Mountains to avoid meeting with the Spaniards who now appear'd so terrible and cruel to ' em The Spaniards did not content themselves to beat 'em and to offer 'em many other Indignities but cut their Throats in cold Blood and without any respect either to Age or Quality put their Princes and the Governors of their Cities to death They came to that height of Impudence and Villany that a Spanish Captain had the Insolence to abuse the Wife of the greatest King of the Island This vile fact drove 'em quite to despair so that from that time they sought means of driving the Spaniards out of their Country they betook themselves to Arms and did what they could to defend themselves against these Tyrants but the Weapons they us'd were neither capable of defending them nor of offending their Enemies to any purpose and were more like those that Children use to play with than such as are fit for Souldiers to use in War The Spaniards who were mounted on fine Horses and armed with Lances and Swords look'd upon Enemies so meanly equip'd with the greatest Contempt and committed the most horrible Slaughters with Impunity They pass'd through the several Cities and Towns sparing neither Age nor Sex but kill'd Women and Children as well as Men They rip'd up Women with Child that Root and Branch might be destroy'd together They laid Wagers one with another who should cleave a Man down with his Sword most dexterously at one blow or who should take his Head from his Shoulders most cleverly or who should run a Man through after the most artificial manner They tore away Children out of their Mothers Arms and dash'd out their Brains against the Rocks others they threw into the River diverting themselves with this brutish Sport and giving great shouts while they saw 'em in this misery And to add insulting Scoffs to their Cruelty advis'd 'em to struggle in the Water and try if they could save themselves from drowning They held up the Bodies of Mothers and Children together upon their Lances they set up Gibbets and hang'd up thirteen of these poor Creatures in honour to Jesus Christ and his twelve Apostles as they blasphemously express'd themselves They kindled a great Fire under these Gibbets to burn those they had hang'd upon 'em They cut off the Hands of those they sav'd alive and sent 'em away in that miserable condition bidding 'em carry the News of their Calamities to those that were retir'd into the Mountains to escape the Spaniards They erected a small Scaffold supported with Forks and Poles upon which to execute their Chiefs and those of the most considerable quality among ' em When they had laid 'em at length upon this Scaffold they kindled a gentle Fire to make 'em feel themselves die gradually till the poor Wretches after the most exquisite Pain and Anguish attended with horrible Screeches and Outcries at length expir'd I one day saw four or five Persons of the highest Rank in this Island burn'd after this manner But the dreadful Cries this Torment extorted from 'em incommoding a Spanish Captain and hindring his Sleep he commanded 'em to be presently strangled But a certain Officer whose Name I know and whose Relations are well known at Seville put Gags into their Mouths to hinder 'em from making a Noise that he might not be depriv'd of the brutish Pleasure of broiling them gently till they breath'd out their Souls in this Torment I have been an Eye-witness of all these Cruelties and an infinite number of others which I pass over in silence And because these poor People took all the care they could to hide themselves from a Generation of Men so barbarous and wicked as the Spaniards who had no Sentiment of Humanity Honour or Religion left but acted as if they were made for nothing else but to destroy Mankind to add further to their brutish Cruelty they taught Dogs to go a hunting for these poor Wretches and to devour 'em as if they had been Beasts And because the Indians after they had been provok'd with so many unheard of Injuries now and then kill'd one of them when they met with 'em stragling the Spaniards made a Law among themselves to massacre a hundred Indians for every Spaniard they should kill Of the Kingdoms contain'd in the Island of Hispaniola HIspaniola contains five great Kingdoms the Kings of which were very powerful and govern'd all the other Chiefs whose number is very great yet there are some independent Countries which have their particular Lords and are not subject to any of those Kings One of these Kings they call Magua which signifies a Plain his Name being taken from the situation of his Kingdom which is extremely pleasant This Plain is 80 Leagues in extent from South to North but is only five eight and sometimes ten Leagues in breadth 'T is encompass'd on every side with high Mountains 't is water'd with a great number of