Pilgrimage, Book 9 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Of the Spanish cruelties in the West-Indies: and of the peruerse conuersion of the Indians vntounto Christianitie.
FOrasmuch as the Papists doe vsually glorie in the purchase of a new World vntounto their Religion, and would hauehave men beleeue, that since this Scripture-Heresie hath made new Rome to tremble now, no lesse then Hannibal did her Pagan-Mother, they hauehave a new aAlan. Cop. velpoti…s N. Harpsfield, Dialogi, vt te…atur …o. Hart.supply with much aduantage in this Westerne World of America; and they make this their Indian conuersion, one of the Markes of bBellar. de Not. Ecclesie.lib.4. Costeri Enchirid.the truenesse and Catholicisme of their Church: it shall not be amisse to obserue the proceedings of the Spaniards in these parts. And herein we will vse the witnesse of men of their owne Romish Religion. Iosephus cAcosta lib.4. de procurand. ind. salute.ca.3.Acosta, a Iesuite, writeth, that the Indians conceiue an implacal …hatred against the faith, by the scandall of the Spaniards cruelties: and that they …ue baptised some by force. Vega dAnd. vega de f.& operibus q.3.accuseth them of Baptising without making them know the faith, or taking knowledge of their life. Hee that will reade what they lately hauehave done in Spaine with the remnants of the Moores, may perhaps satisfie himself with the reasons of Frier eF. Damia…o Fonseca delgiuflo scacciamento de Moreschi da Spagna.Fonseca in defence thereof. But for the poore Indians, Bartholomaeus de las Casas, fBar. Cal. Hispan. Crudelt…at.a Dominike Frier, of the same order with Fonseca, and after a Bishop in America, hath written a large and vnanswerable Treatise of the enormious cruelties, and vnchristian Antichristian proceedings in the new World, the summe whereof is this, that the Indians were a simple harmelesse people, loyall to their Lords, and such as gaue no cause to the Spaniards of dislike, till they by extreame iniuries were prouoked: they are also docible and pliant, both to good doctrine and liuing. To these Lambes, saith he, the Spaniards came as cruell and hungry Tygres, Beares and Lions, intending nothing those fortie yeares (he wrote this An. 1542.) but bloud and slaughter, to satisfie their Auarice and Ambition: in so much that of three millions of people, which were contained in Hispaniola of the Naturall inhabitants, there scarse remained at that time three hundred. Cuba, and the other Ilands had indured the like miserie, and in the firme Landten Kingdomes, greater then all Spaine, were dispeopled and desolate, and in that space there had not perished lesse then twelue millions by their tyranny; and he might truely say that fifty millions had paid Natures debt.
In the Iland Hispaniola the Spaniard had their first Indian habitations, where their cruelties draue the Indians to their shifts, and to their weake defence, which caused those enraged Lions, to spare neither man, woman, nor childe: they ripped vp the great-bellied women, and would lay wagers, who could with most dexterity strike off an Indians head, or smite him asunder in the middle: they would plucke the Infants by the heeles from their mothers breasts, and dash out their braines against the stones, or with a scoffe hurle them into the Riuer. They set vp gibbets, and in honor of CHRIST and his twelue Apostles (as they said, and could the Diuell say worse?) they would both hang and burne them. Others they tooke, and cutting their hands almost off, bid them carry those letters (their hands dropping bloud, and almost dropping off themselues) to their Countrey-men, which (for feare of the like) lay hidden in the Mountaines. The Nobles and commanders, they broiled on gridirons: I once (saith our Author) saw foure or fiue of the chiefe of them thus rosted, which making a lamentable noise, the nicer Captaine bad they should be strangled, but the cruell tormentor, chose rather to stoppe their mouthes, so to preuent their out-cries, and to continue their broiling till they were dead. They had dogges to hunt them out of their couerts, which deuoured the poore soules: and because sometimes the Indians, thus prouoked, would kill a Spaniard, if they found opportunitie, they made a law, that an hundred of them should for one Spaniard be slaine. The King of Magua offered to till the ground for them fiftie miles space, if they would spare him and his people from the mines. The Captaine in recompence deflowred his wife, and he hiding himselfe, was taken, and sent into Spaine; but the ship perished in the way, and therein that admirable gP.Mart. mentioneth this graine of gold: and likewise the Spanish cruelties; though not so largely as Casas…graine of gold, which weighed in the first finding, being pure, three thousand and six hundred Crownes.
