exceeded the limits of his Power; so that no just Consequence can be drawn from what he did. It was the great General d'Alcantara who began this irregular course in America. In the year 1502, the most serene King Ferdinando and Queen Isabella sent General De-Larés from Grenada to govern the new Conquests: At which time there were but three hundred Christians in the Island of Hispaniola. This Governor was expresly charg'd to treat the Indians as free Nations; to be very kind, tender and chari∣table toward 'em, to do 'em exact Justice on all occasions, and not to impose too severe a Yoke on 'em, or to inslave 'em; in a word, to protect 'em from all Injuries, lest any Violence should prove a Stumbling-block to divert 'em from entertaining

the Christian Faith, and inspire 'em with an aversion to the Professors of it. General De-Larés carried with him three thousand Spaniards, who landed at St. Domingo, where they soon found themselves re∣duc'd to great straits for want of Food. However, the strict Orders he had receiv'd would not permit him to do any Violence to the Indians, or to infringe their Liberty in the least; upon which he writes many things to the Queen against the Indians, hop∣ing to render 'em odious to her by his Lies and Slanders, that he might have leave to abuse the poor Wretches at his pleasure. Among other things he wrote, that it would be impossible to preach the Christian Faith to 'em as long as they were suffer'd to enjoy an entire Freedom, because they industri∣ously avoided all manner of acquaintance with the Christians; in so much that they refus'd to work for 'em, tho they offer'd 'em Wages for their La∣bor, and chose rather to wander up and down as Vagabonds, than to keep company with Christians to inform themselves of their Religion. As if he thought the Indians were oblig'd to divine that there was a new Religion to be preach'd to 'em, which they ought to embrace; or that they ought, as poor as they are, to forsake their Houses, Wives and Children, and to leave their Lands unmanur'd, to come to seek the Spaniards, and so expose them∣selves to die with Hunger in a Journey it may be of two hundred Leagues or more; or as if they were under any obligation to undergo the fatigue of bring∣ing Provision to the Spaniards such a tedious way as this.

His Majesty, who was sincerely zealous for the Salvation of these Idolaters, and publishing the Name of Christ in the New World, answer'd the General after this manner:

We very ardently desire the Conversion of the Indians to our holy

Faith, and that they be taught the Mysteries of the Catholic Religion; and think it necessary to the success of this Design, that the Indians and Spaniards converse and live together. Therefore we by these Presents command you to oblige the Indians to deal with the Spaniards of Hispaniola, and to have Conversation with 'em, to assist 'em in building their Houses, and in getting Gold and other Metals out of the Mines, and to pay 'em their Wages exactly, according to their labor and desert. You shall likewise order every Ca∣cique to have a certain number of Indians always in a readiness to be employ'd in such Work as shall be assign'd 'em, provided that care be taken to preach to 'em, and instruct 'em in the Word of God on all Holy-days, and that they be always treated as Free-men, and not as Slaves; and be∣sure let them meet with no ill usage, nor have any occasion to complain: Yet let some distinction be still made in favor of such as embrace the Faith. But let no Person be permitted to wrong 'em, or give 'em the least disgust in any thing whatsoever.

These are the very words of the Letter which the King sent to the Governor of the Indies, by which his Majesty sufficiently signified that his principal design in the Indies was the Salvation of those Ido∣laters, and that for that end they should converse with the Spaniards, which plainly proves he had no other regard to this Commerce betwixt the Christi∣ans and these Infidels, but only as a necessary means for their Conversion. And it must be farther ob∣serv'd, that when the King gives order to oblige each Cacique to send the Spaniards a certain number of Indians to work for 'em, on condition of being paid for their Labor, he did not intend that all the Men in the Indies should be bound to perform such Tasks, much less that the Women, Children, old

Men, and Chiefs of each Nation, whom the Indians look upon as their natural Princes, should be thus treated. The King design'd there should be due consideration had of their Necessities, that they should have liberty to provide for their Wives and Children, and go every night home to refresh them∣selves with their Families, and sleep in their own Houses. And it may be farther remark'd in the King's Patent, that he did not in the least design the Indians should be made to work every day and without intermission, seeing it provides they should be paid daily after their Labor; his intention was that they should be engag'd by fair means to do what was requir'd of 'em, and not forc'd to it whe∣ther they would or no; in short, that they should be us'd in all respects as a free People. Besides, the King commanded that all their Labors should be moderate, and proportionate to their Strength, and that they should rest on Holy-days and Sundays, that their Wages should be sutable to their Work, suffi∣cient to encourage 'em in taking pains, and to re∣lieve their Families in all their domestick Necessi∣ties.

If the King had a perfect account of the nature of the Land in the Indies, of the Weakness, Pover∣ty, Meekness and good humor of the Inhabitants, of the rigor and severity of their Labors, and the great difficulty of getting Gold out of the Mines; if he knew the desolate state in which they are often left, and the little care taken to engage 'em to re∣ceive the Sacraments before they die, he would without doubt employ some effectual means to put an end to these Disorders. The first Admiral of the Indies, who made the discovery of this New World, though the acted conformably to the King's Interest in rendering the Indians of New Spain tri∣butary, by obliging 'em to dig a certain quantity

