practised vpon them during the tune that they trauayled of a trueth they can not bee recounted in a long season nor written in a great deale of paper and they shoulde bee euen to affright men withall It is to be noted that the destruction of these iles and lands beganne after the decease of the most gracious Queene daâ—e Isabell which was the yeere a thousande fiue hundreth and foure For before there were layed waste in this ile but certayne Prouinces by vniust warre and that not wholly altogether these for y e more part or in a maner al were coÌ„cealed froÌ„ the knowledge of y e Q. vnto whoÌ„ it may please god to giue his holy glory forasmuch as she had a great desire a zeale admirable y t those people might be saued prosper as we do know good examples the w c we haue seen w t our eies felt with our hands Further note here y t in what part of y e Indies y e Spanishe haue come they haue euermore exercised against y e IndiaÌ„s these innoceÌ„t peoples y e cruelties aforesaid oppressioÌ„s abominable inueÌ„ted day by day new tormeÌ„ts huger monstrouser becoÌ„ming euery day more cruel wherfore god also gaue theÌ„ ouer to fal headlong down with a more extreme downfal into a reprobate sense Of the two Iles S. Iohn and Iamayca THe Spanish passed ouer to y e Ile of S. Iohn to y t of Iamayca w c were like gardens for bees 1509. setting before-theÌ„ y e same end which they had in the Ile Hispaniola committing the robberies crimes aforesaid adioyning therunto many great notable cruelties killing burning rosting casting theÌ„ to y e dogs farthermore afterwards oppressing vexing them in their minerals other trauel vnto y e rotting out of those pore innoceÌ„ts w c were in these two Iles by supputatioÌ„ 6. C. M. soules yea I beleue y t they were more theÌ„ a milioÌ„ although there be not at this day in either Ile 200. persons and all perished without faith and without Sacramentes Of the Ile of Cuba IN the year 1511 they passed to y e Ile of Cuba which is as I haue said as long as there is distaÌ„ce froÌ„ Vallâ—dâ—lâ—â— to Rome where were great prouinces great multitudes of people they both begaÌ„ 〈…〉 in theÌ„ after y e 〈…〉 far more cruelly There came to passe in this IlaÌ„d matters worth y e noting A Câ—cique named Hathuey which had coâ—â—eyed himselfe froÌ„ y e Ile Hispaniola to Cuba w t many of his people to auoid the calamities 〈…〉 so vnnatural of y e spanish when 〈◊〉 certain Indians had told him 〈…〉 the Spaniards were coÌ„ming towards Cuba he 〈…〉 Nowe you know that the Spaniards 〈…〉 this 〈…〉 ye knowe also by experience how they 〈…〉 such the people of 〈◊〉 meaning 〈…〉 〈◊〉 they come to do y e like here Wot ye why they do it they answered no vnlesse 〈…〉 they are by nature void of humanitie He replied They do it not onely for y t but because they haue a god whom they honoâ— do demand very much to y t end to haue froÌ„ vs as wel as others to honor him w tall they do their vttermost to subdue vs. He had theÌ„ by him a litle chestful of gold Iewels said Behold here the God of the Spaniards let vs do to him if it so seeme you good Aâ—â—â—os which are windlesseâ— daunces thus doing we shall please him he wil command y e Spaniards y t they shal do vs no harme They answerd all with a loud voyce Wel said sir wel said Thus then they dauÌ„sed before it vntil they were wery theÌ„ quoth the L. Hathuey Take we heed howeuer y â— world go if we keep him to y e end y t he be takeÌ„ away froÌ„ vs in the end they wil kill vs wherfore let vs cast him into y e riuer whervnto they all agreed and so they cast it into a great riuer there This L. 〈◊〉 weÌ„t alwaies fleeing y e spanish incontinent as they were arriued at y e ile of Cuba as he w c knew theÌ„ but too wel defeÌ„ded himself wheÌ„ as he met theÌ„ In y e end he was takeÌ„ only for because that he fled froÌ„ a nation so vniust eâ—uel that he defended himself froÌ„ such as would kil him oppresse him euen vnto y e death w t all his folk he was burned aliue Now as he was fastned to the stake a religious maÌ„ of S. FraÌ„cis order a deuout persoÌ„ spoke to him somwhat of God of our faith which thinâ—â— this said L. had neuer heard of yet might be sufficieÌ„t for the time which y e hutchers gaue him that if he would beleue those things which were spokeÌ„ to him he should go to heauen where is glory rest euerlasting y t if he did not beleue he should go to hel there to be tormeÌ„ted perpetually The L. after hauing a litle paused to think of y e matter demanded of the religious man whether y t the spaniards went to heauen who answered yea such of them that were good The Cacik answered againe immediatly w tout any further deliberation that he would not go to heauen but that hee would go to hell to the ende not to come in the place where such people should be and to the end not so see a nation so cruell Lâ—â— here the praises and honour which God and our faith haue receiued of the Spaniardes which haue gone to the Iudes One tyme the Indians came to meete vs and to receiue vs with victualles and delicate cheere and with all entertaynmene ten leagues of a great city and beeing come at the place they presented vs with a great quantitie of 〈◊〉 and of bread and other meate together with all that they coulde doe for vs to the vttermost See incontinent the diuell whiche put him selfe into the Spaniardes to put them all to the edge of the sworde in my presence without any cause whatsoeuer more then three thousande soules which were set before vs men women and children I saw there so great cruelties that neuer my man liuing eyther haue or shall see the like Another tyme but a fewe dayes after the premisses I sente messengers vnto all the Lordes of the prouince of Hauana assuring them that they shoulde not neede to see are for they had hearde of my credite and that without withdrawing themselues they shoulde come to receiue vs and that there shoulde bee done vnto them no displeasure for all the countrey was afraide by reason of the mischiefes and murderings passed and this did I by the aduice of the Captayne him selfe After that wee were come into the Prouince one and twentie Lordes and Cacikes came to receiue vs whome the Captayne apprehended incontinent breaking the safe conduite whiche I had made them and intended the day next following to burne them aliue saying that it was expedient so to
