A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1572. 

 ^he marke of the kings seale upon it, is woorth three and forty reals of 

 silver is 64 plate, and so it is current : and when they will bring it for 

 leasojpae. spaine, they cary it to the kings Treasure house, where 

 his seale is set upon it ; and so it is raised in value there- 

 by to threescore and foure reals of plate : and so the king 

 hath for his custome of every marke of plate one and 

 twentie reals. 



From the yere of 1570, which was the yeere that the 

 Popes buls came into the Indies, as is afore mentioned, 

 he hath received both of the Indians which are tributaries 

 unto him, and also of all others belonging to the In- 

 commenderos, of every one being above twelve yeeres of 

 age, foure reals of every bull. Also they cary other 

 pardons with them into the Indies, for such as be dead, 

 although an hundred yeres before the Spanyards came 

 into the countrey : which pardons the friers in their 

 preachings perswaded the poore Indians to take, telling 

 them that with giving foure reals of plate for a Masse, 

 they would deliver their soules out of purgatory. Of 

 the Christians likewise dwelling there he hath foureteene 

 reals for every bull : and there be certeine buls brought 

 thither for the Christians besides the former, which 

 serve for pardoning all such faults wherein they have 

 trespassed either against the king, by keeping backe 

 his customes, or one against another by any other in- 

 jury ; for every hundred crownes whereof a mans 

 conscience doth accuse him that he hath deceived the 

 king or any other, he must give ten for a bull, and so 

 after that rate for every hundred which he hath any 

 The revenue ^^y stollen, and so is pardoned the fault. The revenue 

 buhand^tar- ^^ ^^^ ^vX^ after this maner yeeldeth unto his treasury 

 dons came yeerely above three millions of gold, as I have bene 

 ';jerel^ to three credibly informed, although of late both the Spanyards 

 millions. and Indians do refuse to take the buls ; for that they 



perceive he doth make a yeerely custome of it : onely 

 ech Indian taketh one pardon for all his householde, 

 (whereas in former time every Indian used to take one 

 for every person in his house) and teareth the same 



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