In the Kingdome of Xaraqua in Hispaniola, the Gouernour called before him three hundred Indian Lords, which he partly burned in a house, and put the rest to the sword, and hanged vp the Queene, as they did also to Hiquanama the Queene of Hiquey. Of all which cruelties our Author an eye-witnesse affirmeth, that the Indians gaue no cause by any crime, that had so deserued by any law. And for the rest that remained after these warres, they shared them as slaues. They which should hauehave instructed them in the Catholike faith, were ignorant, cruell, and couetous. The men were spent in the mines, the women consumed in tillage, and both, by heauy burthens which they made them carry, by famine, by scourging, and other miseries.
And thus they did in all other parts wheresoeuer they came. In the Iles of Saint Iohn, and Iamayca, were six hundred thousand Inhabitants, whereof then when the Author wrote this, there were scarsely left two hundred in either Iland. Cuba extendeth furthest in length of any of these Ilands. Heere was a Cacique named Hathuey, which called his subiects about him, and shewing them a boxe of Gold, said, that was the Spaniards God, and made them dance about it very solemnely; and lest the Spaniards should hauehave it, he hurled it into the Riuer. Being taken and condemned to the fire; when he was bound to the stake, a Frier came and preached heauen to him, and the terrors of hell: Hathuey asked if any Spaniards were in heauen, the Frier answered, yea, such as were good; Hathuey replied, he would rather goe to hell, then goe where any of that cruell Nation were.
I was once present, saith Casas, when the Inhabitants of one towne brought vsus forth victuall, and met vsus with great kindnesse, and the Spaniards without any cause slew three thousand of them, of eueryevery age and sexe. I, by their counsell, sent to other Townes to meet vsus, with promise of good dealing, and two and twentie Caciques met vsus, which the Captaine against all faith caused to be burned. This made the desperate Indians hang themselues (which two hundred did, by the occasion of one mans crueltie): and one other Spaniard seeing them take this course, hee made as though he would hang himselfe too, and persecute them in the regions of Death, which feare detained some from that selfe-execution. Sixe thousand children died, saith our former Author, in three or foure monthes space, while I was there, for the want of their parents which were sent to the mines: they hunted out the rest in the mountaines, and desolated the Iland. Neither did the other Ilands speed better. The Lucaiae they brought to an vtter desolation: and shipping multitudes of men for the mines in Hispaniola, wanting food for them; the third part commonly perished in the way; so that an vnskilfull Pilot might hauehave learned this way by Sea, by those floting markes of Indian carkasses. This Spanish Pestilence spread further to the Continent, where they spoiled the shores, and the Inland Countries of people. From Dariena to Nicaragua, they slew foure hundred thousand people with dogges, swords, fire, and diuers tortures. Their course hMarke this way of conuerting Infidels.of preaching was, to send, vnderunder paine of confiscation of lands, libertie, wife, life, and all, to acknowledge GOD and the Spanish King, of whom they had neues heard. Yea, they would steale to some place halfe a mile off the Citie by night, and there publish the Kings decree in this sort, being alone by themselues. Ye Caciques and Indians of this or that place (which they named) Be it knowne to you, that there is one GOD, one Pope, and one King of Castile, who is Lord of these Lands, Come quickly and doe your homage. And then in the night, whiles they were asleepe, fired their houses, and slew and tooke captiues at their pleasure, and then fell to search for Gold. The first Bishop that came into these parts, sent his men to be partakers of the spoile. A Cacique gaue the Spanish Gouernour the weight in Gold of nine thousand crownes; he (in thankefulnesse) to extort more, bound him to a post, and put fire to his feet, and forced him to send home for a further addition of three thousand. They not satisfied, persisted in their tormenting him, till the marrow came forth at the soles of his feet, whereof he died. When any of the Indians, employed by the Spaniards, failed vnderunder their heauie burthens, or fainted for want of necessaries, lest they should lose time in opening the chaine wherein he was tied, they would cut off his head, and so let the bodie fall out. The Spaniard robbed the Nicaraguans of their corne, so that thirtie thousand died of famine, and a mother eat her owne child: fiue hundred thousand were carried away into bondage, besides fiftie or sixtie thousand slaine in their warres: and now, saith Casas, remaine foure or fiue thousand, of one of the most populous Regions of the World. Heere did Vaschus iP.Mart.Dec.3.lib. Cortes accustomed himselfe to hauehave foure Kings attend on him. Dec.8.lib.3.2. He burned sixtie Kings, their heires looking on.giuegive at one time foure Kings to be deuoured of dogges.
