282 



HISTORY OF MEXICO* 



laft obtained from their juftice and clemency, thofe laws 

 as favourable to the Americans as honourable to the 

 court of Spain, that compofe the Indian code, which 

 were chiefly due to the indefatigable zeal of the bifliop 

 de la Cafas. On another fide, Garces, bifliop of Tlaf- 

 cala, knowing that thofe Spaniards bore, notwithftand- 

 ing their perverfity, a great refpecl: to the decifions of 

 the vicar of Jefus Chrift, made application in the year 

 1586, to pope Paul III. by that famous letter, of which 

 we have made mention ; reprefenting to him the evils 

 which the Indians fufFered from the wicked Chriftians, 

 and praying him to interpofe his authority in their be- 

 half. The pope, moved by fuch heavy remonflrances^ 

 defpatched the next year the original bull, a faithful 

 copy of which we have here fubjoined (/), which was 

 not made, as is manifeft, to declare the Americans free 



men ; 



(t) Paulus papa III. univerfis Chrifti Fidelibus prefentes Literas infpe&uris 

 Salutem & Apoftolicam Benedi&ionem — u Veritas ipfa, quae nec falli, nec fal- 

 " lere poteft, cum Praedicatores Fidei ad officium prasdicationis deftinaret, dix- 

 " iffe dignofcitur : Euntcs docete omnes gentes : omncs dixit abfque omni deleclu, 

 " cum omnes Fidei difciplina capaces exiftant. Quod videns & invidens ipfius 

 " humani generis semulus, qui bonis operibus, ut pereant, femper adverfatur, 

 " modum excogitavit haclenus inauditum, quo impediret, ne Verbum Dei Gen- 

 " tibus, ut falvas fierent, prasdicaretur : ut quofdam fuos fatellites commovit, 

 " qui mam cupiditatem adimplere cupientes. Occidentales & Meridionales Jn- 

 " dos, & alias Gentes, qua; temporibus iftis ad noftram notitiam pervenerunt, 

 " fub prsetextu quod Fidei Catholicas expertes exiftant, uti bruta animalia, ad 

 " noftra obfequia redigendos effe, paffim afferere praefumant, & eos in fervitu- 

 " tern redigunt tantis affli&ionibus illos urgentes, quantis vix bruta animalia 

 " illis fervientia urgeant. Nos igitur, qui ejufdem Domini noftri vices, licet 

 " indigni, gerimus in terris, & Oves gregis fui nobis commiflas, qua; extra ejus 

 " Orile funt, ad ipfum Ovile toto nixu exquirimus, attcndentes Indos ipfos, 

 " utpote veros homines, non folum Chriftiana; Fidei capaces exiftere fed, ut no- 

 " bis innotuit, ad Fidem ipfam promptiffime currere, ac volentcs fuper his con- 

 " gruis remediis providere, praedidtos Indos & omnes alias gentes ad notitiam 

 " Chriftianorum in pofterum deventuras, licet extra fidem Chrifti exiftant, fua 

 " libertate & dominio hujufmodi uti, & potiri, & gaudere libere & licite polfe, 



" nec 



