r Sovereign Lord _Charles_ the Fifth,
Emperour and King of _Spain_, our Lord and Prince, who begins to be
sensible of the Wickedness and Treacheries, which have been, and still
are committed against this Miserable Nation, and distressed Countries
contrary to the Will and Pleasure of God, as well as His Majesties that
he will in time, (for hitherto the Truth hath been concealed and kept
from his Knowledge, with as great Craft, as Fraud and Malice) totally
extirpate and root up all these Evils and Mischiefs, and apply such
proper Medicines as may purge the Morbifick and peccant Humours in the
Body Politick of this New World, committed to his Care and Government
as a Lover and Promoter of Peace and Tranquility. God preserve and
bless him with Renown and a happy Life in his Imperial State, and
prosper him in all his Attempts, that he may remedy the Distempers of
the Christian Church, and Crown him at last with Eternal Felicity,
_Amen_.

After I had published this Treatise, certain Laws and Constitutions,
enacted by his Majesty then at _Baraclona_ in the Month of _December,
An. Dom._ 1542, promulgated and published the Year ensuing in the City
of _Madera_, whereby it is provided, (as the present Necessities
requir'd) that a period be put to such great Enormities and Sins, as
were committed against God and our Neighbours, and tended to the utter
Ruine and Perdition of this New World. These Laws were published by
his Majesties Order, several Persons of highest Authority, Councellors,
Learned, and Conscientious Men, being assembled together for that
purpose, and many Debates made at _Valedolid_ about this weighty
Affair, at length by the unanimous Consent and Advice of all those who
had committed their Opinions to Writing, they were made publick who
traced more closely therein the Laws of Christ and Christianity, and
were judged Persons pure, free from and innocent of that stain and
blemish of depriving the _Indians_ of their Treasures by Theft and
Rapine, which Riches had contaminated and sullied the Hands, but much
more the Souls of those who were enslav'd by those heaps of Wealth and
Covetousness, now this obstinate and hot pursuit after Wealth was the
Original of all those Evils committed without the least Remorse or
Check of Conscience.

These Laws being thus promulgated, the _Courtiers_ who promoted these
Tyrants, took care that several Copies should be transcribed, (though
they were extremely afflicted to see, that t