In New Spaine, from the yeare 1518. to 1530, in foure hundred and fourescore miles about Mexico, they destroyed aboue foure millions of people in their conquests by fire and sword, not reckoning those which died in seruitude and oppression. In the Prouince of Naco and Honduras, from the yeare 1524. to 1535. two millions of men perished, and scarsely two thousand remained. In Guatimala, from the yeare 1524. to 1540. they destroyed aboue foure or fiue millions vnderunder that Aluarado, who dying by the fall of his horse, as is before said, complained (when he was asked where his paine was most) of his soule-torment: and his Citie Guatimala was with a three-fold deluge of earth, of water, of stones, oppressed and ouerwhelmed. He forced the Indians to follow him in his Expeditions, in Armies of 10. or 20000. not allowing them other sustenance, then the flesh of their slaine enemies, maintaining in his armie shambles of mans flesh. In Panuco and Xalisco their state was much like; one made eight thousand Indians wall about his Garden, and let them all perish with famine. In Machuacan they tortured the King that came forth to meet them, that they might extort gold from him. They put his feet in the stockes, and put fire thereto, binding his hands to a post behind him; and a Boy stood by basting his rosted feet with oyle, another with a crosse-bow bent to his brest, and on the other hand another with dogs; of these tortures he died. They forced the Indians to deliuer their Idols, hoping they had beene of Gold, but their golden hope failing, they forced them againe to redeeme them. Yea where the Friers had in one place made the Indians to cast away their Images, the Spaniards brought them some from other places to sell them.
In the Prouince of Saint Martha they had desolated foure hundred and fifty miles of land. The Bishop wrote to the King, that the people called the Spaniards Diuels, or Yares, for their Diabolicall practises; and thought the Law, GOD, and King of the Christians, had beene authors of this crueltie.
The like they did in the Kingdome of Venezuela, destroying foure or fiue millions, and out of that firme Land, carried to the Ilands for slaues at times, in seuenteene yeares, a million of people.
But why doe I longer trace them in their bloudie steppes; seeing our Author that relates much more then I, yet protesteth that it was a thousand times worse. Or what should I tell their sparing no persons, plucking the childe from the breast to quarter it to his dogges? torturing Kings with new deuises, borrowed either from the Inquisition, or from Hell? cutting off the noses and hands of men and women that liued in peace with them? selling the father, mother, childe, to diuers places and persons? lying with the women (as one of them bragged) that being with childe, they might yeeld more money in the sale? How was Nature become degenerate in these prodigious monsters? Euen the Nature of things might be abashed with the sense of this vnnaturall senselessenesse. The Tygre would but deuoure his prey, and not curiously torment it; the Lion sometimes spares it; nay their dogges hauehave sometime beene lesse dogged, then their doggish Diuellish matters. How may we admire that long-suffering of GOD, that rained not a floud of waters, as in Noahs time, or of fire, as in Lots, or of stones, as in Ioshuas, or some vengeance from Heauen vponupon these Models of Hell? And how could Hell forbeare swallowing such prepared morsels, exceeding the beastlinesse of beasts, inhumanitie of wonted tyrants, and diuellishnesse, if it were possible, of the Diuels? But these you will say were kNulla sides pi…tasq. viris qu… castra sequuntur.Lucan,souldiours: let vsus leaue the Campe and looke to their Temples.
