pooreft description. Being fully intent upon the work they had taken upon them, they would foon have comprehended, from their own observation, the extent of evil in the state of things about them; but their infight into the treatment of the Indians was rapidly enlarged and confirmed by the acquifition of a new lay-brother. This was a man who had murdered his wife, an Indian woman, and then had fled to the woods, where he remained two years; but on the arrival of the Dominicans in the island, he fought what refuge 1511. minicans from his fin and his forrow could be found under The Dothe fhadow of their order. This man recounted to his brethren the cruelties he had been witnefs preach try to down In ry. of: which narration may have brought them dian slavefooner to the determination they now came to; namely, to make a folemn protest, against the ways of their countrymen with the Indians. The good monks determined that their proteft should express the general opinion of their body; and they accordingly agreed upon a discourse to be preached before the inhabitants of St. Domingo, and figned their names to it. The fathers refolved that Brother Antonio Montefino should be the person to preach it; a man, we are told, of great afperity in reprehending vice. In order to enfure a fit attendance on the occafion, the monks Father Antonio's fermon. took care to let the principal perfons of St Domingo know, that some address of a remarkable kind (which concerned them much) was to be made to them, and their attendance was requested. The Sunday came; Father Antonio afcended the pulpit, and took for his text a portion of the gofpel of the day, "I am the voice of one crying " in the wilderness." We have only a short account of the fermon; but we may imagine that it was an energetic difcourse: for indeed, when anybody has anything to say, he can generally say it worthily. And here, instead of nice points of doctrine (over which, and not unreasonably, men can become eloquent, ingenious, wrathful, intenfe) was an evil uplifting itself before the eyes of all men, and respecting which neither preacher nor hearers could entrench themselves behind generalities. He told them that the sterile defert was an image of the state of their confciences: and then he declared with very piercing and terrible words" (palabras muy pungitivas y terribles) that " the voice" pronounced that they were living in “mortal fin” by reason of their tyranny to these innocent people, the Indians. What authority was there for the impofition of this fervitude? what just ground for these wars? How could the colonists rightly infift upon fuch cruel labours as they did from the Indians; neglecting all care of them both in the things of heaven and those of earth? Such Spaniards had no more chance of falvation than Moors, or Turks. We shall but put a worthy ending to Father Antonio's fermon, if we conclude with fome words from a very renowned preacher on the fame fubject and a like occafion. "But you will fay "to me, this people, this republic, this state can"not be supported without Indians. Who is to bring us a pitcher of water, or a bundle of "wood? Who is to plant our mandioc? Must "our wives do it? Muft our children do it? In "the first place, as you will presently see, these "are not the straits in which I would place you: “but if neceffity and conscience require it, then I reply, yes! and I repeat it, yes! you and your "wives and your children ought to do it! We "ought to support ourselves with our own hands; "for better is it, to be fupported by the sweat of " one's own brow than by another's blood. O ye "riches of Maranham! What if these mantles " and cloaks were to be wrung? they would drop "blood."* * Vieyra's first fermon at St. Luiz. A.D. 1653, quoted in Southey's History of Brazil, vol. 2, p. 479. R I almost hear during the discourse, the occafional clang of arms as men turned angrily about to one another, and vowed that this must not go on any longer. They heard the discourse out, however, and went to dinner. After dinner, the principal perfons conferred together for a short time, and then fet off for the monaftery, to make a fierce remonstrance. When they had come to the monaftery, which, from its poor conftruction, might rather have been called a shed than a monaftery, the Vicar, Peter de Cordova, received them and liftened to their complaint. They infifted upon feeing the preacher, Father Antonio, declaring that he had preached "delirious "" things," and that he must make retractation next Sunday. A long parley took place, in the course of which Peter de Cordova told them that the fermon was not the words of one man, but of the whole Dominican community. The angry deputation exclaimed, that if Father Antonio did not unfay what he had faid, the monks had better get ready their goods to embark for Spain. "Of a truth, my Lords," replied the Vicar, "that will give us little trouble;" which was true enough, for (as Las Cafas tells us) all that the monks poffeffed,—their books, clothes, and vestments for the mafs,-might have gone into two trunks. At laft the colonists went away, upon the understanding that the matter would be touched upon next Sunday, and, as the remonstrants supposed, an ample apology would be offered them. Antonio's fermon. The next Sunday came: there was no occafion this time to invite anybody to come to church, for all the congregation were anxious to come, rejoicing in being about to hear an apology to themselves from the pulpit. After mass, Father Antonio was again feen walking to the pulpit, and he gave out the text from the 36th chapter of Job, the 3rd verfe: "Repetam fci- Father "entiam meam a principio et operatorem meum fecond "probabo juftum." Thofe of his audience who understood Latin, and were perfons of any acuteness, perceived immediately what would be the drift of this fermon-no whit lefs unfavoury to them than the laft. And fo it was. Father Antonio only repeated his former facts, clenched his former arguments, and infifted upon his former conclufion. Moreover, he added that the Dominicans would not confefs any man who made incurfions amongst the Indians, and this the colonifts might publish, and write to whom they pleased at Caftile. The congregation heard Father Antonio out; and this time they did not go to |