OCR Text |
Show 200 A Relation of the Spanifli Voyage: under 'em. Your Majelty may eafily be inform'd how the Spaniards have abus'd the Power you granted 'em for the Converfion of the Indians, in turnin it to afflict and deltroy 'em with unexampled Cruel- ty. And that which makes the cafe yet more lamentable is, that none of thofe who have been em- ploy'd in your Majefty's fervice have ever given you advice of thefe great Diforders, tho fo very prejudicial to your Intereft, befides the lofs of an infi- "nite number of Souls who have perilh'd in the darknefs of Paganifm, out of which they might have been ealily reduc'd if the Spaniards had in the leal‘t been govern'd by the fear of God. Your Majefl‘y may pleafe to remember that one Article of the Will of the molt Serene Queen Ifabella, is exprefs'd after this manner : ‘ Item, Since the time wherein the Apoflolic See F granted us the llles and Continent of the Ocean, it ‘ has always been our principal Intention to caufe Fthe Light of the Gofpel to lhine on the People of ‘ the New \Vorld, and to fend Prelats and Monks ‘ thither to convert and infiruét 'em in the truth of ‘ the Catholic Faith. Therefore I befeech my Lord ‘ the King, and the Princefs my Daughter, to labour and Crueltier in the Welt-Indies. 201 To all the foregoing Reafons it may be add ed, that the Spaniards are declar'd Enemies to the Indiam, and delign nething but their del‘truétion , and to get poffeflion of their Country; which is f0 un- doubted a truth, that 'tis altogether needlefs to prove it. For he is properly a Man's declar'd Ene- my, who goes about to accufe him of fom e capital Crime, that deferves death; who deprives him of his Liberty and the greateft part of his Goods 5 who makes a cruel War Upon him and inflaves him 5 who feeks all Occafions to kill him, and takes awa y his Wife and Children to inflave 'em 5 who ufurps all the Goods of his Relations when they die, and unjufl‘ly ravilhes from him all that is dear to him. Certainly fuch Violences as thefe are againft the Rights both of People and Princes; and 'tis quiciant to demonftrate the Spaniards to be the declared Enemies of the Indians, that they have done 'em all the mifchief which we have been relating. For they have calumniated and accus'd 'em of the mol t horrible and infamous Crimes that can be imagin'd, meerly to get poll'eflion of their Eltates, and {trip '6111 of all they had under this pretext -, whereas the praétices they charge 'em with are purely imagi- fwith all their might to render this Enterprizc ‘ fuccefsful, and to fecure the Indians from receivmg nary, and fuch as have never been f0 much as heard fterms of the Apoftolic Brief difpatched for this P‘Vfiam are addicted. The Indians of the Kingdom 0 Tucamn know not what this unnatural Vice is. ‘ any damage either in their Eflates or Perfons, but ' 0f in the great Iflands of New Spain, Cuba, jamaim, and St. 70bit, tho they have been all very populous 5 ‘ on the contrary to take care they be treated with for after the mol‘t exact Enquiries we were able to ‘all forts of kindnefs, and that firm and {peedy to make, we could never find the leaft appea‘ juflice be executed upon any one that {hall olier rance of thofe abominable Sins, to which fome few f'em the leafl: Injury, and to keep exactly to the ‘Grant. Thefe are the exprefs Words of that 11- luflrious Princefs: And yet no fooner was lhe e):- pir‘d, but the Spaniards began to abufe the Indians, and to offer 'em all the Outrages of which we have been fpeaking, and could give your Majefiy a 1710{ 6 ample Relation; T0 or are there any great number of 'em that eat hu- man Flelh. They are farther accus'd of Idolatry; bu§ Men have no right to punilh 'em for this Crime, Which ought to be left to the Judgment of God. 91" Anceltors were formerly Idolaters, as theI‘In- (mm |