of Gold out of the Mines, and condemning others that were remote from any Mines to other kinds of Tribute. Some of the Spaniards he carried with him, shook off the Obedience they ow'd the King, and set up for so many Tyrants, committing Vio∣lence and Spoil beyond what can be easily imagin'd in the Province of Xavagua, one of the finest and most populous Countries in the Indies. The King being inform'd of these Ravages, wrote his mind to General De-Larés, and order'd him to put a stop to the Cruelty and Violence of the Spaniards on the Indians, and to govern 'em as a free People, which Orders were not well executed: For the Spaniards shut up the Indians by force in the Mines, to employ 'em in the toilsom work of digging for Gold, which requires a very robust Constitution: And when they had got this Gold, they were forc'd to be all day in the Water to wash it. At first the Indians were kept in the Mines for a whole year, till the Spaniards found they were not able to endure such hard and continual Labor, and therefore gave 'em some time of respite, contenting themselves to keep 'em only for five Months in digging Gold, after which they employ'd 'em forty days in melting it. This they pretended was a time of rest for these poor Creatures, tho this latter sort of Work is more toilsom than that of grubbing up of Roots, and clearing Ground that is over-run with Wood: so that they don't know what a Holy-day or Sun∣day means throughout the whole year. They are sometimes almost famish'd, having nothing given 'em save a few dry Roots that yield but little Nu∣triment: Tho the most liberal of the Spaniards dis∣tribute a Porker once a week among half a hundred Indians, which is little more than every one a taste. Nay some of 'em have not been willing to give the Indians that serv'd 'em any thing at all to eat, but

out of mere Avarice sent 'em to feed like Beasts in the fields, or to gather fruit upon the Mountains, after which they forc'd 'em to work two or three days together without eating. One Man frankly confess'd to me that he had got a great Estate in a little time by this kind of frugality. What strength can Bodies that are naturally of a tender Constitu∣tion be suppos'd to have when fed after this manner, and oppress'd besides with excessive Labor? 'Tis impossible they should subsist long under this cruel Bondage; which makes 'em lead a sorrowful, lan∣guishing and miserable Life, being destitute both of convenient Food and Rest.

Tho the King order'd each Indian to be paid in proportion to his Work, that they might have some∣thing to live on, and be capable of buying them∣selves Necessaries; this Command has been ill ob∣serv'd, for they had nothing at all for many years; so that they were put to the greatest Extremity, and suffer'd Hunger to that degree that they desir'd nothing more than to die, that they might find an end of their Miseries. These are the Calamities the poor Indians have suffer'd in the Service of Christians, who have had no regard either to their Souls or Bodies.

As for those Orders that have been given the Spaniards to treat the Indians as a free People, not to over-charge 'em with Labor, not to do 'em any▪ Injustice, and to let 'em mind their own Affairs, and order their business as they saw good, they have bin no more heeded than the other. For they have been made mere Slaves, and certainly have not so much liberty as Beasts. And the Spaniards, as good Christians as they are, are not at all mov'd by all the Calamities these poor Wretches undergo, but look upon them as the vilest of Slaves, and not fit to have the liberty of doing any thing they have a mind to

do. They are constantly expos'd to the Cruelty of these Tyrants, and not treated like human Crea∣tures, but wild Beasts, who are kept in Chains by their Owners, and dispos'd of at their pleasure. If they sometimes let 'em go to their own Country, they will not suffer 'em to carry their Wives and Children with 'em, nor hardly any thing to eat; so that they are presently constrain'd to return, while the Reflection they make on their deplorable Con∣dition often makes 'em desire death to relieve 'em. If the excessive Labors impos'd on 'em make 'em sick, as it often happens (because, as I have ob∣serv'd, the natural Temper of their Bodies is none of the strongest) the Spaniards do not in the least pity their Condition, but oppress 'em with intole∣rable Tasks, reproaching 'em as lazy, and only feigning themselves ill to be excus'd from Labor. And when they see their Sickness increase, so that they become unserviceable, they send 'em to their own Country, which is sometimes forty or fifty Leagues distance, giving 'em nothing but a few sap∣less Roots to eat by the way, so that they often die miserably, not being able to accomplish such a Jour∣ney. Sometimes we find some of 'em on the Road just ready to expire, others groaning hideously in the Agonies of Death, and others quite dead. Those of 'em that are able to speak, say nothing but Hun∣ger, Hunger. Your Majesty by this account may see that the Governor of the New World had little regard to the Orders that were given him, to treat the Indians as a free People.

That Governor was expresly charg'd not to do any thing to the Indians that might hinder 'em from receiving the Principles of the Christian Religion, or prejudice their Lives or Health, because the King had no design to destroy 'em: yet this Man saw in∣finit numbers of 'em perish that were imploy'd in

melting of Gold. The Labors exacted of 'em were like a furious Pestilence, which cuts off multitudes of People in a little time; and yet this sad Spectacle could not engage him to revoke his cruel Orders, or so much as mitigate the severity of 'em. How∣ever he knew well enough that he was not able to excuse his Proceedings either before God or the King, being expresly contrary to the Charge that had been given him; and therefore us'd so much Subtilty and Artifice in the management of this Affair, that none of his Cruelties on the Indians were known in Spain for those seven years in which he tyranniz'd over the New World. They that came after him, trod in his steps by destroying the Indians, tho his Catholic Majesty recommended it to 'em to induce the Indians to receive the Catholic Faith, by shewing all kindness to 'em, and not to make War upon 'em on the account of Religion, or to constrain 'em to embrace Christianity by force, but rather to treat 'em as the King's Liege People, imposing a certain Tribute on 'em, as on his other Subjects. All this was express'd in the Instructions given to Pedrarias, when he was made Governor of the Indies; notwithstanding which he enter'd Ame∣rica just as a hungry Wolf falls on a flock of Sheep, and made horrible slaughters on all sides, using such unheard of Torments, and making such waste and spoil, that nothing like it is to be found in any History. He might have been look'd upon as a heavy Plague, sent by God to execute his Wrath in extirpating the Indians. This Man, and those that accompanied him, cheated your Majesty of five or six Millions of Gold, and 'tis impossible to compute the Spoil they made in the Indies. They depopulated a Country of above four hundred Leagues, as rich, fertil and pleasant as any in the World. All this Tyranny was us'd to make the Indians deliver up