Brooks and Rivers of which there are twelve that come not behind those famous Rivers the Ebre the Duere and the Guadalquivir for bigness The Rivers that water this Plain especially those falling down from a Mountain that looks towards the West abound with Gold This Mountain bounds the Province of Cibao where the Mines bearing that Name produce that pure Gold of the fineness of 24 Carrats so much talk'd of in Europe The Soveraign of this Kingdom was call'd Guarionex he had under him such powerful Subjects that one of 'em could bring 16000 Men into the field for the King's Service I knew some of these Indian Lords This King was very submissive to the Kings of Spain and express'd a great deal of Affection to them His Humour was mild and peaceable and his Soul capable of every Vertue He once order'd all his Subjects to bring him each of 'em a great Purse of Gold but finding they were not in a condition to answer his Requirement he remitted half this Tax The Inhabitants of this Island have not the Art of extracting Gold out of the Mines This Cacique voluntarily offer'd himself to the Service of the King of Spain on condition the Queen Isabella would take care that those Lands should be cultivated which the Spaniards inhabited at their first Arrival in the Indies extending about the space of 50 Leagues towards St. Domingo for he said his Subjects had no Experience or Skill to extract Gold out of the Mines If this Condition had been accepted he would faithfully and joyfully have accomplished his Promise which would have been of vast advantage to the King of Spain who might have taken above three Millions of Gold every year out of these Mines and consequently there might now have been fifty Cities in this Province as fine as Seville But what greateful Acknowledgments did the Spaniards return to the kind Offers of this Prince who gave such Proofs of his Good-will to 'em and sincere desire to serve ' em They cover'd him with Shame and Infamy his Wife
was violated as has been said by a Spanish Captain a Wretch unworthy of the Christian Name This Prince might have waited for an opportunity to revenge himself of this Outrage but chose rather to retire and live in Obscurity and Exile in the Province of one of his Subjects voluntarily abidicating his Kingdom and Government The Spaniards being inform'd of the place of his Retreat pursued him with the utmost Fury without giving him time to hide himself They cruelly declar'd War against that Indian Lord that had given him Sanctuary and had receiv'd him with a becoming Humanity and Respect they ravag'd all his Country and never left off their Cruelties till they had found and seiz'd this Fugitive Prince whom they loaded with Chains and put on Ship-board to be carried into Spain as their Prisoner This Vessel was cast away in the Voyage a great many Spaniards drown'd and an incredible sum of Gold and Silver lost Among the rest there was a prodigious lump of Gold as big as a great Loaf which weighed 3600 Crowns Thus did the Vengeance of God meet with 'em for the enormous Crimes they had committed in the Indies The second Kingdom is called Marien where there is a fine Port just at the end of the other Kingdom on the North-side This Kingdom is larger than Portugal and more fruitful and was stor'd with vast numbers of Inhabitants there are divers Mountains in it and several Mines abounding with Gold and Copper The Name of the King of this Country was Guacanagari who had divers Lords under his Jurisdiction 'T was in this Country that famous Pilot who first discover'd America landed Guacanagari receiv'd him with all imaginable Hospitality and Civility he made the best Entertainment he could for all the Spaniards who accompanied him when their Ship was sunk they were receiv'd at this Prince's Court as kindly as if they had been in the Houses of their own natural Relations here they met with all manner of Refreshments and Recruits the Country afforded which were given 'em with great Expressions of Humanity and Compassion on the account of their Hardships This King afterwards to secure himself from the barbarous Usage of the Spaniards when they began to commit their Massacres in his Country abandon'd his Kingdom and was forc'd to retreat into some of the remote Mountains where he died with the Fatigues and Inconveniencies to which he was expos'd Those Indian Lords that depended on him found no better Treatment but perish'd under that horrible Slavery to which the Spaniards had reduc'd ' em Maguana is the third Kingdom of this Island and is an admirable Country both for Health and Fruitfulness Here is made the best Sugar in America Caonabo was the King of it who surpass'd all the other Kings both in regard of his Power the Riches of his Kingdom and the Respect and Ceremony with which he was honour'd This