he should do. Accordingly, I convened the superiors of the orders,
and the religious therein who had long resided here, with some very
learned men who came with me. All of them, without one exception, were
of one opinion, a copy of which goes with this letter; your Majesty
will please order it to be examined--although it profits little,
because proclamation of the decree and orders that it be obeyed were
not issued until March of this year. Would to God that it had not
been proclaimed! because before that the masters were afraid, and had
already determined to give their slaves liberty, seeing that they were
urged thereto in the confessional. But when the decree was proclaimed,
and the petition which the city referred to your Majesty was granted,
all returned to their obstinacy. Upon seeing this, I again convened
the fathers and priests, and we agreed to admit the owner of slaves
to confession, but on condition that they make no objection to what
your Majesty may order; or that within two years from the departure
of this ship (the term assigned to them by your Majesty) they should
free the slaves. But I am sure that if your Majesty does not renew
your order the masters would not release them, if two years or even
twenty should pass. It is a great hardship, and a scandal, to have to
deny them confession; and many say that they will not release their
slaves until your Majesty so orders, even though they remain without
confession. The decrees made by the city and by the protector of the
Indians are being sent to you. Your Majesty will order examination
of them, and whatever else may be proper, and command accordingly;
because, although I have been of the opinion that for the present
the masters may be absolved, many of the religious refuse to do so
unless the slaves are first given their liberty.

It is next in order to inform your Majesty of what is done here with
the prelates; [36] it is as follows: When a Spaniard comes to this
country he is at once ordered to serve under the flag, although he
may be a merchant who comes here to buy and sell. The authorities
say that for the present it seems proper to allow the merchants to
depend upon their merchandise, and the encomenderos to live upon
their encomiendas. All the rest live a very poor and wretched life;
for they are not supplied with any provisions, nor do they possess
means to procure food and clothing. Notwithstanding all this, they
are ordered with great severity to