THE Spanish Colonie OR Briefe Chronicle of the Acts and gestes of the Spaniardes in the West Indies called the newe World for the space of xl yeeres written in the Castilian tongue by the reuerend Bishop Bartholomew de las Casas or Casaus a Friar of the order of S. Dominicke And nowe first translated into english by M. M. S. ¶ Imprinted at London for William Brome 1583. To the Reader Spanish cruelties and tyrannies perpetrated in the West Indies commonly termed The newe found worlde Briefly described in the Castilian language by the Bishop Tryer Bartholomew de las Casas or Casaus a Spaniarde of the order of Saint Dominick faithfully translated by Iames Aliggrodo to serue as a President and warning to the xij Prouinces of the lowe Countries Happie is hee whome other mens harmes doe make to beware GOds iudgementes are so profound as mans wisdome no not the power of Angels is able to enter into their depth Thou shalt frendly Reader in this discourse beholde so many millions of meÌ„ put to death as hardly there haue been so many spaniardes procreated into this worlde since their firste fathers the Gothes inhabited their Countries either since their second progenitors the Sarazens expelled and murdered the most part of the Gothes as it seemeth that the Spaniardes haue murdered and put to death in the Westerne Indies by all such meanes as barbarousnesse it selfe coulde imagine or forge vpon the anueld of crueltie They haue destroyed thrise so much lande as christendome doth comprehende such torments haue they inuented yea so great and excessiue haue their trecherie been that the posteritie shall hardly thinke that euer so barbarous or cruell a nation haue bin in the worlde if as you woulde say we had not with our eyes seene it and with our hands felt it I confesse that I neuer loued that nation generally by reason of their intollerable pride notwithstanding I can not but coÌ„mend loue sundry excellent persons that are among theÌ„ Howbeit God is my witnes hatred procureth me not to write those things as also the authour of the booke is by nation a Spaniard and besides writeth farre more bitterly then my selfe But two reasons haue moued me to publishe this preface which I do dedicate to all the prouinces of the Lowe countreys The one to the end awaking theÌ„selus out of their sleep may begin to thinke vpon Gods iudgements and refraine from their wickednes and vice The other that they may also consider with what enemie they are to deale and so to beholde as it were in a picture or table what stay they are like to bee at when through their rechlesnesse quarrels controuersies and partialities themselues haue opened the way to such an enemie and what they may looke for Most meÌ„ do ground their opinion vpon the goodnesse of their cause concluding that in as much as God is iust he will graunt victorie to the right and will ouerthrowe the wicked This was Iobes friendes disputation where they concluded that for that Iob was afflicted vndoubtedly he was wicked Which reason is drawen out of a certaine rule which it seemeth that nature hath printed in our hartes that is that God punisheth the euill and in mercie rewardeth the good deedes There vpon did the inhabitants of Malta report that Gods vengeance would not permit S. Paul to liue when after he had escaped so dangerous shipwracke the Viper leaped vpon his hande Howebeit notwithstanding this rule be certaine and true yet do manie therein diuersely deceiue them selues concluding thereby that GOD sendeth no affliction but to the wicked as if hee laide not his crosse also vpon the good As Iob the Prophetes and Martyres yea his owne sonne Iesus Christ and that for the mortifiyng of the fleshe and more and more to quicken man in good liuing and for his sonne to the ende in him to punish our sinne which hee tooke vpon him Others doe beleeue that God wil neuer suffer sinne to bee long vnpunished notwithstaÌ„ding y t hauing long waited patieÌ„tly for our repentaÌ„ce his clemencie is at length conuerted into iustice Some againe that it is vnpossible for the wicked to gette the vpper hande in an euill cause notwithstanding wee dayly see it fall out contrary vndoubtedly the Turkes victories conquestes in Christendome haue no foundation but consist vpon meere tyrannie and vsurpation For although Christians sinnes especially the great abuse in Gods seruice haue bin the causes of our punishment yet must we confesse that the christians what errors soeuer some of them do in their doctrine maintain are not neuertheles so farre deuoid of the truth as are the Turkes and yet do we see howe mightily in few yeres they haue coÌ„quered encroched vpoÌ„ christendom Also before the comming of the Turkes namely soone after the time of Mahamet there came such a flock of Sarazins that they deuoured first Egypt then all Affrick rooting out Christianitie out of the said countries seazed vpon al Spaine yea proceeding forward they camped in Aquitain vpon the riuer of Toyre insomuch that it was to be doubted y t they might soone haue caught hold vpon France so vpon the rest of christeÌ„dom had not God raised vp that mightie Duke of Brubant Charles Martel who defeating them driue them beyond the Pirenean mountaines But if we list to consider the examples contained in the holy Bible whose reasons are more exactly expounded by the prophets we do find that in the time of K. Hezechias although the head citie namely Hierusalem was not