all their Gold: But by the just Judgment of God they made no great advantage of their Robberies; and it would have bin more for their interest to have kept the Indians alive, and to have made a con∣siderable Profit out of their hard Labors. If a par∣ticular account should be given your Majesty of all the Disorders committed by the Spaniards in the noble Province of Nicaraqua, your Majesty would be astonish'd; and if they had not still continued their Tyranny over these poor People, every day killing and destroying 'em, I should not have ex∣pos'd my self to the fatigue of so tedious and trou∣blesom a Voyage, to give your Majesty an account of it. When your Majesty is assur'd that the Spani∣ards have depopulated so many vast and noble King∣doms, and that they still continue to destroy what∣ever escap'd the fury of former Governors; when you are convinc'd that they have carried Fire and Sword through seven Kingdoms that are larger than Spain, your Majesty will easily be perswaded that what I have said is no Exaggeration. I have seen these Kingdoms in a manner as full of People as Hives are of Bees, where now there are none to be found, having been all murder'd by the Spaniards; so that there are only naked Walls and empty Houses to be seen in many once populous Cities. The Orders given by the most Catholic Queen Isa∣bella to General De-Larés were very prudent and useful, but he did not think fit to observe 'em; and the Relation he gave the King and Queen of matters from time to time, were very far from Truth, tho supported by the Testimony of divers Indians. He acted quite contrary to the Instructions given him, violating all the Rules of the Law of Nature and Reason; by which 'tis evident he went beyond his Commission, and prevaricated in those Letters he directed to the Council of Spain, by intermixing

Falshoods in his account, and disguising what was true. And 'tis certain if your Majesty had been inform'd how tyrannically this Governor treated the Indians, you would never have entrusted your Authority in his hands; and by consequence your Majesty is oblig'd to declare that you detest the Pro∣ceedings of this Governor as injust and tyrannical, and to abrogate all he has done, and declare that the Indians ought not to have been subjected to the Dominion of particular Men, and that all the In∣juries they have suffer'd are contrary to the Law of God and Nature, as well as to the Imperial and Canon Laws; seeing they have been tormented in their Persons, molested in their Liberty and Estates, and condemn'd to die. Your Majesty is oblig'd, as you are a just Prince, and an Enemy to Violence, to suppress these vexatious Practices, and to deliver the poor Indians from the Tyranny of those that have oppress'd and tormented 'em.

If your Majesty neglect to take this cruel Yoke from their Necks, they will infallibly perish. And that lovely Country which is naturally fruitful and populous will soon become a vast Desert; for the Spaniards that go thither, don't go to people the Country, but to inrich themselves by pillaging it. Those that have lately gon into Hispaniola, and other depopulated places, and carried thither the Commodities of Europe, have not been able to dis∣pose of 'em, there not being People to buy 'em: So that these Disorders are directly opposite to your Majesty's Interest; for what advantage can you re∣ceive from the ruin of those People? And what will the World say of so just a Prince as your Majesty, if when you are inform'd of the mischief don by your Subjects in those vast Kingdoms, and among such multitudes of People, you should not apply su∣table Remedies to so dangerous a Disease? It can't

of Gold out of the Mines, and condemning others that were remote from any Mines to other kinds of Tribute. Some of the Spaniards he carried with him, shook off the Obedience they ow'd the King, and set up for so many Tyrants, committing Vio∣lence and Spoil beyond what can be easily imagin'd in the Province of Xavagua, one of the finest and most populous Countries in the Indies. The King being inform'd of these Ravages, wrote his mind to General De-Larés, and order'd him to put a stop to the Cruelty and Violence of the Spaniards on the Indians, and to govern 'em as a free People, which Orders were not well executed: For the Spaniards shut up the Indians by force in the Mines, to employ 'em in the toilsom work of digging for Gold, which requires a very robust Constitution: And when they had got this Gold, they were forc'd to be all day in the Water to wash it. At first the Indians were kept in the Mines for a whole year, till the Spaniards found they were not able to endure such hard and continual Labor, and therefore gave 'em some time of respite, contenting themselves to keep 'em only for five Months in digging Gold, after which they employ'd 'em forty days in melting it. This they pretended was a time of rest for these poor Creatures, tho this latter sort of Work is more toilsom than that of grubbing up of Roots, and clearing Ground that is over-run with Wood: so that they don't know what a Holy-day or Sun∣day means throughout the whole year. They are sometimes almost famish'd, having nothing given 'em save a few dry Roots that yield but little Nu∣triment: Tho the most liberal of the Spaniards dis∣tribute a Porker once a week among half a hundred Indians, which is little more than every one a taste. Nay some of 'em have not been willing to give the Indians that serv'd 'em any thing at all to eat, but

out of mere Avarice sent 'em to feed like Beasts in the fields, or to gather fruit upon the Mountains, after which they forc'd 'em to work two or three days together without eating. One Man frankly confess'd to me that he had got a great Estate in a little time by this kind of frugality. What strength can Bodies that are naturally of a tender Constitu∣tion be suppos'd to have when fed after this manner, and oppress'd besides with excessive Labor? 'Tis impossible they should subsist long under this cruel Bondage; which makes 'em lead a sorrowful, lan∣guishing and miserable Life, being destitute both of convenient Food and Rest.

