postpon'd or come behind the cruelty of Brute Animals, that I leave to
decision). The _Spaniards_ who are conversant among the _Indians_ bred
up curst Curs, who are so well instructed and taught that they at first
sight, fly upon the Inhabitants tearing them limb by limb, and so
presently devour them. Now let all persons whether Christians or not
consider, if ever such a thing as this reacht the ears of any Man, they
carry these Dogs with them as Companions where ever they go, and kill
the fettered _Indians_ in multitudes like Hogs for their Food; thus
sharing with them in the Butchery. Nay they frequently call one to the
other, saying, lend me the fourth part of one of your Slaves to feed my
Dogs, and when I kill one, I will repay you, as if they had only
borrowed a quarter of a Hog or Sheep. Others, when they go a Hunting
early in the morning, upon their return, if you ask them what sport had
you to day at the Game? They will answer, enough, enough, for my Dogs
have killed and worried 15 or 20 _Indian_ Vassals. Now all these
things are plainly prov'd upon those Inquisitions and Examinations made
by one Tyrant against another. What I beseech you, can be more horrid
or barbarous?
But I will desist from Writing any longer at this time, till some
Messenger brings an account of greater and blacker Impieties (if
greater can be committed) or else till we come to behold them again, as
we have done for the space of forty two years with our own Eyes. I
will only make this small addition to what I have said that the
_Spaniards_, from the beginning of their first entrance upon _America_
to this present day, were no more sollicitous of promoting the
Preaching of the Gospel of Christ to these Nations, then if they had
been Dogs or Beasts, but which is worst of all, they expressly
prohibited their addresses to the Religious, laying many heavy
Impositions upon them, dayly afflicting and persecuting them, that they
might not have so much time and leasure at their own disposal, as to
attend their Preaching and Divine Service; for they lookt upon that to
be an impediment to their getting Gold, and raking up riches which
their Avarice stimulated them so boundlessly to prosecute. Nor do they
understand any more of a God, whether he be made of Wood, Brass or
Clay, then they did above an hundred years ago, New _Spain_ only
exempted, which is a small part of _America_, and was visited and
instructed by the Religious. Thus they did formely and still do perish
without true Faith, or the knowledge and benefit of our Religious
Sacraments.
I Frier _Bartholomeas de las Casas_ or _Casaus_ of the Order of St.
_Dominick_, who through the mercy of God am Arriv'd at the _Spanish_
Court, Cordially wishing the expulsion of Hell or these Hellish Acts
out of the _Indies_; fearing least those Souls redeemed by the pretious
Blood of Christ, should perish eternally, but heartily desiring that
they may acknowledge their Creator and be saved; as also for the care
and compassion that I ever had for my Native Countrey _Castile_,
dreading least God should destroy it for the many sins committed by the
Natives her Children, against Faith, Honour and their Neighbours: I
have at length upon the request of some Persons of great Quality in
this Court, who are fervently zealous of the Honour of God, and moved
with pitty at the Calamities and Afflictions of their Neighbours
(though I long since proposed it within my self, and resolved to
accomplish it, but could not, being distracted with the avocations of
multiplicity of constant Business and Employment, have leisure to
effect it) I say I have at length finished this Treatise and Summary at
_Valencia, Decemb._ 8. _An. Dom._ 1542, when they were arrived at the
Height, and utmost Degree of executing Violences, Oppressions, Tyrrany,
Desolations, Torments, and Calamities in all the aforesaid Regions,
Inhabited by the _Spaniards_ (though they are more Cruel in some places
than other) yet _Mexico_ with its Confines were more favourably treated
than the rest of the Provinces.
And indeed no Man durst openly and publickly do any injury to the
Inhabitants; for there some Justice, (which is no where else in
_India_) though very little is done and practiced; yet they are
grievously opprest with intolerable Taxes. But I do really believe,
and am fully perswaded that our Sovereign Lord _Charles_ the Fifth,
Emperour and King of _Spain_, our Lord and Prince, who begins to be
sensible of the Wickedness and Treacheries, which have been, and still
are committed against this Miserable Nation, and distressed Countries
contrary to the Will and Pleasure of God, as well as His Majesties that
he will in time, (for hitherto the Truth hath been concealed and kept
from his Knowledge, with as great Craft, as Fraud and Malice) totally
extirpate and root up all these Evils and Mischiefs, and apply such
proper Medicines as may purge the Morbifick and peccant Humours in the
Body Politick of this New World, committed to his Care and Government
as a Lover and Promoter of Peace and Tranquility. God preserve and
bless him with Renown and a happy Life in his Imperial State, and
prosper him in all his Attempts, that he may remedy the Distempers of
the Christian Church, and Crown him at last with Eternal Felicity,
_Amen_.