forced yet the lesser townes being taken by the enemie the flatte countrey spoyled the K. and the princes of Iuda had no more left them but the bare walles of Hierusalem Also albeit God did marueilously strike the armie of Senacherib and that his own children flew him in his gods temples yet were not gods people free from suffering much and from seeing the enemie enioy the most part of their law their coÌ„mons did beare that which nowe we know more then we would that is what an enemy entring by force of armes into a land is able to do But Nabuchadnezers victories were far others wheÌ„ he tooke burned sacked eueÌ„ the head citie together with y e very temple of HierusaleÌ„ took their K. P. hie P. prisoners â—lu pulled out y e eies fettered some of theÌ„ forcing the coÌ„mons during the siege to eate their own dong Who is hee therefore that dare accuse God of wrong sith such tyrants be called the Axe in the Lordes hands as the executioners of his iustice Further wee see that those that haue the most right are by the wicked robbed slaine murdered which is neuerthelesse Gods doing For it is said Cursed be he that doth the Lordes worke negligently in which place the holy scriptures do speake of such ministers and instruments of God In this discourse of Don Bartholomew de las Casas wee do finde a manifest example For I pray you
vnto his charge altogether vntruly that by his commaundement the people assembled The king answered that in all the countrey there mooued not a leafe of a tree without his good will that if there assembled any people they were to beleeue that it was by his commaundement and as touching himselfe that hee was prisoner and they might slay him All this not withstanding they condemned him to bee brent aliue but at the request of some certayne the Captayne caused him to bee strangled and beeing strangled hee was burned This king vnderstanding his sentence sayde Wherefore will you burne mee What trespasse haue I done yee Did not you promise mee to set mee at libertie if I gaue you the golde and haue I not performed more then I promised Seeinges you will needes haue it so sende mee to your king of Spayne speaking other thinges to the great confusion and detestation of the great wrongfulnesse that the Spaniardes vsed whom in the ende they burned Here let be considered the right and title of this warfare the imprisonment of this prince the sentence and the execution of his death and the conscience whereby they possesse great treasures as in deed they haue robbed in those realmes from this king and other seuerall lordes infinite As touching the innumerable cruelties and notable for y e mischiefes and enormities withall committed in the rooting out of those peoples by them who call them selues Christians I will here rehearse some certayne the which a fryer of S. Frauncis order sawe at the beginning and the same certified vnder his name and signe sending them into all those quarters and amongst others into this realme of Castile whereof I retayne a copie in my keeping in the which it is thus written I Frier Marke of the order of Saint Frauncis commissarie ouer the other friers of the same order in the prouinces of Peru and who was one of the first religious men w t entred into the saide prouinces with the Spaniardes doe say bearing true testimonie of certayne things the which I haue seene with mine eyes in that countrey namely concerning the entreating and conquestes made ouer the naturall inhabitaunts of the countrey first of all I am an eyed witnesse and haue certayn knoweledge that those Indians of Peru are a people the most kinde hearted that hath been seen among all the Indians beeing curteous in conuersation and friendly vnto the Spaniardes And I sawe them giue to the Spanishe in abundaunce golde siluer and precious stones and all that was asked them and that they had doing them all kinde of seruice lawfull And the Indians neuer yee ded foorth to warre but kept them in peace so long time as they gaue them not occasion by their euill entreating of them and their cruelties but contrariwise receiued them with all amitie and honour in their boroughes in giuing them to eate and as many slaues mankinde and women kind as they demaunded for their seruice Item I am witnesse that without that the Indians gaue occasion the Spanish as soone as they were entred the lande after that the greate Cacike Atabaliba had giuen to the Spanish more then two millions of gold and had put into their power the whole countrie without resistance incontinent they burned the said Atabaliba which was Lord of the whole countrie And after him they brent his captayne generall Cochilimaca who had come to the gouernour in peace with other Lords In the like maner also a fewe dayes after they burned a great Lorde named Chamba of the prouince of Quito without any fault at all and without hauing giuen the least occasion that might bee In like maner they burned vniustly Schappera Lorde of the Canaries Also they brent the feete of Aluis a great Lorde amongst all those which were in Quito and caused him to endure sundrie other torments to make him tell where was the gold of Atabaliba of the whiche treasure as it appeared hee knewe nothing Also they brent in Quito Cosopanga who was gouernour of all the prouinces of Quito which vpon the request to him first made by Sebastian of Bernalcasar Captayne vnder the gouernour was come to them in peace and onely because hee gaue them not golde so much as hee demaunded of him their burned him with very many other Caciks and principall Lorde And for ought that I can vnderstand the intente of the Spaniards was that there shoulde not bee lefte aliue one Lorde in the whole countrey Item I certifie that the Spaniardes caused to assemble a great number of the Indians and socked them vp in three great housen as many as coulde be pored in and setting to fire they