Tho the King order'd each Indian to be paid in proportion to his Work, that they might have some∣thing to live on, and be capable of buying them∣selves Necessaries; this Command has been ill ob∣serv'd, for they had nothing at all for many years; so that they were put to the greatest Extremity, and suffer'd Hunger to that degree that they desir'd nothing more than to die, that they might find an end of their Miseries. These are the Calamities the poor Indians have suffer'd in the Service of Christians, who have had no regard either to their Souls or Bodies.

As for those Orders that have been given the Spaniards to treat the Indians as a free People, not to over-charge 'em with Labor, not to do 'em any▪ Injustice, and to let 'em mind their own Affairs, and order their business as they saw good, they have bin no more heeded than the other. For they have been made mere Slaves, and certainly have not so much liberty as Beasts. And the Spaniards, as good Christians as they are, are not at all mov'd by all the Calamities these poor Wretches undergo, but look upon them as the vilest of Slaves, and not fit to have the liberty of doing any thing they have a mind to

do. They are constantly expos'd to the Cruelty of these Tyrants, and not treated like human Crea∣tures, but wild Beasts, who are kept in Chains by their Owners, and dispos'd of at their pleasure. If they sometimes let 'em go to their own Country, they will not suffer 'em to carry their Wives and Children with 'em, nor hardly any thing to eat; so that they are presently constrain'd to return, while the Reflection they make on their deplorable Con∣dition often makes 'em desire death to relieve 'em. If the excessive Labors impos'd on 'em make 'em sick, as it often happens (because, as I have ob∣serv'd, the natural Temper of their Bodies is none of the strongest) the Spaniards do not in the least pity their Condition, but oppress 'em with intole∣rable Tasks, reproaching 'em as lazy, and only feigning themselves ill to be excus'd from Labor. And when they see their Sickness increase, so that they become unserviceable, they send 'em to their own Country, which is sometimes forty or fifty Leagues distance, giving 'em nothing but a few sap∣less Roots to eat by the way, so that they often die miserably, not being able to accomplish such a Jour∣ney. Sometimes we find some of 'em on the Road just ready to expire, others groaning hideously in the Agonies of Death, and others quite dead. Those of 'em that are able to speak, say nothing but Hun∣ger, Hunger. Your Majesty by this account may see that the Governor of the New World had little regard to the Orders that were given him, to treat the Indians as a free People.

That Governor was expresly charg'd not to do any thing to the Indians that might hinder 'em from receiving the Principles of the Christian Religion, or prejudice their Lives or Health, because the King had no design to destroy 'em: yet this Man saw in∣finit numbers of 'em perish that were imploy'd in

melting of Gold. The Labors exacted of 'em were like a furious Pestilence, which cuts off multitudes of People in a little time; and yet this sad Spectacle could not engage him to revoke his cruel Orders, or so much as mitigate the severity of 'em. How∣ever he knew well enough that he was not able to excuse his Proceedings either before God or the King, being expresly contrary to the Charge that had been given him; and therefore us'd so much Subtilty and Artifice in the management of this Affair, that none of his Cruelties on the Indians were known in Spain for those seven years in which he tyranniz'd over the New World. They that came after him, trod in his steps by destroying the Indians, tho his Catholic Majesty recommended it to 'em to induce the Indians to receive the Catholic Faith, by shewing all kindness to 'em, and not to make War upon 'em on the account of Religion, or to constrain 'em to embrace Christianity by force, but rather to treat 'em as the Kings's Liege People, imposing a certain Tribute on 'em, as on his other Subjects. All this was express'd in the Instructions given to Pedrarias, when he was made Governor of the Indies; notwithstanding which he enter'd Ame∣rica just as a hungry Wolf falls on a flock of Sheep, and made horrible slaughters on all sides, using such unheard of Torments, and making such waste and spoil, that nothing like it is to be found in any History. He might have been look'd upon as a heavy Plague, sent by God to execute his Wrath in extirpating the Indians. This Man, and those that accompanied him, cheated your Majesty of five or six Millions of Gold, and 'tis impossible to compute the Spoil they made in the Indies. They depopulated a Country of above four hundred Leagues, as rich, fertil and pleasant as any in the World. All this Tyranny was us'd to make the Indians deliver up

all their Gold: But by the just Judgment of God they made no great advantage of their Robberies: and it would have bin more for their interest to have kept the Indians alive, and to have made a con∣siderable Profit out of their hard Labors. If a par∣ticular account should be given your Majesty of all the Disorders committed by the Spaniards in the noble Province of Nicaraqua, your Majesty would be astonish'd; and if they had not still continued their Tyranny over these poor People, every day killing and destroying 'em, I should not have ex∣pos'd my self to the fatigue of so tedious and trou∣blesom a Voyage, to give your Majesty an account of it. When your Majesty is assur'd that the Spani∣ards have depopulated so many vast and noble King∣doms, and that they still continue to destroy what∣ever escap'd the fury of former Governors; when you are convinc'd that they have carried Fire and Sword through seven Kingdoms that are larger than Spain, your Majesty will easily be perswaded that what I have said is no Exaggeration. I have seen these Kingdoms in a manner as full of People as Hives are of Bees, where now there are none to be found, having been all murder'd by the Spaniards; so that there are only naked Walls and empty Houses to be seen in many once populous Cities. The Orders given by the most Catholic Queen Isa∣bella to General De-Larés were very prudent and useful, but he did not think fit to observe 'em; and the Relation he gave the King and Queen of matters from time to time, were very far from Truth, tho supported by the Testimony of divers Indians. He acted quite contrary to the Instructions given him, violating all the Rules of the Law of Nature and Reason; by which 'tis evident he went beyond his Commission, and prevaricated in those Letters he directed to the Council of Spain, by intermixing