There perhaps you shall see their Priests reading, praying, and (this they most glorie of) preaching to conuert the Indians by their word and workes. Aske Colmenero, a Priest of Saint Martha, who being asked what he taught the Indians, said that he deuoted them with curses to the Diuell, and this sufficed, if he said to them, Persignin Sanctin Cruces. You hauehave heard what good Diuinitie the Dominican preached to Atabaliba, King of Peru (which wanted not her wants of millions by their cruelties, as well as the former). They teach them (saith lAcost.de Proc. Ind.sal.l.4.c.3.Acosta) a few prayers in the Spanish tongue, which they vnderstand not; and they which are more painfull, a Catechisme without explanation.
Their teaching is but a iest and shadow to get money: they follow dicing, hunting, whoring; in so much that Baptisme is scorned, and the Indians are forced to it against their wils: and a sincere mIo. Metell: Seq. prefat.in Osor.and vpright Iudge was wont to say, that if he came into Spaine, he would perswade the King to send no more Priests into America; such is their dissolutenesse. They hauehave indeed three Archbishoprickes; that of Dominico, which hath six Suffragane-Bishops; the second of Mexico, which hath seuen; the third of Los Reyes, to which are subiect three Bishops: yet these teach the people vices by their practise and ill example; in so much that the Indians (saith Casas) are of opinion that the King of Spaine (which hath such subiects, as the Spaniards shew themselues) is himselfe most cruell, and liues on mans flesh; and that of all Gods, the GOD of the Christians is the worst, which hath so bad seruants, longing for their owne Gods, of whom they neuer receiued such ill, as now by this of the Christians. The Spaniards cannot endure the Indians to heare a Sermon, thinking it makes them idle (as Pharaeoh said nExod.5.8.17.of the Israelites) and captious: they learne them Vsury, lying, swearing, blasphemie, repugnant to their Nature. Thus did a Cacique oBenzo lib.2.cap.16.describe a Christian to Benzo, by the vnchristian course of the Spaniards. Christian (saith he, looking Benzo on the face) what are Christians? They imperiously demand Mays, Hony, Silke, Rayment, an Indian woman to Iye with them; they call for Gold and Siluer, they will not worke; are Gamsters, Dicers, Wicked, Blasphemers, Back-biters, Quarellers: and concluded, that Christians could not be good. Benzo said, that euill Christians did such things, not the good ones: he replied, where are those good, for I neuer saw any but bad. He was threescore and ten yeares old, and spake Spanish perfectly. Benzo saith, that they would not looke on the Christians, but curse them, and as before is said, called them pVirarochie.Sea-froth. He being very inquisitiue to see what they thought of our faith, reporteth, that some of them taking a peece of Gold, will say, Lo heere the Christians God: for this they kill vsus, and one another, for this they play, blaspheme, curse, steale, and doe all manner of villanies. *Cap.1.8.A Franciscan publikely said, that there was neither Priest, Monke, nor Bishop, good in all India: and the Priests themselues will say, they came thither for gaine. A Caciques sonne which was towardly in his youth, and proued after dissolute, being asked the reason thereof, said, Since I was a Christian I hauehave learned to sweare in variety, to dice, to lie, to swagger, and now I want nothing but a Concubine (which I meane to hauehave shortly) to make me a complete Christian. These indeed are the miracles that the Spaniards worke in the Indies, saith our Author: I asked an Indian once if he were a Christian; he againe asked me if he should be the Bishops Groome a dozen yeares to keepe his Mule. Others of the Indians, saue a little washing and some cold ceremonies, know nothing of our religion.
