The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 13: America, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 13: America, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Moreover, since the fourme of the donation ronneth not absolutely, but
with this condition and chardge moste straightly enjoyned, viz., that the
Kinges of Spaine shoulde sende thither sober and godly men, and cause the
inhabitantes of those contries discovered or to be discovered to be
instructed in the Catholique faithe, and noseled in goodd manners, and
that they shoulde carefully applye themselves thereunto; wee answer, that
these conditions have bene wonderfully neglected, and that neither the
people have bene carefully instructed in relligion nor manners, and
consequently that the conditions beinge not perfourmed the donation oughte
of righte to be voide. For the Kinges of Spaine have sent suche helhoundes
and wolves thither as have not converted, but almoste quite subverted
them, and have rooted oute above fiftene millions of reasonable creatures,
as Bartholmewe de Casas, the Bisshoppe of Chiapa in the West Indies, a
Spaniarde borne, dothe write at large in a whole volume of that argumente.
And Gonsalvo de Ouiedo, another of their owne historiographers, and
Capitaine of the Castle of Sancto Domingo in Hispaniola, affirmeth the
like: For there hath Spaniardes come into these contries, saieth he,
which, havinge lefte their consciences and all feare of God and men
behinde them, have plaied the partes not of men, but of dragons and
infidells, and, havinge no respecte of humanitie, have bene the cause that
many Indians, that peradventure mighte have bene converted and saved, are
deade by divers and sondrie kindes of deathes. And althoughe those people
had not bene converted, yet if they had bene lett to live, they mighte
have bene profitable to your Majestie and an aide unto the Christians, and
certaine partes of the lande shoulde not wholy have bene disinhabited,
which by this occasion are altogether in a manner dispeopled. And they
that have bene the cause of suche destruction call this contrie thus
dispeopled and wasted, the contrie conquered and pacified; but I call it,
quoth Gonsaluo, the contrie which is destroyed and ruyned; yea, so farr
have they bene of from drawinge the Indians to the likinge of
Christianitie and true Relligion, that the sentence of the Apostle may
moste truly be verified of them, whoe saieth: The name of God is
blasphemed amonge the Gentiles throughe you; ffor proofe whereof you shall
not nede to reade but that which Peter Benzo of Milan hath written, whoe
remayned in these Indies, and served in the warres with the Spaniardes
againste the Indians for the space of fourtene yeres. This Benzo saieth
that the Indians, not havinge studied logicke, concluded very pertinently
and categorically, that the Spaniardes, which spoiled their contrie, were
more dangerous then wilde beastes, more furious then lyons, more fearefull
and terrible then fire and water, or any thinge that is moste outeragious
in the worlde. Some also called them the fome of the sea, others gave them
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