Falshoods in his account, and disguising what was true. And 'tis certain if your Majesty had been inform'd how tyrannically this Governor treated the Indians, you would never have entrusted your Authority in his hands; and by consequence your Majesty is oblig'd to declare that you detest the Pro∣ceedings of this Governor as injust and tyrannical, and to abrogate all he has done, and declare that the Indians ought not to have been subjected to the Dominion of particular Men, and that all the In∣juries they have suffer'd are contrary to the Law of God and Nature, as well as to the Imperial and Canon Laws; seeing they have been tormented in their Persons, molested in their Liberty and Estates, and condemn'd to die. Your Majesty is oblig'd, as you are a just Prince, and an Enemy to Violence, to suppress these vexatious Practices, and to deliver the poor Indians from the Tyranny of those that have oppress'd and tormented 'em.

If your Majesty neglect to take this cruel Yoke from their Necks, they will infallibly perish. And that lovely Country which is naturally fruitful and populous will soon become a vast Desert; for the Spaniards that go thither, don't go to people the Country, but to inrich themselves by pillaging it. Those that have lately gon into Hispaniola, and other depopulated places, and carried thither the Commodities of Europe, have not been able to dis∣pose of 'em, there not being People to buy 'em: So that these Disorders are directly opposit to your Majesty's Interest; for what advantage can you re∣ceive from the ruin of those People? And what will the World say of so just a Prince as your Majesty, if when you are inform'd of the mischief don by your Subjects in those vast Kingdoms, and among such multitudes of People, you should not apply su∣table Remedies to so dangerous a Disease? it can't

be thought that your Majesty, whose Mind abounds with so much Goodness, and so great a Zeal for Equity and Justice, can tolerate such cruel Oppressi∣ons as these.

To what has been said, it may be added, to de∣monstrate that the power the Spaniards have over the Indians is prejudicial to the Crown of Spain, that by this means your Majesty loses an infinit number of Subjects, who are every day cut off with∣out any lawful occasion; whereas if suffer'd to live, they would chearfully submit to your Majesty's Go∣vernment when they saw the difference between your Majesty's Yoke, and that Slavery in which they are held by their private Masters. If your Majesty had once receiv'd 'em into the number of your Subjects, so that they might be secur'd from the inhuman Severities they now daily endure, they would love and serve your Majesty with incredible Zeal, being naturally inclin'd to be very submissive to their Princes.

Your Majesty may farther consider, that you lose immense Riches by the cruel depopulation of the Indies, which otherwise you might justly acquire; for 'tis impossible for the Spaniards to subsist long in the Indies, if the Natives be exterminated. And those Treasures sufficient to enrich all Spain, would be no small advantage to promote your Designs, and enable you to resist your Enemies. If there come no Mony from the Indies, but that Spring of Trea∣sure be suffer'd to dry up, Spain must necessarily sustain great Inconveniences for want of it. Ex∣perience already shews that the Indies don't furnish us with so great a quantity as in time past, and 'tis likely to diminish more and more for time to come. Besides, the manner of extorting it from the Indians can't possibly last long, because 'tis too violent a course. The Isle of Hispaniola is an unexceptionable

Instance of what I say; for whereas above three Millions of very fine Gold were drawn out of it at first, it cannot now afford the tenth part of that Sum. The least Reflection your Majesty can make will easily convince you how your Revenues every day diminish. Your Majesty has nothing certain and stable in the Indies, if the Land be not cultivated, and the Inhabitants preserv'd for those Labors that are so advantageous. You have now but a small number of Indians in all New Spain, from whence your Majesty might annually have drawn a Million of Ducats, if the Indians had been preserv'd, and your Majesty's Interest at first regarded. There have been yet greater Confusions and Disorders in Peru, and the Mischief daily increases; from which Kingdom your Majesty might yearly receive two or three Millions of Gold if the Indians were not treated with so much Injustice and Inhumanity, ma∣ny of 'em having been murder'd, togther with their great King Atabalipa. All the Gold the Christians have taken by force in Peru would of right have belong'd to your Majesty, because that Indian Prince would have voluntarily presented himself to your Majesty with all his Treasures. The Church has likewise receiv'd great damage by these Cruelties; for as your Majesty has been frustrated of those immense Riches, so the Church has lost an infinit number of Souls who have perish'd in their Igno∣rance, when they might have been taught the Myste∣ries of our Faith: so that the Losses sustain'd both by Church and State are irreparable.