burned them all without that they had done the least thing that might bee or had giuen to the Spanishe the least occasion thereof whatsoeuer And it came to passe that a priest who is named Ocanna drewe a young boy out of the fire in the which hee burned which perceiuing an other Spaniarde tooke from out of his handes the boy and flunge him into the middest of the flames where he was resolued into ashes together with others The which Spaniarde returning the same day to the campe fell downe dead suddenly and mine aduice was hee should not bee buried Item I affirme to haue seene with myne owne eyes that the Spanishe haue cutte the handes the noses and the eares of the Indians and of their women without any other cause or purpose saue onely that so it came into their fantasie and that in so many places and quarters that it shoulde bee too tedious to rehearse And I haue seene that the Spanishe haue made their Mastiues runne vpon the Indians to rent them in pieces And moreouer I haue seene by them brent so many houses and whole borughes or towneshippes that I am not able to tell the number Also it is true that they violently plucked the little infants from the mothers dugges and taking them by the armes did throwe them from them as farre as they coulde Together with other enormities and cruelties without any cause whiche gaue me astonishment to behold them and woulde be to long to rehearse them Item I sawe when as they sent for the Cacikes and other principall Indians to come see them in peace and assuraunce to them made promising them safe conduct and incontinent as they were arriued they burned them They burned two whiles I was present the one in Andon and the other in Tumbala and I coulde neuer preuaile with them to haue them deliuered from burning preached I vnto them neuer so muche And in God and my conscience for ought that euer I coulde perceiue the Indians of Peru neuer lift themselues vp nor neuer rebelled for any other cause but for the euill entreating of the other side as is manifest vnto euery one and for iust cause the Spaniardes destroying them tyrannously against all reason and iustice with al their countrey working vpon them so many outrages that they were determined to die rather then
what right had the Spaniards ouer the Indians sauing that the Pope had giuen them the said land and I leaue to your iudgemente what right hee had therein for it is doubtfull whether his power doe stretch to the distributing of worldly kingdomes But admit hee had that authority was there therefore any reason that hee should for crying in the night There is a God a Pope a King of Castile who is Lord of these Countries murder 12. 15. or 20. millions of poore reasonable creatures created as our selues after the image of the liuing God Heere doe I as in the beginning I said see a bottomlesse depth of Gods iudgements For it is a small matter to say that the wicked doe molest better men then themselues for the causes aforesaide but to see a whole nation yea infinite nations perish so miserablie and as it semeth without any cause is it that maketh most men to wander yea euen astonisheth such as do examine these effects by the rule of their owne reasons Howebeit we haue two examples in the Bible though not altogether like yet very neere It is saide in the ouerthrowe of Sehon In those dayes wee tooke all his townes and destroyed men women and childen in the same neither left we any thing remaining The like sentence is there also of Og king of Basan yea Moses sone after alloweth all that was done commaundeth Iosua to doe as much to all the other kinges in his iourney as was done to those two If wee seeke the cause of such executions man will bee as it were at his wits ende and stande mute Againe if men should consider the example of king Saule whom God reiected because he did not wholy discomfit Amelec but saued their king and reserued the fattest of their cattell for the sacrifices their vnderstanding woulde giue sentence cleane contrarie to gods What will they say was it not a comeÌ„ndable yea a noble minde for a king to spare his brother either for an Israelite to spare the cattell to the ende to sacrifice them to the God of Israel yet was Gods sentence pronounced by Samuel cleane repugnant thereto God loueth obedience better then sacrifice And not long before God had commaunded both namely that the Cananites and Amalekites shoulde bee rooted out and therefore hee was to bee obeyed and for their disobedience the Cananites remained thornes in the eyes of Israel and the king of Amalec whome Samuel neuerthelesse hewed in peeces was the subuersion of Saule and his royall familie But here may expresse reasons be alleadged for such iudgements of God which seeming seuere to man are neuerthelesse in that they proceeded from God meere iustice Moses saith when the Lord thy God hath reiected them before thy face think not in thine hearte saying The Lorde for my righteousnesse hath caused mee to enter possession of this lande seeing hee hath for their wickednesse rooted out these nations before thy face For thou art not through thy righteousnes and vprightnesse of heart come to inherite their land but it is for the abhominatioÌ„s of these people whom the Lord thy god hath expelled before thy face True it is that as in a cleeare sunnie light we may more easily discerne all that is obiect to our sight euen so of things conteined in the holy Scriptures commonly the causes are to bee founde but for other matters as the destruction of diuers nations among the Heathen and finally for this so cruell and horrible example conteined in this booke there can bee alleadged no particuler reason other then that gods iudgemeÌ„ts are bottoÌ„lesse pits also that sith he hath done it it is iustly done And yet are not the Spaniardes beeing the executors of this vengeance more excusable then Pilate for