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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35553	The tears of the Indians being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent people, committed by the Spaniards in the islands of Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, &c. : as also in the continent of Mexico, Peru, & other places of the West-Indies, to the total destruction of those countries / written in Spanish by Casaus, an eye-witness of those things ; and made English by J.P.; Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias. English	Casas, Bartolomé de las, 1474-1566.; Phillips, John, 1631-1706.	1656 (1656)	Wing C799; ESTC R19416	54,176	156

is a very great matter to see above three servants in that place waiting upon a Noble man therefore the Nobility were fain to come to their subjects from whom first they took all the Orphans then coming to those that had many children from them that had two they took one and from those who had three they demanded two and thus they were fain to make up the Number which the threatning Tyrant required while the poor people wept and deplor'd the sad misfortune of their Children over whom they are very tender Which being done for a daily continuance in ten or twelve years they made a clean riddance of the inhabitants out of this place For every foot there came five or six ships which returned full of Indians into the Regions of Panama and Peru where they were sold and ended their daies in captivity For experience hath taught us this that when ever the Indians are removed from their accustomed habitations into other climates they quickly die the Spaniards neither affording them sufficient food nor in times of sicknesse diminishing their labour for which end they were only bought And thus the number of people hurried from the enjoyment of their freedome into a sad and laborious captivity amounted to five hundred thousand souls of which above fifty or sixty thousand are already perished and more daily perish All these Massacres were committed within the space of fourteen years There may be now remaining in the Province of Nicaraqua perhaps some four or five thousand men though they daily diminish through the immoderate oppressions of the Spaniards Notwithstanding in former time for number of people it was the most flourishing place in the whole world Of New Spain IN the year 1517. New Spain was discovered after the discovery of which they did nothing first or second but immediately sell to their old practises of cruelty and slaughter for in the following year the Spaniards who call themselves Christians went thither to rob and kill though they gave out that they went to people the Countrey From that year unto this present year 1542. the violence injustice and tyrannies of the Spaniards came to their full height and now quite forgetting their humane natures they laid aside all fear of God or of their King For the slaughters massacres cruelties devastations of Countreys destructions of Cities violences tyrannies and rapines of the Spaniards which they did commit in these so many several and so large Kingdomes are so numberlesse and strike the minde with such a horror that those which we have before related are nothing in respect of these which we are to relate being all perpetrated in the year 1518. and continued to this very moneth in a most sad and dreadfull manner so that what we said before holds very true that the Spaniards still went on from bad to worse themselves striving to exceed themselves in wickednesse And thus from the first entry of the Spaniards into New Spain which happened upon the tenth day of the moneth of Aprill continuing from the eighteenth year untill the thirtieth in which space of time are contained twelve years compleat there hath been no end of the bloudy massacres and cruel slaughters of the Spaniards perpetrated in the continent of Mexico and the parts adjoyning which contained four or five large Kingdomes that neither for compasse nor fertility gave place to Spain All this region was more populous then either Toledo Sevill Valadolid Augusta Caesarea or Faventia nay I may affirm that there is not at this present neither was there when those places were at the highest of their flourishing estate so many people as in those parts which take up the space of above a thousand and eight hundred miles In these ten or twelve years what with Men Women Youths and Children above four millions were by the Spaniards consumed part by fire part by the sword in these destructive wars wars more unjust and more condemn'd both by the Law of God and men then any invasion of the Turk against the Catholique Religion Neither do we now reckon those that died under the intolerable yoke and burdens of their captivity There is no language no art or humane science that can avail to recite the abominable crimes and bloudy actions committed by these enemies not only of Common-wealths but of all humane societies neither can any diligence or time of writing sufficiently aggravate the circumstances of these detestable deeds Notwithstanding something I shall say of every one of them though I do seriously protest that I connot rehearse one thing of a thousand in respect of all that were done Of New Spain in particular AMong other grand murthers of theirs they committed one more notorious in the City Cholula which did contain above thirty thousand families All the potent men of that Region with the Priests who brought along with them their chief Priest also came to meet the Spaniards and that their reception and entertainment might be the more honourable they agreed to entertain the Spaniards in the houses of the greatest Noble men but here the Spaniards consulted how to begin their massacres or as they call'd them chastisements of the people that they might keep in awe every corner of the Countrey with the terror of their cruelties For this was their common custome that they no sooner had set sooting in any place but they committed immediately some notorious violence upon the people that the rest might stand in the greater fear of them They sent therefore to the supreme Lord of the City as also to all the other Lords and Governours that they should give them a meeting but they were no sooner come to parley but they were all immediately laid hold on leaving none to carry back these bad tidings to the rest first they demanded of them six thousand Indians to carry the Luggage which they had with them which when they were brought together they shut up in their houses It was a sad spectacle to behold this poor people preparing themselves to carry those burthens They came naked covering only their secret parts and at their shoulders hung a little Net wherein they kept their food and thus while they stooped under their burthens they lay open to all the cuts and blowes of the Spanish weapons Now being in this manner gathered together in a great and wide place part of the Spaniards all in armes stood at the door to keep the rest out while others with Swords and Launces kill'd the innocent Lambs so that not one escaped After three or four daies were expired some that had hid themselves among the dead bodies all over besmeered with bloud came with all submission imploring mercy and compassion from them but they not at all regarding their tears nor moved with their lamentations immediately hew'd them to pieces All the Lords and Noble men were kept a while in chains and afterward at the Commandement of the Spanish Captain tied to stakes and burnt to death But the King

