4000003871

696 / 1070

Royal Commentaries. BooK IV.
" prive.chem of chofe few Vaílals they had purchafed to themfelves: and che
'' Souldiers hufc and muccered, chac they would not concern themfelves farther in
" new advencures, fince chey had no encouragement : bue were refolved co live
'' upon fpoil and plunder on all hands. . .
' " The King'sOfficers and Miniíl:ers com_plained, that they were hardly dealc ·
" wich, co be deprived 9[ che vaífalage of ch€ hdians whom they had fo kind–
" !y creaced and uied in cheir Services: and the Friers and crergy declared, chat
" chey fhould be unable to fupporc and fufiain their Monafieries, and Churches,
" and Hofpicals, wichout che neceífary fervices .of che Indians. Bue none fpoke
'' more daringly and freely, boch againíl: che Vic~-king and che King himfelf,
'' chen did Frier Peter Munnoz-, ofche Order of Mercef, faying plainly, chac his Ma–
" jefiy had ill rewarded chofe who had ferved hirn well ; and chac chofe new
" Laws ftnelc rank of inrerefi and felfiílmefs racher chan of equicy; for ic was an
" intolerable injufüce in che King, to cake away chofe Slaves whom he had fold,
" and yec noc recurn che money for them , and che price he had received ; and
" chacMonafieries, Hofpicals and Churches, and che very Conquerours chem–
" felves fhould be divefied of cheir fervants and flaves, to make chem vaífals to
" che King: And, whac was moíl: unreafonable, in che mean rime a double du–
" cy aud tribute was impofed upon che Indians; whi h was inrended for cheir eafe
" and relief, .ehough in realicy ic proved rheir greateíl: aggrievance and oppreffi-
" on. Thus far are che words of Gomara, ·
CH A J>. III.
Of the Difcourfe and Reports the People of Peru raijed a–
gainfl the Promoters of the nlw Laws; and partimlarly
againfl the Civil-Lawyer Barcholomew de la~ Catas.
SUch Libercy che People generally cook in cheir Difcourfes againíl: ali chofe
who had been Comrivers and Promocers of chefe new Laws, chac chey re–
porced a choufand evil things of them; and particalarly of Frier Bartholomew de
la1 Cafa1 , who being notorioufly known to have hada chief hand in chefe new
~gulations, fell under ch'e fevere lafh of cheir Tongues; for as Diego Fcrnandez.,
one of che firíl: Advenmrers and Conquerours of Peru , reporcs, chey ript up a
thoufand Mifdemeanours of which he was guilcy beforé he encred into che pro–
feffion of a religious Life ; and parricularly how he had endeavoured co make
himfelf che Conquerour and Governour of che Ifland in Cumana ; and chat he had
been rhe caufe of che deíl:ruétion and flaughcer of rnany Spanil1rds ; by the falfe
reporrs he had given to che Emperour of che Scace of Affairs in Peru ; making
greac and large Prornifes of advan,ing che King's revenue, and of fending vaft
cies of Gold and Pearl to the Flemins and Burgundians , who refided jn che
of Spain. Many of chofe Spaniards who had been employed in che Con–
f che Jfles of Barlovento, were well acquainced wich B,mholomew de!a1 Caf 114
before he profeífed himfelf a Frier , and were well informed of che effecl: and
fuccefs of che Promifes he made touching che Converfion of che Indians in che líle
of ,Cu,;ana ; of al! which Lopez. de Gomara , in the 77th Chapter of his Hifiory
wrices fo particularly chac ic is probable he mighc have received a Relaeion there–
of from forne of che Conquerours of thac Councrey; in confirmation whereof,
and for che beccer auchoricy of chis his Hiíl:ory ; I will hert infert the very Chap–
ter it felf, che Title whereof is as followeth. ·
Ch;pter the 77th, wl1erein ú contained a relation o{ the Death of thofe Chriftian ~pcr–
niards who Jollowed Barcholomew de las Caías a Prieft,
Bartholomew de /,u Caf,u , a Prieíl: was in chat time at St, Domingo, when che
Monafieries of Cumana and Chirivichi were in cheir flouriíhipg fiare and condition.
and having heard a good report of the fruicfulnefs of chac foil , of che gencle and
pacifick bumour of che Natives, and of the great abundaoce of Pearl which chac
Councrey