The Kingdom of Spain, which your Majesty rules with so much Equity, is surrounded with Enemies, and in danger of being wasted and ruin'd by the Turks and Moors, those declar'd Enemies of the Catholic Faith: Because God, who is the just Judg and Soveraign Lord of the Universe, is grievously

offended with the Violence and Massacres which the Spaniards have committed in the Indies, where they have opprest and slaughter'd innumerable multi∣tudes of People. These Indians have rational Souls form'd after the image and likeness of God, and ransom'd by the Blood of his Son, who keeps an account of 'em, and will not think 'em of no value, how ignorant and barbarous soever they seem to be. He was pleas'd to choose Spain to the Service of carrying the Light of the Gospel into the New World, and to engage those Nations to entertain the Christian Faith. And it seem'd as if the Al∣mighty had discover'd all these Temporal Riches to the Spaniards, as a recompense for those Spiritual Pleasures with which they were to enrich the Indies. But tho he open'd a way for 'em into those vast Regions, so wealthy, fertil and pleasant, so full of Mines of Gold, Silver and precious Stones; instead of being thankful for all these Favors, they have committed the most hainous Crimes to provoke him. Now 'tis usual for God to distribute his Punishments by a rule of proportion, adjusting them to the na∣ture of the Offence. If Men sin by Pride, he covers 'em with Confusion and Shame; if they get any thing unjustly through Avarice, he often suffers 'em to lose their own Goods; and they that have stolen, are in turn rob'd themselves. Those that oppress and murder others, he permits to fall into the hands of such as treat 'em with the like Cruelty: They that take away their Neighbors Wives and violate 'em, have sometimes the same Outrages committed on their own. And such as usurp Kingdoms that don't belong to 'em, by God's Judgment come to see their own Kingdoms invaded by their Enemies; and thus it is with other Judgments which frequently answer the different kinds of Sin. The Holy Scrip∣ture and other Histories are full of Instances to this

purpose; and Experience every day furnishes us with such marks of the Divine Displeasure as these. The Moors once over-run Spain, and this was in∣terpreted as a Judgment from God to punish the Crime of King Roderick, who ravish'd the Daughter of Count Don Julian, tho 'tis more probable it was to punish the Crimes of the People of Spain, and the Injuries they offer'd their Neighbours, and that the Crime of this King only fill'd up the measure of those Vices.

'Tis convenient to inform your Majesty what is thought by Persons of the best sense, who are go∣vern'd by no Prejudice, but only compassionate the Sufferings of the poor Indians. I have heard many such Persons say, I pray God these extravagant Cruelties don't one day fall heavy upon Spain! It may be such words as these that drop from many wise Men, are so many Advertisements and Menaces from God, who has been highly incens'd against this Nation by the Crimes of the Spaniards. And we already see that Spain is reduc'd to great Necessities, and Mony is very scarce among us; tho more Trea∣sures have bin brought hither than Solomon possess'd in all his Glory: Most of those that have brought these Riches from the Indies have made a miserable end, and their Children are reduc'd to extreme Poverty, which justifies the old Maxim, Vix gaudet tertius Haeres, the third Heir seldom enjoys an ill-gotten Estate; and that Passage of holy Scripture, He that oppresseth the poor to increase his Riches—shall surely come to want, Prov. 22. 16. Because, as has bin said, the Divine Judgments bear some propor∣tion to the Crimes that Men commit. If your Ma∣jesty have the curiosity to inform your self of the detail of all these matters, we can shew you a List of the principal Tyrants that have committed the greatest Disorders in the Indies, by pillaging and

massacring those poor People, and have themselves all died in a dreadful and despairing manner. It seems their Violence and Cruelty, the great quan∣tity of Blood shed in the Massacres they have com∣mited, and their other vicious Actions, the effects of which are yet to be seen, cry aloud to Heaven for Vengeance; while the Tears, and Sighs, and Entreaties of so many poor Innocents have filled Heaven and Earth, and put all the World into a Consternation, to the utter shame and reproach of all the Spanish Nation, and of the Kings of Spain too. Since then it depends only on your Majesty to lay the Ax to the Root of all these Disorders, and to do Justice to these afflicted People, it will be an Argument of your Prudence and Equity to employ your Power to deliver the Indians from the terrible Oppressions and Calamities under which they yet groan.

Your Majesty may be pleas'd farther to observe, that if the Spaniards have an Authority given 'em over the Indians, however it may be qualified, they will infallibly abuse it; for being naturally proud, they'l become still less obedient to your Majesty's Commands: Nay the immense Sums which they'l get in the Indies will enable 'em to confederate with other Nations, to withdraw their Allegiance entirely from your Majesty at long-run, and to sup∣port one another in their Rebellion. We already see that the richest of 'em, that flatter themselves with the Title of Conquerors, are so intolerably presumptuous, as to set themselves above the Rules of common Justice. Your Majesty's Vice-roy said not long since in one of his Letters, that the Indians ought to acknowlege no other God nor King than himself. Your Majesty therefore should take it for granted that it is not consistent with the Security of your Government, that there should be any great

Lord in the Continent of the West-Indies, invested with an absolute Jurisdiction over the Indians; this Power ought to be inseparable from your Royal Person: 'Tis not convenient for the future to give any one the Title of Count, Marquess, or Duke over either the Indians or Spaniards that are setled there; because 'twill prompt 'em to think too highly of themselves, and to advance themselves above their Condition, which may have very mischievous Con∣sequences: In a word, this may probably open 'em a way to make themselves Kings of the Indies, and thereby devest your Majesty of the Right you have to those Countries.