separated from the women there was no more issue to be expected from them The men perished in the Gold Mines with hunger and labour the women perished in the fields being tired out with the same calamities and thus was a vast number of the inhabitants of this Island wholly extirpated Besides all this they caused them to carry great burdens of a hundred and fourscore pound and to travell with it a hundred or two hundred miles They were also forc'd to carry the Spaniards up and down in their Hamechs using them in manner of beasts to carry their burthens and the necessaries of their journeys And as for the blows which they gave them with whips cudgels and their fists wherewith they continually tormented them in their labour I could be hardly able to finde either time or paper to make a narration large enough of those things Now it is here to be noted that the desolation of these Islands and Provinces happened after the death of Queen Isabel who deceased in the year 1504 for before that time few of the Provinces were intrenched upon by any unjust war or over-flowed with this deluge of devastation or if any thing was before that time done it was conceal'd from the knowledge of the Queen for she was alwayes zealous and solicitous for the safety and prosperity of this poor people And this may be also a generall rule that the Spaniards to what ever part of the Indies they did come to after that time ceased not to exercise their abominable slaughters tyrannies and execrable oppressions upon the poor people and being delighted with new kindes of torments daily encreased their cruelty and rage Of the Islands St. John and Jamaica IN the year 1509. the Islands of St. Iohn and Iamaica that look'd like fruitful gardens were possessed by the Spaniards with the same bloudy intentions as the other were for there they also exercised their accustomed cruelties killing burning roasting men and throwing them to the dogs as also by oppressing them with sundry and various torments in the Gold Mines as if they had come to rid the earth of these innocent and harmelesse creatures of whom above six hundred thousand were murthered in these two Islands so lavish were the Spanish swords of the bloud of these poor souls scarce two hundred more remaining the rest perished without the least knowledge of God Of the Island of Cuba IN the year 1511. they went over into the Island of Cuba which extends as far in length as it is from Valladolid to Rome in which there were many fair Provinces inhabited with an infinite number of people where the humanity and clemency of the Spaniards was not only as little as it had been in other places but their cruelty and rage much greater In this Island many things were done worthy observation A certain Lord of great power among them by name Hathvey who had fled over to Cuba that he might avoid either death or perpetual captivity hearing by some of the Indians that the Spaniards were also come into this Island having assembled the Indians together he began as followeth Countrymen and Friends you are not ignorant of the rumour by which we understand that the Spaniards are come among us neither am I now to tell you how they have used the inhabitants of Hapti so the call Hispaniola in the Indian language you know it by a sad experience nor can we hope to finde them more merciful then they did Then quoth he Countreymen do you know the Errand which brings them hither To whom they replyed that was unknown to them yet they further replyed that that they were well assured of the cruel nature of the Spaniard Then quoth he I le tell ye the cause of their coming They do worship some covetous and unsatisfied Deity and to content the greedy worship of that Celestial Power they require many things from us using all their endevour to murther and enslave us Which having said taking up a little Chest filled with Gold he proceeded in these words Behold here the God of the Spaniards and therefore if you think fitting let us daunce and sing before this their God Perhaps we may thereby appease his rage and he well then command the Spaniards to let us alone Who with an unanimous shout cryed out all Well said well said and so they went to dauncing round this box not ceasing till they had sufficiently wearied themselves Then the Lord Hathvey going on with his speech quoth he If we do keep this God till he be taken from us we shall be surely slain and therefore I think it expedient for us to cast it into the River so his counsell being followed the Chest was cast into the River When the Spaniards had landed in this Island this noble man that had sufficient tryal of their manner avoided them as much as he could still flying from them and defending himself by force of armes upon all occasions But at length being taken for no other reason but because he fled from those that sought his life and defended himself that he might not be tormented to death he was by the Spaniards burnt alive While he was tyed to the stake there came to him a Monk of the Order of St. Francis who began to talk to him of God and of the Articles of our Faith telling him that the small respite which the Executioner gave him was sufficient for him to make sure his salvation if he believed Upon which words after Hathvey had a little while paus'd he asked the Monk if the door of heaven was open to the Spaniards who answering Yes to the good Spaniards Then replyed the other Let me go to Hell that I may not come where they are It happened once that the Citizens of a very fair City distant about twelve miles from the place where we were came forth of the City to do us honour and to submit themselves to the King of Castile but they being returned home the Governour of the Spaniards about the middle of the night as they were sleeping in their bed and least suspecting any such thing sent a company who came suddenly upon them and set fire upon their houses burning up both men women and children here some they murthered others whom they spared they tormented to make them tell where they had hid their Gold after which they made them their slaves having first marked them in the body and immediately as soon as the fire was spent they ran to finde out the Gold At that time the Spaniards got above ten hundred thousand Crowns of Gold out of which the King scarce had three hundred thousand sent him there were slain in this place eight hundred thousand people and those other Tyrants that came afterwards emptied the Island of those that remained Among all the notorious enormities committed by the foresaid Governour there is one not to be omitted a certain noble Indian presenting him perhaps more for fear then love a present