condeÌ„ning our sauiour or Annas or Caiphas for procuring his death notwithstanding gods counsaile and hand wrought those things For behold gods sentence pronounced against the wicked whom he vseth in chastening the good whom by those meanes he doth trie and punisheth the wicked according to their desarts Oh Asshur the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is my indignation I will sende him to a dissembling nation I wil giue him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoyle and to take the pray to treade them vnder foote like the mire in the streete But he thinketh not so neither doth his heart esteeme it so but he imagineth to destroy and to cut off not a few nations For he saith Are not my princes altogether kings Is not Calno as Charchemish Is not Hamath like Arpad Is not Samaria as Damascus Like as my hande hath found the kingdomes of Idols seeing their idols were aboue Ierusalem aboue Samaria Shall not I as I haue done to Samaria and to the Idols thereof so do to HierusaleÌ„ to the idols thereof But when the Lord hath accoÌ„plished al his worke vpoÌ„ mount SioÌ„ IerusaleÌ„ I wil visit the frute of the proude hart of the K. of Ashur his glorious proud lookes because he said by the power of my own hand haue I done it by my wisdom because I am wise Therfore I haue remoued the borders of the people haue spoiled their treasures and haue pulled downe the inbabitants like a valiant man And my hand hath found as a nest c. So that although the wicked for a time doe triumph yet doth not God leaue their abhominable cruelties vnpunished But Gods iudgements being in the mean time such that by the wicked he punisheth those that be wicked notwithstanding their wickednes be somewhat lesse as also the good bee chastised by the cruell and bloodthirstie it is certaine that wee are not thereby to iudge that our selues shall haue the victorie ouer our enemies because our cause is the better for we are replenished with vice enough whereby to leaue vnto god sufficient matter to punishe vs. And therefore as I saide two thinges mee thought and yet mee seemeth in these Countries worthie admiration One is that wee trusting that the defence of our libertie is vnto vs a iuste occasion doe not in the meane time consider that wee commit no lesse faults then those which Ezech cast in the Sodomites teeth Beholde the iniquitie of thy sister Sodom was pride fulnesse of bread and the ease of Idlenes these were in her in her daughters and 〈…〉 as if we had made attonement with death we fear not gods iudgemeÌ„ts If we looke vpon the 〈…〉 may see a great abuse in gods seruice but so far are we from indeuoring to correct it that contrariwise some would that the remembrance of God at the least for this time might be buried in obliuion therein resembling on or the children which would that during their infancie there might grow no twiggeâ— in the woodâ— Others 〈…〉 reformed being neuer the lesse reformed but in mouâ—◠〈◊〉 For the wine and the harpe as the prophet saith are as common in their bankets
innermoste partes of the realme to search where hee might tyrannize at his ease and drewe by force out of the prouince of Mexico 15. or 20. Millions of men to the ende that they shoulde carrie the loades and carriages of the Spaniardes whiche went with him of whom there neuer returned agayne two hundred the others being dead on the high wayes Hee came at the prouince of Mechuacam which is distant from Mexico fourtie leagues a region as blissefull and full of inhabitauntes as is that of Mexico The king and Lorde of the countrey went to receiue him with an infinite companie of people which did vnto them a thousande seruices and curtisies Hee apprehended him by and by for that hee had the brute to be very rich of gold and siluer and to the ende that hee shoulde giue him great treasures hee beganne to giue him the torments and put him in a payre of stockes by the feete his body stretched out and his handes bounde to a stake hee maketh a flashing fire against his feete and there a boy with a basting sprinkle loked in oyle in his hande stoode and basted them a litle and a litle to the ende to well roaste the skynne There was in one side of him a cruell man the whiche with a crossebowe bente aymed ryght at his heart on the other side an other which helde a dogge snarling and leaping vp as to renne vppon him which in lesse then the tyme of a Credo had beene able to haue torne him in pieces and thus they tormented him to the ende hee shoulde discouer the treasures which they desired vntyll suche tyme as a religious man of Saint Frauncis order tooke him away from them notwithstanding that hee dyed of the same tormentes They tormented and slue of this fashion very many of the Lordes and Cacikes in these Prouinces to the ende that they shoulde giue them gold and siluer At the same time a certayne tyrant going in visitation to visite the powches and to robbe the godes of the Indians more then for any care hee had of theyr soules founde that certayne Indians had hid their Idolles as those which had neuer been better instructed by y e cursed Spaniards of any better god he apprehended and detayned prisoners the Lordes vntyll suche time as that they woulde giue them their Idolles Supposing all this while they had beene of golde or of siluer Howebeit they were not so wherefore hee chastised them cruelly and vniustly But to the ende hee woulde not remayne frustrate of his intent which was to spoyle hee constrayned the Cacikes to redeeme their sayde Idolles and they redeemed them for such gold siluer as they coulde find to the ende to worship them for Gods as they had bin wont to do aforetime These be the examples deedes which these cursed Spaniardes do and this is the honour which they purchase to God amongst the Indians This great tyraunt and Captayne passed farther from Mechuacham to the Prouince of