Nor will it be more safe to trust this Power in the hands of those Gentlemen that compose your Majesty's Council in the Indies, which may also be attended with Inconveniences; for 'tis impossible for the Affairs of America to be well administred if the Members of that Council be absolute Lords of the Indians: To be sure then the King of Spain shall never know the truth of what passes there; this would produce nothing but Fraud and Im∣posture, and be an infallible means to compleat the Ruin of the Indies. They that govern in the Indies, industriously endeavour to prevent the Court of Spain from receiving any true Information how matters stand there, that they may securely pillage the Country, and live at their own Discretion. They have oppos'd those Friers whose Zeal carried 'em to America to preach, and have hinder'd 'em from reaping the fruit they might have expected from their Labors. The Judges and other Officers were afraid the Conversion of the Indians would be pre∣judicial to their Temporal Interest; and Avarice bore sway in their Minds instead of that Zeal they ought to have had for the Salvation of those Infi∣dels. God is witness that this is true, and 'tis not

difficult to prove it. They continued to persecute the Monks, till one of 'em, pitying them iserable case of these Idolaters, came on purpose to inform the King of Spain of the Violence of his Officers, and of the Obstructions they rais'd against the pub∣lication of the Gospel there. Cardinal Ximenes at that time manag'd the Affairs of Spain, who being well inform'd of the Affairs in the Indies, imme∣diately resolv'd to devest the Council there of the Jurisdiction they pretended to have over the Indians, as being very pernicious. But the Kings of Spain are at so vast a distance from those Countries, that they have not been able speedily to redress all the pressing Grievances that incessantly afflict those mi∣serable People. Their Laws and Orders given at so great a distance have no great Efficacy: and 'tis next to impossible for 'em to have a true account what Persecutions the Indians suffer: Or if a true Information should be had, they can only give some general Orders, without descending to make spe∣cial provision against all those Mischiefs that can't be well known unless they were upon the place where they are acted. Besides, the Persons to whom these Orders are directed, commonly conceal 'em, or defer the execution of 'em; so that when they go about to fulfil 'em, 'tis too late, and the Remedies applied prove unseasonable and useless. Nay, they are often so wicked as to act in direct contradiction to what is commanded 'em; and flatter themselves with hopes of never being call'd to account, because they are so remote from Spain.

If your Majesty would reserve to your self alone the Jurisdiction of the Indies, without sharing it among the Spaniards, it would be the greatest hap∣piness imaginable to the Indians, and nothing could more rejoice 'em, because then they would be con∣vinc'd they should be no more expos'd to the In∣sults

and Persecutions of their Enemies; and would have so great a respect for your Majesty, obey you so universally, and love you so sincerely, that they would be always ready to sacrifice their Lives for your Service. You could then require nothing of 'em, but they would do it chearfully, because they seem to have a great propension to submit to your Royal Crown; whereas if the Spaniards are their absolute Masters, as their Obedience will be forc'd, so it will be of no long continuance, and they'l do all they can to get free of so severe a Yoke.

Moreover, when the Indians are once perswaded they are under your Protection, that they may live safely in their own Houses, and need fear no injury either in their Persons or Goods; all that are re∣tir'd to the Mountains will soon come down to dwell in the Plains, as they were wont heretofore. For abundance of 'em have retreated to avoid the Cru∣elties of the Spaniards; and chuse rather to be de∣vour'd by wild Beasts in the Mountains, than to fall into the hands of their Persecutors, tho Christians. The poor Wretches suffer a world of Inconveniences in those places whither they have retir'd, wanting almost all the Necessaries of Life: And 'tis impossi∣ble to find 'em out to instruct 'em in the Christian Faith: whereas if they liv'd together in Towns and Cities, they might easily be taught Religion, and a regular sort of Government establish'd among 'em, whereby they would be brought to the Service of the True God, which would become familiar to 'em: By this means the Ground would be cultivated, the Roads frequented and render'd more safe, and the Country no longer be desert and forlorn: The Spaniards would be supplied with Provisions, and convenient places to lodg in on their Journeys, and have a thousand other Advantages of which they

are now depriv'd by the Indians deserting their Ha∣bitations.

Your Majesty may remember that after a mature examination of this Affair by many learned Men and able Divines, they unanimously declar'd, that the Dominion of the Indies could not be justly given to private Men, nor dismember'd from your Ma∣jesty's Crown. This Determination was signified to Ferdinando Cortez, with orders to put it in execu∣tion. Your Majesty was pleas'd on the same account again to call together an Assembly of Persons of great Learning and Virtue, who after a long de∣bate, declar'd that the Spaniards could not lawfully be made Lords of the Indies. After which your Majesty gave most express Orders to prohibit it, revoking all Grants to the contrary procur'd on those false Accounts and Misrepresentations that had been given you. Your Majesty commanded the Governor of Florida to put these Edicts in execution, as may be still seen by his Instructions. Among the principal Articles of these Constitutions, one is, That the Indians ought to be accounted free, and not obliged to any other Services than the rest of your Majesty's Subjects who enjoy their Liberty under your Government: That they ought to pay Tithes to God, unless excus'd for some time, and likewise such Tribute to your Majesty as is im∣pos'd lawfully, and in proportion to the Goods they possess, and the quality of their Land, accord∣ing to the reasonable Estimate of those that govern 'em.