After I had published this Treatise, certain Laws and Constitutions,
enacted by his Majesty then at _Baraclona_ in the Month of _December,
An. Dom._ 1542, promulgated and published the Year ensuing in the City
of _Madera_, whereby it is provided, (as the present Necessities
requir'd) that a period be put to such great Enormities and Sins, as
were committed against God and our Neighbours, and tended to the utter
Ruine and Perdition of this New World. These Laws were published by
his Majesties Order, several Persons of highest Authority, Councellors,
Learned, and Conscientious Men, being assembled together for that
purpose, and many Debates made at _Valedolid_ about this weighty
Affair, at length by the unanimous Consent and Advice of all those who
had committed their Opinions to Writing, they were made publick who
traced more closely therein the Laws of Christ and Christianity, and
were judged Persons pure, free from and innocent of that stain and
blemish of depriving the _Indians_ of their Treasures by Theft and
Rapine, which Riches had contaminated and sullied the Hands, but much
more the Souls of those who were enslav'd by those heaps of Wealth and
Covetousness, now this obstinate and hot pursuit after Wealth was the
Original of all those Evils committed without the least Remorse or
Check of Conscience.
These Laws being thus promulgated, the _Courtiers_ who promoted these
Tyrants, took care that several Copies should be transcribed, (though
they were extremely afflicted to see, that there was no farther hopes
or means to promote the former Depredations and Extortions by the
Tyranny aforesaid) and sent them to several _Indian_ Provinces. They,
who took upon them the Trouble and Care of Extirpating, and Oppressing
by different ways of Cruelty, as they never observed any Method or
Order, but behav'd themselves most inordinately and irregularly, having
perused these Diplomata or Constitutions, before the new made Judges,
appointed to put them in Execution, could Arrive or be Landed, they by
the assistance of those (as 'tis credibly rumour'd, nor is it repugnant
to truth) who hitherto favour'd their Criminal and Violent Actions,
knowing well that these Laws and Proclamations must necessarily take
effect, began to grow mutinous, and rebel, and when the Judges were
Landed, who were to Execute these _Mandates_, laying aside all manner
of Love and Fear of God, were so audacious as to contemn and set at
nought all the Reverence and Obedience due to their King, and so became
Traytors, demeaning themselves like Blood-Thirsty Tyrants, destitute
and void of all Humanity.
More particularly this appear'd in the _Perusian_ Kingdoms, where _An.
Dom._ 1542, they acted such Horrid and Stupendous Enormities, that the
like were never known or heard in _America_, or throughout the whole
World before that time: Nor were they only practised upon the
_Indians_, who were mostly destroy'd, but upon themselves also, God
permitting them by his just Judgement to be their own Executioners, and
sheath their Swords in one anothers Bowels. In like manner the other
parts of this New World being moved by the Example of these Rebels,
refused to yield Obedience to those Laws. The rest pretending to
petition his Majesty turn Rebellious themselves; for they would not
voluntarily resign those Estates, Goods and Chattels they have already
usurped, nor willingly manumit those _Indians_, who were doomed to be
their Slaves, during Life; and where they restrain'd the Murdering
Sword from doing Execution, they opprest them gradually with personal
Vassalage, injust and intolerable Burthens; which his Majesty could not
possibly hitherto avert or hinder, because they are all universally,
some publickly and openly, others clancularly and secretly, so
naturally addicted to Rob, Thieve and Steal; and thus under pretext of
serving the King, they dishonour God, and defraud his Imperial Majesty.
Here the Author having finished the matter of Fact in this Compendious
History, for Confirmation of what he has here written, quotes a tedious
and imperfect Epistle (as he styles it) beginning and ending anonymous
withal, containing the Cruelties committed by the _Spaniards_, the same
in effect as our Author has prementioned, now in regard that I judge
such reiterated Cruelties and repeated Barbarisms are Offensive to the
Reader, he having sailed already too long, and too far in an Ocean of
Innocent _Indian_ blood: I have omitted all but Two or Three Stories
not taken notice of by the Author. One of the Tyrants, (who followed
the steps of _John Ampudia_, a notorious Villain) gave way to a grat
Slaughter of Sheep the chief Food and Support of the _Spaniards_ as
well as _Indians_, permitting them to kill Two or Three Hundred at a
time, only for their Brains, Fat, or Suet, whose Flesh was then
altogether useless, and not fit to be eaten; but many _Indians_, the
_Spaniards_ Friends and Confederates followed them, desiring they might
have the hearts to feed upon, whereupon they butchered a great many of
them, for this only Reason, because they would not eat the other parts
of the Body. Two of their gang in the Province of _Peru_ kild Twenty
Five Sheep, who were sold among the _Spaniards_ for Twenty Five Crowns,
merely to get the fat and brains out of them: Thus the frequent and
extraordinary Slaughter of their Sheep above a Hundred Thousand Head of
Cattel were destroy'd. And upon this Account the Region was reduced to
great penury and want, and at length perished with Hunger. Nay the
Province of _Quito_, which abounded with Corn beyond Expression, by
such proceedings as these, was brought to that Extremity that a
Sextarie or small Measure or Wheat was sold for Ten Crowns, and a Sheep
at as dear a rate.