Prince not keeping on his Guard nor at all distrusting what Tricks the Spaniards design'd to play him was surpriz'd in his own House by the Artifices they had laid to insnare him He was put in a Ship to be carried into Spain and there were at the same time six Vessels in the Port ready to set Sail when all on a sudden there rose a horrible Tempest which batter'd the Ships to pieces and sunk 'em with all the Spaniards that were on board King Caonabo loaded with Chains perish'd together with the Vessel in which he was embarqu'd The Almighty was pleas'd to display his just and terrible Judgment by this sudden Storm in destroying so many Spaniards and thereby punishing the Crimes they had committed in abusing the poor Indians This King had three or four Brothers all of 'em valiant and couragious Princes who being much provok'd at the unjust Captivity of the King their Brother and Soveraign and inform'd of the Ravage and Massacres the Spaniards had made in other neighbouring Kingdoms and after all hearing the News of the fatal End of their Brother betook themselves to Arms and sought means of revenging themselves on their Enemies The Spaniards attack'd 'em with their Cavalry which is very formidable to the Indians whom they soon conquer'd and made so prodigious a Slaughter among 'em that half the Kingdom was depopulated and became desert after this Defeat Xavagua is the fourth Kingdom of Hispaniola and is as it were the Heart and Centre of all this Island the Language of it is the most refin'd and polite The People of this Kingdom are the most civiliz'd and their Manners more cultivated than those of other parts of the Country and there are a greater number of great Lords and Persons of Quality among ' em These People are better shap'd and have a finer Aspect than those of the other Kingdoms The King's Name was Behechio he had a Sister call'd Anacaona both of 'em heap'd their Favours on the Spaniards when they landed in their Country and with a great deal of Generosity sav'd 'em from Death which they could not otherwise have avoided They left no Stone unturn'd to shew themselves obliging to the Kings of Spain After Behechio's Death his Sister Anacaona continued absolute Mistress of the whole Kingdom One day the Governor of the Island accompanied with 60 Horse and 300 Foot sends a Summons to about 300 of the greatest Lords of the Country to attend his Person These few Horsemen alone were able to have ravag'd and laid waste not only all this Island but even the whole Continent so defenceless were these poor People The Indian Nobles not at all suspecting any treacherous Design were by the Governor's Order brought into a House cover'd with Straw which he commanded to be set on fire where they perish'd miserably Those of 'em who attempted to escape were pursued by the Spanish Troopers and kill'd without Mercy They also kill'd a vast multitude of the common People cutting 'em and running 'em through with their Swords and Lances This same Governor caus'd Queen Anacaona who had the soveraign Authority after the Death of her Brother as has been said to be hang'd that he might disgrace the Memory of that Princess as much as he could by so vile and ignominious a Death If at any time a Spaniard either touch'd with the Sentiments of Compassion or prompted with those of Avarice thought fit to spare one of these poor Wretches for his own Service another would come transported with Rage and fall upon him in his presence and either run him through the Body or cut off his Legs so as to render him unserviceable Some of these Indians who escap'd this Massacre retir'd into an Island not above eight Leagues distant from this Kingdom to shelter themselves from the Fury of the Spaniards but these were condemned by the Governor to perpetual Slavery The Name of the fifth Kingdom is Hiquey Hiquanama the Queen who govern'd it tho very much advanc'd in Years and decrepit was hang'd by order of the Spaniards who tormented an infinite
to submit to their unjust and cruel Orders Those of the highest rank among the Indians were accus'd of this Crime and this was improv'd against 'em to the King of Spain without considering that 't is a plain Rule in Law that none can be term'd Rebels but Subjects that are revolted from their Prince There 's no good Christian will make any difficulty to conclude that such Missionaries as the Spaniards have not the Qualifications necessary to insinuate the Maxims of our Religion into these People who are naturally free and know not how to bear the Haughtiness and Insolence with which they have been treated for they are peremptorily told you must without any more ado submit to the Obedience of a Foreign Prince whom you never saw nor heard of and if you refuse so to do we 'll cut you in pieces and this no sooner said but done But that