If it be desir'd that the Indians should be taught the Catholic Faith, and brought to embrace our Customs, while they keep up a sort of Government among themselves, your Majesty ought not to give them as Slaves to any one whatsoever, either for ever, or for a limited time; for this would be to ex∣pose

'em to the same Miseries they have hitherto endur'd, and perhaps to increase them: for after this there will be no dependence to be had on the Orders and Prohibitions made in favour of the Indians, whatever Penalties shall be annex'd to fa∣cilitate their Execution; for those that have bin already made are very wise Edicts, and might be very useful if put in practice. And one chief Reason against giving the Indians for Vassals to the Spaniards, is the small account these latter make of the Lives of those poor Creatures; for 'tis not to be imagin'd with what Contempt they look upon 'em, unless by those that have seen it: Their excessive Covetousness induces 'em to make 'em labor beyond their Strength, not caring what becomes of 'em so they get any thing by 'em. If any Persons give your Majesty a contrary ac∣count of these matters, you ought to look upon 'em as Enemies to the State, and disaffected to your Ma∣jesty's Service.

If your Majesty be convinc'd by the Arguments produc'd, you will prevent the Spaniards from com∣mitting a great many Violences and Murders, of which they are every day guilty. You will secure Spain from this Contagion, in preventing your People at home from partaking of the Sins of their fellow-Subjects, and sharing the Plunder with them which they have so unjustly gotten. For all Men of sense acknowledg that the Crimes of the Spaniards in America render all Spain obnoxious to the Curse of God; that the course they take to be∣come rich is unjust; that the Gold and Silver they bring from the Indies is stolen, and that they are oblig'd to restore it to the right Owners whom they have unjustly plunder'd: which likewise evi∣dences that those that partake of these usurp'd Riches have no good Title to 'em; for they ought

to have no Commerce with those publick Robbers, nor to sell 'em any Commodities for their stolen Gold; they should not so much as receive Presents from 'em, or consent to be their Heirs: And if so, it follows that all Spain is become guilty of the Crimes of those Men; so that there are few but have reason to be under trouble of Conscience, and are in danger of Damnation, because there are scarce any who have not participated of the Rapine of those that have come from the New World.

It has bin objected by the Spaniards, that if they have not a Jurisdiction over the Indians as their Vassals, it will be impossible for 'em to live in the In∣dies, and consequently that your Majesty will not be able to keep those Kingdoms that have bin conquer'd in your Name, nor to publish the Catholic Faith there. For they say, if the Spaniards can't subsist there, the King of Spain can't preserve his Domi∣nion over the Indians, nor maintain Monks among 'em to preach to 'em, so that they must be destitute of the Light of the Gospel; and those of 'em that have already receiv'd it, will gradually lose it for want of fresh Instruction, and so return to their for∣mer Idolatry, and other Sins.

They that reason after this manner, do it not so much from a Principle of true Zeal and Compassion, lest so many Souls should perish, as from a desire of oppressing these People, and that they may grow rich by the Spoil they get from 'em. 'Tis only their privat Interest makes 'em talk at this rate; for they are not at all concern'd about your Majesty's Inte∣rest, or the Salvation of the poor Indians. 'Tis not the Good of the Public, or the Glory of God that moves 'em; for their Conduct sufficiently shews what little respect they have to the Law of God, which forbids 'em to do the least hurt to any one, how great an advantage soever it might procure 'em.

They ought to know, if they have the true Senti∣ments of Christianity, that tho your Majesty should run the risk of losing all your Conquests in the In∣dies, and be render'd uncapable of causing the Christian Faith to be preach'd among the Indians; it were better to forgo all such great Advantages, than to obtain 'em by ruining the Inhabitants after the manner hitherto practis'd. It had bin no great Mis∣fortune to your Majesty, if your Empire had not extended so far as the Indies; and 'tis an ill way of going to work, to endeavour to establish Christianity there by such criminal Methods. The reason of which is evident, because we are forbidden to do evil that good may come, Rom. 3. 8. God is not pleas'd with the greatest Sacrifices if polluted with any Sin, but abhors all such Offerings. 'Tis a most hainous Sin, and worthy of eternal Damnation, to massacre Infidels on pretence of introducing the Christian Faith among 'em, and of extirpating a part of 'em to save the rest. God dos not require Men to re∣ceive his Word on such hard terms, and absolutely forbids such a kind of Zeal for the Salvation of Souls as this. He would not have us pretend to be more concern'd about the Salvation of Souls than himself. That which he requires of us is to keep within the compass of his Laws, and not to exceed the Limits he has prescrib'd. For 'twould be an Argument of much Stupidity, and a great sin for any one to throw a Child into a Well to baptize it, and so to drown it on pretence of saving its Soul. And is it not a greater Crime, and more odious and abominable in the sight of God, to scandalize, destroy and massa∣cre so many thousand People, under the pretext of putting the rest in the way of Salvation? 'Tis our business to do all the Good we can in conforming our selves to God's Commandments, and keeping with∣in the bounds he has set us, leaving the rest to him∣self.

But this is a false Gloss which the Spaniards use to cover their Avarice; for the Salvation of the Indians is no part of their Care; all they mind is rather to ruin and inslave 'em, than to make Chris∣tians of 'em. Therefore in opposition to all their false Pretences, we assure your Majesty, that if you please to reserve to your self alone the Dominion of the Indies without admitting the Spaniards to assume the quality of Lords and Masters over the Indians, it will be an infallible means to establish the Catholic Faith among them. The Spaniards will be able to live commodiously among 'em in greater numbers than they have hitherto done; and all other Inconveniences will be remov'd, which will mightly conduce to the Glory of God, the Advan∣tage of the Indians, the Aggrandizement of your Empire, and the general Good of all Spain.

FINIS.

Notes

• A Blanc is about the value of a Half-penny.