ment of the proposed fortresses and of the settlements. There were also many other provisions and exemptions made in their favor (such, for instance, as their salt being tax-free), which we need not recount. Each of the fifty might import three negroes-half of the number men, half women ;* and hereafter, if it should seem good to the clerigo, they might have seven more negro slaves each. It is evident, therefore, that at this time Las Casas had not discovered his error with regard to the negroes. On behalf of the Indians, Las Casas demanded that the king should give assurance that, neither at this present nor at any future time, should the Indians. within the limits agreed upon, being in due obedience and tributary, be given to the Spaniards in encomiendas, or in slavery of any kind. There was to be a treasurer, a contador, and a judge. Also, as a false relation of what should take place in these territories might be carried to the king, the king was to promise that on no account would he make any change in the order of things, as regarded this colony, without first hearing from the treasurer and the contador. Several other matters of detail were provided for; but the above is an outline of the most important portions of this proposal made by Las Casas. Like any thing of long extent and large bearings, it presents certain points of attack; but, upon the whole, if sufficient power were given to the head of the colony, it was likely to work well. The plan may remind the reader of feudal times, and of an abbot with a large domain and a retinue of knights to do his bidding. Those * Rather a difficult matter, but I suppose it means that the total number brought over should consist of an equal number of males and females. abbacies, probably, did not work ill for the poor in their neighborhood. The great scheme being now ready, in which it may be observed that Las Casas asked nothing for himself, he explained it to the Grand Chancellor and the other Flemings, who received it favorably, and desired him to lay it before the Council of the Indies. There it was very ill received by the unflagging enemy of Las Casas, the Bishop of Burgos, and by the rest of the councilors. Still they did not utterly reject it, but sought by delay to put it aside. At this time the Grand Chancellor and Chièvres were obliged to go to the borders of France, to treat of peace with the French king. Las Casas urged the settlement of his business; and, on mentioning to the Flemings that he would have to leave the court on account of his poverty, Monsieur de Bure and a relation of his advanced the clerigo money, for fear he should have to leave while the chancellor was absent. The favor of Las Casas with the Flemings on the king's arrival in Spain has been attributed to a wish to oppose the policy of Ximenes and the Spanish councilors. These gifts to Las Casas can not be accounted for on this supposition. He says that these men had no interest to serve; and there is every reason to believe that they acted from a regard for the man and a belief in the goodness of his cause. The chancellor and Chièvres returned; but still Las Casas could make no way in the Council of the Indies. Not daunted, however, his fertile genius and amazing vigor stirred up new means for furthering his cause, and there is thus brought before us one of the most interesting episodes in the whole of this narrative. It has been a common practice at courts to have certain set preachers. For the Spanish court at this time there were eight preachers to the king; and Las Casas bethought himself of laying his troubles and the wrongs of the Indians before these ecclesiastics, and beseeching their favor and assistance. I will here give their names, as I think we ought not to grudge naming men who, though they come but once or twice before us, and speak but a few words in the great drama of history, do so in a way that ought to confer reputation upon them. First, then, there were the Brothers Coronel, Maestro Luis and Maestro Antonio, both very learned men, doctors of the University of Paris; then there was Miguel de Salamanca, also a doctor of the same university, and a master in theology, afterward Bishop of Cuba; then Doctor de la Fuente, a celebrated man in the time of the late Cardinal Ximenes, of his University of Alcalá; then Brother Alonso de Leon, of the Franciscan Order, very learned in theology; Brother Dionysius, of the Order of St. Augustine, “a great preacher and very copious in eloquence:" the names of the other two Las Casas had forgotten. The king's preachers and Las Casas formed a junta of their own. They admitted one or two other religiosos into it, a brother, it was said, of the Queen of Scotland,* being one of them. This last mentioned celo * "Por este tiempo (1516, or early in 1517), vinieron quatorce religiosos de Sant Francisco, todos extrangeros de Picardia, personas muy religiosas, de muchas letras y muy principales, y de gran para emplearse en la conversion de estas gentes, y entre ellos vino un hermano de la Reyna de Escocia (segun se decia) varon de gran autoridad, viejo muy cano y todos ellos de edad madura, y que parecian como unos de los que imaginamos Senadores de Roma."-LAS CASAS, Hist. de las Indias, MS., lib. iii., cap. 94. noble monk was one of those who had come over from Picardy in the year 1516 or 1517, and who himself had gained experience of the proceedings of the Spaniards on the coast of Cumaná. The bold Scot wished to propose to the junta a large question of the most searching and fundamental nature, namely, "With what justice or right an entrance could be made into the Indies after the manner which the Spaniards adopted in entering those countries."* Each day the junta thus constituted met at the monastery of Santa Catalina, and were, as the historian describes, a sort of antagonist council to that held daily on Indian affairs under the auspices of the Bishop of Burgos. They met at the same hour as the Indian council, perhaps the better to evade observation, for I imagine their proceedings were kept quite secret. The conclusion this junta came to was, that they were obliged by the Divine Law to undertake to procure a remedy for the evils of the Indies; and they bound themselves to each other by oath that none of them were to be dismayed or to desist from the undertaking till it should be accomplished. They resolved to begin by "the evangelical form of fraternal correction." First, they would go and admonish the Council of the Indies; if this had no effect, they would then admonish the chancellor; if he were obdurate, they would admonish Monsieur Chièvres; and, if none of these admonitions addressed to the officers of the crown were of any avail, they would finally go to the king and admonish him. * "Y aun les propuso una question diciendo, que con que justicia ó poder se pudo entrar en estas Indias de la manera que los Españoles entraron en ellas."-LAS CASAS, Hist. de las Indias, MS., lib. iii., cap. 132. If all these earthly powers turned a deaf ear to fraternal admonitions, they, the brethren, would then preach publicly against all of these great men, not omitting to give his due share of blame to the king himself.* This resolution, drawn up in writing, they subscribed to; and they swore upon the cross and the Gospels to carry out their resolve. * 66 En tal caso públicamente predicasen contra todos ellos, dando su parte de la culpa al Rey.”—Las Casas, Hist. de las Indias, lib. iii., cap. 132 |