Lalisco the which was all whole most full of people and most happie For it is one of the moste fertillest and most admirable countrey of the Indies whiche had borrowes coutaining in a maner seueÌ„ leagues As he entred this couÌ„trey the L. with y e inhabitants according as al y e Indians are accustomed to do weÌ„t to receiue him w t preseÌ„ts ioyfulnes Hee begaÌ„ to coÌ„mit his cruelties mischieuousnes w c he had learned all the rest had bin accustomed to practise w c is to heap vp gold w c is their god He burned townes he tooke y e Cacikes prisonners and gaue them torments Hee made slaues all that hee tooke Whereof there died an infinite number tyed in chaynes The women newe deliuered of childe byrth going laden with the sâ—uffe of euill Christianâ— and being not abie to beare their owne children because of trauell and hunger were fayne to cast them from them in the wayes whereof there dyed an infinite An euill Christian taking by force a young Damsell to abuse her the mother withstoode him and as shee woulde haue taken her away the Spaniarde drawing his dagger or rapier cutte off her hande and slue the young gyrle with flashes of his weapon because shee woulde not consent to his appetite Amongst manye other thinges hee caused vniustly to bee marked for slaues foure thousande fiue hundred soules as free as they men women and sucking babes from of a yere and a halfe olde vnto three or foure yeeres olde which notwithstanding had gone before them in peace to receiue them with an infinite number of other thinges that haue not beene set downe in writing Hauing atchieued the diuelishe warres innumerable and hauing in the same committed very many slaughters hee reduced all that countrey into the ordinary seruitude pestilential and tyrannicall into the which all the tyrant Spaniardes whiche are in the Indies are accustomed or pretende to cast those people In the which countrey hee consented also and permitted his Stewardes and all others to execute tormentes neuer hearde of before to the ende to drawe from the Indians golde and tribute His Stewardes slewe very many of the Indians hanging them and burning them aliue and casting some vnto the dogges cutting off their feete handes head and tongue they being in peace onely to bring them into a feare to the ende they shoulde serue him and giue him golde and tributes all this knowing and seeing this gentle tyrant euen to come to the whippes bast onads blowes with other sorts of cruelties wherewith hee vexed and oppressed them dayly It is sayde of him that hee hath destroyed and burned in this realme of Xalisco eyght hundred borroughes whiche was the cause that the Indians being fallen desperate and seeing those which remayned howe they perished thus cruelly they lift vp themselues and went into the mountaynes slaying certayne Spaniardes howe be it by good right And afterwardes because of the wickednesses and outrages of other tyrauntes now being which passed by that way to destroy other prouinces that which they call discouering many of the Indians assembled fortifying them selues vpon certayne rockes Vpon the whiche rockes the Spanishe haue made and yet at this present and a freshe doe make so many cruelties that they almost made an end of laying desolate all this great countrey slaying an infinite number of people And the wretched blinderers forsaken of God and giuen ouer into a reprodate sense not seeing the causes most iust which the Indians haue by the lawes of nature man and God to hewe them in peeces if they had strength and munimentes and so to cast them out of their countrey and not seeing the wickednes of their owne cause ouer and besids so many violents and tyrannies which they haue committed in that sort to mooue warre a newe they thinke speake and write of the victories which they haue ouer the poore Indians leauing them in desolation that it is GOD which giueth the same vnto them as though their warres
exploites such as hath beene specified Moreouer theyr going thither is to become riche and great Lordes as well as others that which cannot bee done without spoyling robbinge slaying and extirping the Indians in maner and order holden by the others After the writing the abouesaid I haue vnderstood that of a truth they haue wasted and dispeopled great Prouinces and Realmes in that Countrie exercising strange slaughters cruelties vpon these poore people there for the whiche they haue abled themselues as forwarde in wickednesse or forwarder then any other as hauing the commoditie by the greater distance frō Spaine to sinne the Freer and by occasion ther of haue liued the more disordered and farthest off from iustice howbeit that in all the Indies there hath beene no regarde of Iustice as appeareth sufficiently by that which hath beene aboue saide Amongest an infinite sort of other thinges wee reade at the counsell table for the Indies these also which shall bee spoken of hereafter A tyrant gouernour gaue in commande to certaine his bands to goe assault the Indians and that if they gaue them not to eate they shoulde kill them al. They went armed w t this authoritie And for because the Indians would giue thē none as being open enemies more for feare of the sighte of them as flying from them then for want of liberalitie they put to the edge of the swoorde more then fiue thousande soules Item a certaine number of the folke of the Countrie came to put themselues into their handes and presented them their seruice whome at aduenture they had sent for and for because they came not so soone or for because they woulde after their accustomed fashion engraue in them an horrible and astonishable terrour the grouernour commaunded that they should put them into the handes of other Indians whome they holde for their enemies whereupon they came weeping and crying and beseeching them that they woulde slay them themselues and not deliuer