England, at that time the mistress of the seas, held the keys of the commerce of Europe. Her long conflict with her Catholic sovereigns, and the Catholic powers of Europe, had taught her self-reliance, and had educated her people in the principles of self-government. Her laws were the best the world then new. Henceforth she became the favored land of the seed of Abraham, and the asylum of the oppressed of every nation. The foregoing will indicate to some extent the condition of society in Europe at the beginning of the seventeenth century. It is not surprising that under such circumstances men began to look toward America, as the land of refuge, where the institutions of liberty might be planted and fostered, and political institutions framed which would insure unto all, life, liberty and religious toleration. CHAPTER XI. ANCIENT AMERICAN CIVILIZATION. COLUMBUS DESTROYED PAPAL DOGMAS--CRUELTY OF SPANIARDS--THEIR RETRIBUTION--RELICS IN MASSACHUSETTS--NEWPORT TOWER--MOUNDS IN OHIO--REMAINS FOUND IN IOWA--PLATES FOUND IN ILLINOIS--ANCIENT MEXICAN PYRAMIDS--HUMAN SACRIFICES--VIEW FROM THE GREAT PYRAMID--ANCIENT AMERICAN SCULPTURES--MAMMOTHS--MEXICAN CUSTOMS--RELIGIOUS RITES--COMPUTATION OF TIME--ARTS AND SCIENCES--DESCRIPTION OF PERU--ITS CIVILIZATION--MASSACRE OF THE INCAS--TESTIMONY OF TRAVELLERS--INDIAN TRADITIONS. In ancient times, Rome had taught that the earth was flat; and that the whole habitable world was comprised in the three divisions of the eastern continent. To these divisions {107} were assigned respectively the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. When America was discovered, these dogmas were obliged to fall. If indeed Columbus had, as he supposed, reached the Indies by a westward voyage, then the world was proven to be a vast ball. If on the other hand America was a separate continent, divided from the eastern by a wild waste of waters of many thousand miles in extent, as was shown by the voyage of Magellan, a few years later, then it was found necessary to account for the origin of the inhabitants. The teachings of Rome were altogether against their being descended from Adam, since none such were mentioned in their scriptures. The protestant sects were too busy in their rivalries, dissensions and civil wars, to give much attention to the subject. The stupendous event recorded in Gen. x. 25, seems to have entirely escaped their notice. Hence they proceeded to act towards the unfortunate inhabitants of ancient America, as though they did not belong to the human race.