which is more unaccountable is that those who yield a blind Obedience to all they command 'em are no better treated than the others for they are made miserable Slaves they exact intolerable Tasks of 'em and condemn 'em to all sorts of Torments So that whole Provinces both Men Women and Children are destroy'd in a short time Nay those whom they kill outright are the happier sort as having an end put to their Miseries in a moment But when they are forc'd by Menaces to promise Fidelity and Obedience to a Foreign Prince can it be pretended they are oblig'd to it in Conscience when this suppos'd Duty is neither founded on the Laws of God nor those of Nations Besides the Threatnings that are made 'em are capable of terrifying Men of the greatest Courage and Resolution wherefore all the Promises obtain'd by such menaces have no value nor obliging force I pass over in silence the Affronts the Insults and Injuries that were offer'd the King of Mexico In a word they have violated all the Laws of Nations and infinitely wrong'd and abus'd the poor Indians This is all the Service the Spaniards have done these People The Governor of this new World supported by his imaginary Titles sent two Captains scarce inferior to himself in Impiety aad Cruelty into the Kingdoms of Guatimala which are situate towards the South they pierc'd as far as the Kingdoms of Naco and Gaymura which extend Northward for the space of about 300 Leagues these Kingdoms border upon that of Mexico These Captains travell'd both by Sea and Land accompanied with a good party of Horse and a considerable number of Foot The Captain whose Lot it was to travel into Guatimala did a world of mischief there the other soon dying he carried Desolation with him every where and fill'd this Kingdom with Blood and Ruin to render the Spaniards formidable even to future Generations I am of opinion that the mischief this Captain did here surpass'd whatever the Europeans had done before in the new World He went by Sea and carried Sword and Fire throughout all the Coasts Some of the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Yucatan which is in the way to the Kingdoms of Naco and Gaymura made him magnificent Presents yet as soon as he had enter'd their Country he sent his Souldiers into every part of it who committed horrible Spoil and massacred an infinite number of these poor People A furious Spaniard at the head of 300 Men enter'd the Country adjoining to Guatimala set fire to all their Cities and cut the throats of all the Inhabitants without giving any quarter he carried away what Booty he could and continued to pillage the Country for the space of sixscore Leagues This Captain had rebell'd and revolted against his General and his design in ruining the Country after this manner was to put the Spaniards out of a condition to pursue him by preventing their finding Subsistence in a Country thus ruin'd and by exposing 'em to the fury of the Indians who would omit nothing to revenge upon 'em the Injuries and Mischiefs they had receiv'd from their Companions which fell out accordingly For the Spanish General attempting to pursue this Rebel was kill'd by the Indians Those that succeeded him exercised all manner of Cruelties on 'em and reduc'd almost all of 'em to Slavery after they had spoil'd 'em of all their Goods Provisions Clothes Corn Wine and other necessaries of Life The Provinces of Naco and Hondure which were like Gardens of Pleasure were turn'd into melancholy Deserts altho this Country was very full of People 'T is impossible to reflect on these things without being sensibly touch'd and soften'd into Compassion tho one were naturally of an obdurate and sowr Temper They kill'd two Millions of People in this Country in less than ten years so that there are scarce two thousand left in all the vast Extent of it and these are groaning under a heavy yoke of Bondage When they propos'd to 'em to take the Oath of Allegiance to the King of Spain they would give 'em no time to deliberate they must immediately obey or else die by Fire or Sword Of the Kingdom of Guatimala THE Spaniards signaliz'd their entrance into this Kingdom by divers Massacres tho the King came to meet 'em in his Chair of State supported by his Slaves follow'd by a great number of his Lords and with Trumpets and Drums before him to give the greater Testimony of Joy he shew'd 'em all the Courtesy and Civility in the world manifested a great deal of Kindness in readily supplying 'em with plenty of Provisions and gave 'em whatever they could reasonably desire The Spaniards lodg'd without the City the first night thinking they should not be secure enough in a place so well fortified The next day they engag'd the Prince of the place to come out to 'em with the greatest part of the Persons of Quality obliging to bring with