them into the power of their enemies and hauing no mind to yeede out of their houses where they were they were cut in peeces crying and saying Wee come to serue you in peace and do you slay vs Our blood remaine imprinted on this wall for a witnesse against you of our vniust death and your barbarous crueltie Certes this was an act of speciall marke worthie to be remembred and much more to bee lamented Of the mightie Realmes and large Prouinces of Peru. IN the yeere 1531. went another great tyrant with certaine other consortes to the Realmes of Peru where entring with the same title and intention and with the same proceedings as all the rest before gone forasmuch as hee was one of them which had of long tune beene exercised in all kindes of cruelties and murders which had beene wrought in the firme lande sithence the yeere one thousande fiue hundred and ten hee tooke encouragement to accrewe in cruelties murders robberies beeing a man without loyaltie and truth laying waste Cities and Countries bringing them to nought and vtterly vndoeyng them by slaying the inhabitaunts and beeing the cause of all the euils whiche ensued in that Countrie that I am right well assured that there is not a man that can recounte them and represent them to the eyes of the Readers as is requisite vntill such time that wee shall see them and knowe them at the day of iudgement As touching my self if I woulde take vppon met to recounte the deformitie qualitie and circumstances of some one I were not able to decipher them acording to that which is conuenient Hee slue and laide waste at his firste arriuall with a mischiefe certaine boroughes from whome hee pillaged a greate quantitie of Golde In an Ilande neere to the same prouinces named Pagna well peopled and pleasant the Lord thereof with his people receiued them as it had been Angels from heauen and sixe monethes after when as the Spanishe had eaten vppe all theyr prouision They discouered also vnto them the corne whiche they kept vnder grounde for them selues their wiues and their children against a drie time and barren making them offer of all with teers plentiful to spende and eate at theyr pleasure The recompence in the ende whiche they made them was to put to the edge of the sworde and launce a great quantitie of those people And those whom they could take aliue they made them slaues with other cruelties great and notable which they committed dispeopling as it were all that Ile From thence they make to the pronince of Tumbala whiche is in the firme lande where they slay and destroy as many as they coulde come by And because all the people were fled as affrighted by their horrible acces they sayde that they made an insurrection and rebelled against the king of Spayne This tyraunt had this policie and kept this order of proceeding that vnto all those whom hee toake or vnto others which presented him with golde or siluer or other thinges which they had hee commaunded them to bring more vntill such time as hee perceiued that either they had no more or that they brought him no more And then hee woulde say that hee accepted them for the vassals and lieges of the kinge of Spaine and made muche of them and woulde cause it to bee proclaymed at sounde of two trompettes that from thence forth they woulde take them no more and that they woulde doe them no maner harme at all setting it downe for good and lawfull all that whatsoeuer hee had robbed from them And that hee put them in feare with newes so abhominable which hee spredde amongst them before hee receiued them into the safegarde and protection of the king as though that after they were receiued vnder the protection of the king they woulde not oppresse them robbe them lay them waste and desolate any more yea and as though he had not destroyed them A fewe dayes after the king Emperour of those realmes named Atabaliba came accompanied with a number of naked people bearing their ridiculous armour not knowing neyther howe swordes did carue nor speares did pearce nor horses did runne nor who or what were the Spaniardes who if the diuelles had any money woulde set them selues in enquest to goe robbe them Hee commeth to the place where they were saying Where are these Spaniardes Let them come I will not stirre a foote till they satisfie mee for my subiectes whome they haue slayne and my boroughs which they haue dispeopled and for my wealth which they haue bereeued mee The Spaniardes set against him and slue and infinite sorte of his people they tooke him also in person who came caried in a litter born vpon mens shouldiers They treat with him to the ende that hee shoulde raunsome himselfe The king offereth to perfourme foure millions of Castillans and performeth fifteene they promise to release him notwithstanding in the ende keeping nor faith nor trueth as they neuer kept any in the Indies vnto the Indians they layed
shewed herselfe so vnthankfull in yeelding euill for so many benefites which shee had receiued And God ordinarily vseth this rule in executing his iustice punishment that is that he chastizeth sinne with the same or with that which is quite contrarie to that wherwith the sinne is committed The destructions griefes violences iniuries cruelties and murders done and committed against those people are so greate horrible publike euident that the teares lameÌ„tations blood of so many innocent persons doe ascende to the high throne of heauen doe not returne before they haue sounded in y t very eares of God from whence they after descend and straying ouer the face of the earth doe ring in the eares of al forraigne nations so horrible and inhumaine as may be wherupon ensueth among the hearers great offence horror abhomination hatred and infâ—mie toward the kinges and commons of Spaine whereof in time to come may ensue great damage Out of the said Bishop and authours protestation THose losses