The Indians hauehave liued at more quiet with the Spaniards, since the King proclaimed them free; yet still hate them: and for their Christianitie, Franciscus qF. à Vic.Rel.5. De Indis.à Victpria protesteth, that it doth not appeare to him, that Christian Religion had beene propounded in meet sort to the Indians: Miracles he heard not of, but on the contrary, scandals, villanies, and many impieties. This is the Preaching and Conuersion the Romists boast of, and gull our European world with musters of their miracles, and thousands of their Profelites, which we rather pitie then enuie.
How the case is altered, since that new generation of the Ignatian brood hath taught (especially the Spaniards, whose they are, and whom they serue) a better Catholicisme; let Arnauldus *Arnauld. against the Iesuites.tell you: he saith, that they hauehave indeed wrought miracles amongst the Indians: among which he reckoneth Conuerting the Pagans, by butcherly subuerting and …oting them out. In Hispaniola, by keeping the husbands and wiues in diuers workes asunder, the old generation being thus worne out, and a new preuented. In Peru they had publike places of torture within the Marches, wherein they might put a thousand at once, by tortures to draw forth confessions of their hidden treasures: such as escaped, hanged themselues in the mountaines, and their wiues by them, with their children at their feet. By their dogges at land they worried them: and in their Pearle-fishing exposed them to the rauening Sharkes, themselues more dogged and sharking then the brute creatures; by fire and sword consuming twentie millions of the people. I would giuegive the Diuell his due, and therefore would not ascribe all this to those later Locusts, the Iesuites: who are yet accounted the most cunning and zealous Architects, in setting vp the roofe of that aspiring Spanish Monarchy, these and the like bloudie foundations notwithstanding; and therefore may be called Accessories after. As for the Spaniards, we see them, by testimony of their owne, accused of the same things. And how the Ignatians wash their hands (not from, but in) bloud, our Europe can testifie.
What Diuell brought the Inquisition (his faire daughter much resembling his accursed presence) I know not: our Countrey-men, rMiles Phil. Iob Hort.ap. Hak.Philips, Hortop and others, knew to their cost. But what should we speake of the Spanish crueltie to others? Looke on their dealing with each other in ciuill broyles: thus dealt they with Columbus, rewarding him with chaines, and sending him prisoner to Spaine, by that way which hee first of all, and for Spaine, had discouered. What Roldanus and his rebellious faction did in Hispaniola, and Vaschus in the Continent, Martyr relateth. But the bloudiest butcheries passed in Peru: where Couetousnesse, which before had ioyned, now diuorced the hearts of Pi…arro and Almagro; and after that, that neerer coniunction of the head and bodie of Almagro; sSee Gomara, Apollonius, Benzo, &c. of these ciuill warres in Peru.reuenged in the persons of all the Pi…arri, which againe retorted the like vengeance vponupon the Almagrists; their ghosts seeming, or some hellish Furies rather, to be loosed on that Peruuian stage, and to hauehave brought like mischiefes to the beholders and actors in this Tragedie. Vengeance seemed to hauehave broken forth of Atabalibas tombe, armed with sword, fire, halters, chaines, yea the Spaniards themselues offered themselues her officious vassals, to become cruell Executors of her bloudie Will, in mutuall executions vponupon themselues. The awfull names of Viceroyes, Gouernours, and Captaines, were no lesse subiected to imprisonment and death, then the poorest souldiour. But for these ciuill vnciuill cruelties amongst themselues, they require a good Orator to describe them: and those former tyrannies vponupon the Indians, are beyond all oratory and description. Thunders from heauen had need be the voice to vtter such hellish and vnheard-of massacres, Diuells from Hell were fittest scribes, with the firie characters of their infernall workehouses to register them, the reading whereof might astonish the sense of the Reader, amaze his reason, exceed his faith, and fill his heart with horror and vncouth passions. For me, I want fit words to paint them in their blacke colours, my hand with reluctation trembleth at the writing, my tongue faltereth in the speaking, and wholly I seeme to my selfe surprised with distraction, and not to be my selfe, whiles the view of this Spanish Medusa transformeth me into a stone: the rather when I thinke such should our English Conuersion hauehave beene, if in that dismall yeare 1588. England had as well succeeded to them as the Indies: or if since, our Catholike Preachers had preuailed in their Powder-proiects, in the yeare 1605. who for a Temple, chose a Vault, that their workes of darkenesse might bee done in the darke, and their work-house might bee neerer to Hell, thence to borrow at hand supplies of diuellish deuises, and in neerer familiaritie to consult with the Diuell: for words they had prepared a sulfurous breath, the smoke whereof might darken the Heauens; the fire might rent the trembling and astonished Earth: the noise might make the Hearers past hearing, and being, together: Once, those Hellish Cerberi by such preaching, had intended there to hauehave opened the mouth of Hell vponupon vsus, which should hauehave swallowed our Lawes, our Religion, our Sunne, Moone, and Morning-Starre (the King, Queene, and Prince) Our fairest Skie of fixed and well ordered lights, then shining in their greatest splendor of Parliament-brightnesse. The Giants of old were said to be the sonnes of the Earth, but these, as they were engendred of Earth, so had they incestuously violated that their mother (whether you vnderstand it in a literall or mysticall sense) and begotten in her wombe this Hell-monster of their bloudie Catholicisme; they had designed the time of her Trauell, and themselues would hauehave beene the Mid-wiues; the Diuels had bidden themselues as Gossips, and at that opening of the Earthes wombe in her fierie trauell, would hauehave sent that way into the world (to attend the babe) all the blacke-guard of Hell, Treason, Superstition, Atheisme, Ignorance, Fire, Sword, and all Confusion, in a reuolution of a worse Chaos, then that tThe words of Moses, Genes.1. interpreted, without forme and void:Tohu and Bohu of old could hauehave effected. Then should it hauehave beene no maruell, if Rome, France, Spaine, or any other had exercised tyrannie or cruelty, seeing all must hauehave come short of the first Cruelty, which our English Catholikes had executed, to open the floudgates of bloud vntounto them. And all this was the Catholike cause, & these the Preachers, or the Vshers rather to the Preachers (for the Iesuites will be angrie if we take from them their bloudie priuiledge) of this new Catholicisme, which the Diuell (till now he is an older and cunninger Serpent) had neuer learned himselfe, not could learne others, till hee had gotten Ignatian Vshers in his hellish Schoole. But whither is your Pilgrime transported? Friend, I draw neere my port, and leauing America behind me, still red with this bloud; now also hauing England in sight, which (as from a greater height) was neere to a more dangerous fall: and in this subiect, which is of the Spanish Cruelties, not written in hatred of their Nation, because they are Spaniards, but of their Pseudo-chatholike Religion, vnderunder shew whereof, they there did, and heere would hauehave executed those butcheries: and for thankfulnesse to GOD for our later Deliuerance, of which the time when I relate these things (being the returne of that very uNouember 5:day, wherein those things should hauehave beene effected) iustly demandeth my best testimony: I hauehave thus told out my Story. And now me thinkes I see the shores of England, from which my lingring Pilgrimage hath long detained me: I heare the Bells, and see the Bon-fires, with publike acclamations of thankfulnesse for that Deliuerance, all singing their Hallelu-iahs, and saying, xPsal.118.24.This is the Day which the LORD hath made, we will reioyce and be glad in it. And now I see a better sight then all my Pilgrimage could yeeld, Christian Churches, without Heathenish, Iewish, or Antichristian pollutions: a Royall King, truely entituled Desender of the Faith: a learned Clergie, wise and Honorable Counsellers; peaceable and loyall Commons; in a word, England presents it selfe to mine eyes, representing to my minde a Map of Heauen and Earth, in the freedome of body and soule, yea where our subiection and seruice is freedome (which I hauehave not elsewhere found in all my Perambulation of the World) I feele my selfe herewith rauished, and in a ioyfull extasie cannot but crie out: yMatth.17.4.It is good for vsus to be heere (in the true Church and Suburbs of the true heauen): Heere then Reader, let me rest mee, till I see whether thy kinde acceptation of this, will make me willing to accept another and neerer (but harder) European Pilgrimage.
Trin-vni Deo gloria.