them a certain quantity of Gold The Indians made answer that 't was impossible for them to do what was requir'd because their Country did not yield this Metal However this refusal so mov'd the Indignation of the Spaniards that for no other Offence without any formal Process they cast 'em all alive into a great Fire The most considerable Inhabitants of these Provinces seeing their Masters so cruelly treated only because they gave not the Spaniards all the Gold they demanded retir'd with all speed into the Mountains ordering the common People to submit to the Spaniards as their Masters and giving 'em a strict charge by no means to give the least notice of the places where they were gone to hide themselves Abundance of these poor People came accordingly to the Spaniards begging of 'em to receive them into the number of their Servants and promising to serve 'em faithfully as far as they were capable The Spanish Commander roughly answer'd 'em that he would not so receive 'em but cut 'em to pieces without Mercy unless they would discover the places whither their Masters were retreated the Indians replied they did not know however they
to do by this barbarous usage So that many of 'em were taken and retaken thus three or four times and every time oblig'd to ransom themselves with great Sums Those that were not able to pay the Tax laid upon 'em continued in this cruel Prison till they pin'd away with Hunger and Misery Thus was this opulent Province that abounded with Gold made desolate in a very little time There was one pleasant and fertile Vale ravag'd by these Brutes which extended no less than forty Leagues they burnt a Town in it consisting of a thousand Houses After this resolving to advance farther into the Country to discover a new way to Peru they made use of a multitude of Indians in this Journey whom they loaded with Chains and their Baggage together those that fainted under their Burdens with weariness they kill'd upon the spot cutting of their heads and divided the Burdens of them that died among the Survivors If one could exactly describe all the Ravage and Massacres the Spaniards commited in this Province together with all the Towns they fir'd so deplorable a Story would fill every Reader with horror and almost surpass belief Many other Tyrants came afterward into this Province who follow'd the steps of the former in searching for Gold and other Treasure but they found the Country so burnt pillag'd and desolate tho it had heretofore been both very populous and fertile that they themselves could not but stand amaz'd to think what Cruelties the poor Indians had endur'd All these Violences were plainly prov'd by the Procurator of the Treasury of the Council of the West-Indies The Acts and Proceedings made in this Affair are yet preserv'd upon record yet not one of these Tyrants was ever put to death for the Injuries offer'd these poor Indians so that all the Process that was made against 'em prov'd to very little purpose Those Ministers of Justice that have been hitherto sent into the Indies have regarded nothing but their Interest and studied how to enrich themselves without taking the trouble to examin and punish the Crimes of these Tyrants who did so much mischief and committed so many Outrages on the poor Indians They content themselves to say in general that such and such have committed great Crimes and abus'd the Inhabitants of the New World that they have lessen'd the King's Revenues to such a degree But when they have made these loose and general Enquiries they go no farther Whereas more effectual Remedies ought to be used to stop the Course of all these Mischiefs There is not so much care taken as to evidence and verify these matters nor do they give their Acts and Proceedings all the Life and Authority they ought for to discharge their Duty faithfully to God and the King they should make such Tyrants as these restore all the Plunder they have so unjustly got And 't would be no difficult matter to prove that they carried out of this Kingdom of Vencuela above 3 Millions of Gold having utterly ruined the Country for 40 leagues together in the space of 17 years for so long they continued spoiling this noble and fruitful Region They have cheated the King of above 2 Millions of his Revenues nor can they ever be able to repair the damage they have done this delicious Country unless the many thousand People they have cruelly murder'd could be rais'd again from the dead What I am now speaking of only respects the King 's temporal Interest which they have so ill manag'd without saying any thing of their Blasphemies their Impieties and Outrages committed immediately against the Divine Majesty And who shall make reparation for the loss of so many Souls they have precipitated into Hell in not suffering the Missionaries to