This Captain taking leave of _Quito_ was followed by a poor _Indianess_
with loud Cries and Clamours, begging and beseeching him not to carry
away her Husband; for she had the charge of Three Children, and could
not possibly supply them with Victuals, but they must inevitably dye
with hunger, and though the _Captain_ repulsed her with an angry brow
at the first; yet she approacht him a second time with repeated Cries,
saying, that her Children must perish for want of Food; but finding
the Captain inexorable and altogether unmov'd with her Complaints, and
her Husband not restor'd, through a piquant necessity wedded to
despair; she cut off the Heads of her Children with sharp Stones, and
so dispatcht them into the other World.
Then he proceeded farther to another City, and sent some _Spaniards_
that very Night, to take the _Indians_ of the City of _Tulilicui_, who
next day brought with them above a Hundred Persons; some of which (whom
he lookt upon to be able to carry burthens) he reserved for his own and
his Soldiers service, and other were chain'd, and perished in their
Fetters: but the little Infants he gave to the _Casic_ of _Tulilicui_,
abovesaid to be eaten up and devoured, whose skins are stuft with Ashes
and hung up in his House to be seen at this very day. And in the close
of this Letter he shuts up all with these words, 'tis here very
remarkable and never to be forgotten, that this Tyrant (being not
ignorant of the Mischiefs and Enormities executed by him) boastingly
said of himself, _They who shall travel in these Countreys Fifty years
hence, and hear the things related of me, will have cause to say or
declare, that never such a Tyrant as I am marched through these
Regions, and committed the like Enormities._
Now not to quit the Stage without one Comical Scene or Action whereon
such Cruelties have been lively personated, give me leave to acquaint
you with a Comical piece of Grammatical Learning in a Reverend
Religioso of these parts, sent thither to convert the _West-Indies_
Pagans, which the Author mentions among his Reasons and Replications,
and all these I pass by as immaterial to our purpose, many of them
being repeated in the Narrative before.
The weight and burthen of initiating the _Indians_ into the Christian
Faith lay solely on the _Spaniards_ at first; and therefore _Joannes
Colmenero_ in _Santa Martha_, a Fantastic, Ignorant, and Foppish
Fellow, was under Examination before us (and he had one of the most
spatious Cities committed to his Charge as well as the Care and Cure of
the Souls of the Inhabitants) whether he understood how to fortifie
himself with the sign of the Cross against the Wicked and Impious, and
being interrogated what he taught, and how he instructed the _Indians_,
whose Souls were intrusted to his Care and Conduct; he return'd this
Answer, _That if he damn'd them to the Devil and Furies of Hell, it was
sufficient to retrieve them, if he pronounced these Words,_ Per Signin
Sanctin Cruces. A Fellow fitter to be a Hogherd than a Shepherd of
Souls.
This Deep, Bloody _American_ Tragedy is now concluded, and my Pen
choakt up with _Indian_ Blood and Gore. I have no more to say, but
pronounce the Epilogue made by the Author, and leave the Reader to
judge whether it deserves a Plaudite.
The _Spaniards_ first set Sail to _America_, not for the Honour of God,
or as Persons moved and merited thereunto by servent Zeal to the True
Faith, nor to promote the Salvation of their Neighbours, nor to serve
the King, as they falsely boast and pretend to do, but in truth, only
stimulated and goaded on by insatiable Avarice and Ambition, that they
might for ever Domineer, Command, and Tyrannize over the _West-
Indians_, whose Kingdoms they hoped to divide and distribute among
themselves. Which to deal candidly in no more or less intentionally,
than by all these indirect wayes to disappoint and expel the Kings of
_Castile_ out of those Dominions and Territories, that they themselves
having usurped the Supreme and Regal Empire, might first challenge it
as their Right, and then possess and enjoy it.
FINIS.