light upon till the pit was full It was a sad sight to behold women with child goar'd through the body with these stakes while others that lay uppermost were killed with swords and launces those that would not in were cast to their dogs They burnt a very potent Peer of the Nation in a great fire saying that he was much honoured with that kinde of death Among other abominations committed by this Captain and his followers who were not at all more gentle then their leader this was one more memorable then the rest Into the Province of Cuzcatan where the City of our Saviour is situated being a Countrey which together with the neighbouring sea coast is extended about forty or fifty miles in length and also into the City of Cuzcatan it self which is the Metropolis of the whole Countrey he was received with very great joy the Indians expecting his coming laden with a present of above thirty thousand Turkies and other things necessary for their refreshment But he having received their gift commanded the Spaniards every one of them to take as many Indians as they pleased and to keep them for service as long as they should stay there Whereupon every one took a hundred lesse or more according as his occasions required And as for the poor Captives they served them with so much zeal and affection that they could require nothing more then adoration it self After this the Captain required of the people a great quantity of Gold who returned him answer that they would give him all the Gold they had Whereupon the Indians brought together a great company of spears which were guilt with Orichalcum so that they seemed to be gold but the Captain causing them to be touched and not finding them to be gold spake thus to the people All curses light upon such a Region as this wherein there is no Gold and then commanded all those that had taken servants to keep them in chains and to mark them with the mark of servitude which was immediately done the Kings mark being burnt into their flesh which I saw also done to the son of the chiefest man in all the City Those Indians that escaped with the rest of the inhabitants of the Countrey gathered themselves together resolving to hazard a war with the Spaniards but alas with small prosperity there being an infinite number of them slain After this they returned to Guatimala where they built a City which God in his justice destroy'd overwhelming it first with earth then with stones of a vast bignesse and lastly letting in upon it a great deluge of waters Now after that they had slain all that were able to make resistance against them they carried away the rest into captivity or forced them to give away their children as tribute due to the Spaniards for they use the service of no other creatures And thus part being sold into the Countreys of Peru and part destroyed by the sword they made a wildernesse of one of the most happy and populous Countreys of those parts stretching out in length and bredth above a hundred miles This the tyrant himself confessed writing that this County was more populous then the County of Mexico as indeed it was This man in the space of fifteen years which was from the year 525. to 540. together with his associates massacred no lesse then five millions of men and do daily destroy those that are yet remaining It was the custome of this Tyrant when he made war upon any Town or Countrey to carry along with him as many as he could of the subdued Indians compelling them to make war upon their Countreymen and when he had ten or twenty thousand men in his service because he could not give them provision he permitted them to eat the flesh of those Indians that they had taken in war for which cause he had a kind of shambles in his Army for the ordering and dressing of mans flesh suffering Children to be killed and broyled in his presence The men they killed only for their hands and feet for those they accounted dainties Which being understood by the neighbours they were all struck with astonishment Of New Spain As also of Panucon and Xalisco THese horrid murders and massacres being committed besides others that I have omitted in the Provinces of New Spain there came another cruel and furious Tyrant into the Provinces of Panucon who having perpetrated many hainous iniquities and sent great numbers of the Natives to be sold in the Countreys of Spain laid waste all this Kingdome and once it hapned that they used eight hundred of the Indians in stead of a team to draw their carriages as if they had been meer beasts and irrational creatures He was afterwards made President of the City of Mexico and with him many other his fellow tyrants advanced to the office of Auditors which Offices they contaminated with so many impieties and abominations that it is hardly to be imagined And as for this Countrey it self they so far destroyed it that if some of the Franciscan Friers had not strenuously opposed him and that the Kings Councel had not provided a sudden remedy for it in two years space they had wholly depopulated New Spain as they had done in Hispaniola One of the Associates of the President that he might enclose his Garden with a wall used the service of eight thousand Indians and because he afforded them neither food nor wages they all perished after a most sad and lamentable manner After the first Captain of whom we spake before had put an end to the destruction of Panucon and that there came newes to him that the Kings Councell was coming into these parts he went further into the Countrey that he might exercise his cruelties with more liberty and caused fifteen or twenty thousand of the Indians to follow and carry the burthens of the Spaniards of whom scarce two hundred returned alive the rest being all destroyed at length they came to the Province of Machuaca which is distant above forty miles from Mexico and is nothing at all inferior to the other either for plenty of provision or number of people the king coming to meet him with all shewes of respect and honour they put in prison because he was reported to be very rich which that they might get from him they thus tormented him having put his feet in a kinde of stocks and stretching out his body they tyed his hands to a stake and then putting fire to his feet while a boy was set to baste them with oyle that they might roast the better there stood another also with dogs behind him threatning to set them upon him which if he had done they would have soon put an end to his life and with these torments they vexed him to make him bring his treasures to light At length there came a Franciscan Frier who freed him from his torments but not from death which immediately ensued With this kinde of torture