A. D. i6r I. 263 



were dragged from the altars, judges from the benches, hufbands from the 

 arms of their wives, and wives from their hufbands : not fparing even 

 fuch officers of the crown as were allied to the moft antient Chriftian 

 flimilies. Many of thofe miierable people were tranfported to Barbary, 

 where they joined the race of thofe before expelled, in their revenge 

 for Spanifh cruelties. Mezeray fays that fcarce a fourth part of them 

 were able to preferve their wretched lives ; for being looked upon as 

 infidels by the Chriftians whither they fled, and as Chriftians amongfl 

 the infidels, they encountered cruelties and death in various fhapes. 

 Some were drowned by the very, mariners who pretended to tranfport 

 them ; others were mafPacred by the Moors of Barbary. Mr. Cotting- 

 ton, the Englifh ambaflador at Madrid, wrote to Mr. Trumbull, the 

 Englifh refident at Fruflels, that the Spanifh king had made vafi prepar- 

 ations for deftroying the Morifcoes of the kingdom of Valencia, having 

 for that endafi^embled 85 galleys, 20 fliips, and 70,000 foldiers. At one 

 inftanr they feized on all the towns and villages of Valencia, proclaim- 

 ing that within three days, upon pain of death, they fhould all repair to 

 the fea-fide, there to be embarked. Many, fearing what fliould after- 

 ward be done to them, and attempting to fly, were immediately execut- 

 ed. The refl; (which they fay will be at leafl 80, ceo houfeholds) have 

 dayly their hands bound, and fo put on board. What they will do with 

 them, or whither they will carry them, is yet kept a fecret. Some fay 

 there is a commiflion given to put them all on fliore in Barbary ; and 

 others, (which I rather believe) that it is to call them all into the fea. 

 ' Poftfcript. I can almofl; afiTure you that they have and will throw 



* into the fea, of men, women, and children, above 300,000 perfons. A 



* cruelty never before heard of in any age,' lays Lord Cottington. 



In another letter to the fame, he fays, ' that three of the befl: galle- 

 ' ons and three fmaller fliips were loft- in a tempeft, all fraught with 

 ' Moors. Our Morifcoes (or Moors) notwithftandmg we have embark- 

 ' ed at leaft Ho,ooo of them, are now above 20,000 ftrong in the moun- 

 ' tains.' In another; ' Our Moors in the mountains are, through fa- 

 ' mine, forced to come down : their king is hanged in Valencia with 

 ' fome few others, and the reft are embarked for Barbary. We now begin 

 ' to clear Caftile, Eftre nadura, and Andalufia of iMorilcoes alfo. They 

 ' are to be gone within thirty days.' In another; ' We here turn out 

 ' our Morifcoes, without fuflfering them to carry in fpecie, or in letters, 



* any kind of gold or lilver.' [Wimvood's Memonnls, V. iii.] 



This and former expulfions deprived Spam of vaft numbers of her 

 moft ingenious and ind^iftrious people, who (had they been treated with 

 moderation) might have been gradually brought over to their catholic 

 religion. Now if to thefe lofles of people be added thofe great numbers 

 fent to their vaft American colonies, we cannot be furpriied that there 

 are now, by fome accounts, fcarce five millions of people in all the king- 



