IN THE EAST AND WEST INDIES.                                 4^7
è odious to the Almighty, it belongs to him to cruSh book
5 them with his thunder. He hath borne with them , v> ,
' for a great number of years, and ftill continues to
•  bear with them, and yet you torment them.   If it
•  were his will to condemn them to eternal punifli-.
' ments on the terrible day of his vengeance, does
' it belong to you to accelerate their chaftifement !
' Why Should you deprive them of the inftant of re-
•  pentance, which perhaps awaits them, in the de-
' cline of life, in the hour of danger, or the period
' of ficknefs ? But infamous wretches as ye are, dif-
' folute priefts, and libidinous monks, were not your
' crimes fufficient to ftir up the anger of Heaven?
•  Corred yourfelves ; proftrate yourfelves at the foot
k of the altars, cover yourfelves with fackcloth and
' alhes ; implore the mercy of the Moft High, rather
4 than employ yourfelves in leading to the Stake a
' number of innocent perfons, whofe death, far from
' wiping away your crimes, will only increafe the
! number of them, by thirty-eight more, for which
' you will never be forgiven. To appeafe the Deity, ye
•  burn mankind ! Are ye Worshippers of Moloch ?' But
ye hear me not; and the unfortunate vidims of your
fuperftitious cruelty are already caft into the flames.
Soon after this, the New Mexico, which was bor-
dering and dependent upon the Old, was aftlided
with a calamity of another kind. This vaft region,
fituated, for the moft part, under the temperate zone,
was for a time unknown to the ravagers of America.
The miffionary Ruys firft penetrated into it in 1580.
He was foon after followed by the captain Efpajo,
and, laftly, by John d'Onafte; who by a feries of
labours begun in 1599, and terminated in 1611, fuc-
ceeded in opening fome mines, in multiplying cattle
and means of fubfiftence, and in fettling firmly the
Spanish dominion. The order, he had established was
disturbed in 1652 by civil commotions. In the courfe
of thefe animofities, Rofas the commandant was af-
faffinated ; and his friends, who attempted to avenge
his death, perished after him. Thefe ads of violenc*
Vol II.                                      D d