instruct ' em These are the Fruits of their detestable avarice and profanity As soon as ever they enter'd this Kingdom they several times loaded divers Ships with great numbers of Indians whom they carried into the Isle of St. Martha and sold for Slaves Great multitudes of these poor Creatures were likewise carried into Hispaniola Jamaica and the Isle of St. John to the number at least of a million of Men. The Royal Council has been sufficiently inform'd of all these Disorders and Cruelties but they are pleas'd to connive at 'em and are as willing to shut their Eyes and take no notice of all the Robberies and Villanies the Spaniards have committed on the Coasts of the Isle of St. Martha tho they might have easily hinder'd all this mischief if they had applied themselves to it 'T was the infamous Avarice of these Tyrants that induc'd 'em to take so many Indians to sell 'em for Slaves and the very same covetous humour and phrenzie has seiz'd all the Europeans that have hitherto set foot in America Their Custom has been to take the poor Indians out of their houses with their Wives and Children to load 'em with Chains to mark 'em like Sheep that they might distinguish 'em one from another and afterwards to sell 'em as if they had been born Slaves Of those Provinces of the Continent called Florida THREE merciless Tyrants have invaded these Provinces one after another since the year 1510 all animated with the same Spirit and mov'd by the same designs They all committed the same Outrages throughout this Country to put themselves by robbing and pillaging into a capacity of buying places of honour and profit far above their quality but God was pleas'd to punish 'em after a very signal manner for they all came to a miserable end they were buried in the ruins of those Houses which they had built with the Spoils of so many miserable People whom they had ruin'd and murder'd Thus were these Provinces left desolate These Brutes would doubtless have committed yet more Villanies had not the just Judgment of the Almighty shorten'd their days and punish'd 'em in this Country for the Massacres and Robberies they had committed in other parts of the Indies When they came into Florida they found it plentifully stor'd with People who were wise and well disciplin'd both in Civil Affairs and in Morals they immediately began to cast a Terror throughout the Country by I know not how many Massacres so that the poor Indians who had never known any thing like it were put into a mighty Consternation The Spaniards us'd 'em instead of Beasts of burden to carry their Arms Utensils and Provisions yet the Inhabitants of one great Town express'd abundance of Joy at their arrival entertain'd 'em with the best they had and furnish'd 'em with plenty of Provisions as long as they continued there they offer'd 'em 600 of their strongest men to carry their Baggage and look to their Horses Yet the Spanish General was so little touch'd with the courtesie of these People that he kill'd their Prince with a Lance that so he might be in a better condition to pillage them who little thought of such a bloody fact as this and other Cruelties with
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 without any lawful occasion whereas if suffer'd to live they would chearfully submit to your Majesty's Government 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 't is 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 Treasure be suffer'd to dry up Spain must necessarily sustain great Inconveniences for want of it Experience already shews that the Indies don't furnish us with so great a quantity as in time past and 't is 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 't is 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 many 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 Ignorance when they might have been taught the Mysteries 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 multitudes 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 Almighty 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 't is usual for God to distribute his Punishments by a rule of proportion adjusting them to the nature 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 Scripture 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 interpreted as a Judgment from God to punish the Crime of King Roderick who ravish'd the Daughter of Count Don Julian tho 't is 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 'T is convenient to inform your Majesty what is thought by Persons of the best sense who are govern'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 Treasures 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 proportion to the Crimes that Men commit If your Majesty have the curiosity to inform your self of the detail of all these matters we can shew you