ABSTRACT
Tears of the Indies, or Inquisition for Blood: being the Relation of the Spanish Massacre There In 1492. De las Casas emphasized the contrast between peaceful Indigenous peoples and rapacious Spanish settlers whose obsession with wealth led them to enslave and work locals to death. Baptismal water is just water on the body, providing no spiritual benefit if the soul has received the faith. People say that the priests only go to the slave ships out of courtesy or personal interest, the slaves receive catechism, faith, hope, or penitence. The two passages above come from an English translation prepared by John Phillips, a nephew of English poet John Milton, a century Bartolomé de las Casas’ text was first published in Spain. Because it is truly necessary that they come into our districts, for it happened that since the arrival of the bishop whom you sent, named fray Francisco Toral, he brought and distributed black[-robed] padres; they are falsely named clergymen.