and detrimentes that by these occasions the crowne of Castile and Leon together with the rest of spain haue susteined as also such other spoyles and slaughters as hereafter will bee committed throughout the whole Indies both the blinde shall see the deafe heare the dumbe publishe and the wise shall iudge Further in as much as our life is short I doe take God to witnesse with all the Hierarchies and thrones of Angels all the saints of the heauenly court and all the men in the worlde yea euen those that shall hereafter bee borne of the certificate that here I doe exhibite also of this the discharge of my conscience namely that if his maiestie graunteth to the Spaniards the aforesaide diuelish and tyrannous partition notwithstanding whatsoeuer lawes or statutes shall bee deuised yet will the Indies in short space be laid desart and dispeopled euen as the Ile of Hispaniola is at this present which other wise would bee most fruitfull and fertile together with other the Iles lands aboue 3000. leagues about besides Hispaniola it self and other landes both farre and neere And for those sinnes as the holy scripture doth very well informe mee God will horribly chastize and peraduenture wholy subuert and root out all Spaine Anno 154â— The Prologue of Bishop Bortholomewe de las Casas or Casaus to the most mightie Lord and Prince of Spaine Don Philip our good Lorde MOst high and mightie Lorde of late I was moued and by the kings most vigilant counsaile for the Indies vpon their zeale and honour that they beare to our Lord God as also hartie loyalie wherwith they be adorned for his maiesties seruice forced in writing to set downe suche matter as to your person by mouth I haue heretofore reported namely what I thought touching the title and claime that the kings of Castile doe make to the soueraigne and vniuersall principalitie ouer the Indians notwithstanding some did arise who misliking that I dealt and trauailed with his maiestie and your highnes about the discomfitures and losses compassed and perfourmed against the people of those countries and reported that in as much as I did so far detest and with such bitternesse and sharpnes did abhorre them as also I will still doe so long as I liue I doe call in doubt and somewhat deminish the said royall title and right In which deede as a testimonie what I did think and in truth according to God and his holy lawe doe still hold I exhibited 30. propositions deuoid of all other proofe then what eache of them in it selfe did conteine the one of necessitie following the other because I was driuen to send them to his maiestie vnder pretence of the great counsaile that then was holden Afterward proceeding and persisting in desire to serue god by 〈◊〉 felling some mens slanders who either for want of comprehending the truth or els hauing some other purposes contrarie meanings do presume vnder a fained and counterfet kinde of seruice to the kings who of theÌ„selues naturally are endued with courteous simple mindes and hearts iudging measuring all other by themselues to present vnto them a poysoned bitter peraduenture a mortall drinke which doth not only waste kingdomes common wealthes in procuting their carefull calamities dolorous destruction but also doe bring euen the kinges owne persons to the pit of manifest danger irreparable detriments and losses With which frandulous counsails they doe infect so much as in theÌ„ lieth the good godly affections of kings and do subuert all the princes vertuous deuises studies Hereof did sometime that most mightie king Artaxerxes otherwise tearmed Assuerus complaine as appeareth in the booke of Hester I haue so indeuoured my selfe most mightie Lord that now I haue set in hand the proofe of the said 30. propositions some more comprehending the whole in this brief summarie which is taken out of a greater volume wherein euery article is more perticulerly expounded herein setting in sight only the 17. and 18. proposition because the whole substance of this matter may be reduced to these two propositions as to the principles ends The title here of should in my opinion haue been A probatorie tretise of the soueraigne Empire and vniuersal principalitie which the kings of Castile haue ouer the Indies As presupposing that it is manifest proued in that the Apostolike sea hath graunted it and that there needeth no other opening of the reasons whereupon the graunt of this empire consisteth I purpose in this treatise chiefly to discharge my conscience vsing that meane which it seemeth that Gods prouidence hath appointed me My great age for I am aboue 50. being the cause of my large knowledge and eye experience of the Indian affaires also to giue notice of that which passed in these partes as also what was to be done euer referring my self to the like desire that the disorders that I haue there seen practised might be redressed And the rather because those that hinder this redresse are most hurtful to those laÌ„ds are such as being deuoid of truth iustice do indeuout by counteseating and mingling that which is false vntrue and withall seeming to doe it for your maiesties seruice especially colouring your right to this new worlde are in trueth altogether withstanders of your seruice weale either spirituall or temporall as euery true christian wise man wil graunt The other benefite that I hope to obteine and reape by this treatise is that I shall detect and vnfold those mens errours who rashly dare affirme that the right and principalitie of the kinges of Castile ouer the Indians is or shoulde consist of armes and great force entring vpon them euen as Nemrod who was the first hunter and oppressour of mankinde did euer and establishe his principalitie as the holy scripture testifieth either as great Alexander and the Romans and all other cotable and famous tyrants doe lay the foundation of their Empires also as the