Page:A New Survey of the West Indies or The English American his Travel by Sea and Land.djvu/37

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Chap. IV.
of the West-Indies.
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betwixt these two sorts of Spaniards, made the Criolio's so ready to join against the Marquess of Gelves Viceroy of Mexico, in the Tumult and Mutiny of that City, wherein they cleaving to Don Alonso de Zerna, the Arch Bishop caused the Viceroy to escape for his life by flight, and would then have utterly rooted out the Spanish Government, had not some Priests disswaded them from it; but of this I shall speak more largely hereafter. The cause of this deadly hatred hath proceeded from a jealousie which the Spaniards have ever had of the Criolio's, that they would fain withdraw themselves first from the Commerce with Spain, and secondly, from the Government which is laid upon them; which is such, that the Criolo's must be always under, and a subject, always governed, but scarce any a Governour. Never yet was there seen any Criolio made Viceroy of Mexico, or Peru; or President of Guatemala, or Santafe, or S.Domingo, or Governour of Yucatcan, Cartagena, Havana, or Alcalde, Major (as they call them) of Soconusco, Chiapa, San Salvador, and such like places of credit. So likewise in the Courts of Chancery, as S. Domingo, Mexico, Guatemala, Lima, and the rest, where commonly there are Six, called Oydores and one Fiscal, scarce one of them to be found a Criolio, or Native of the Country; though there be among them those that descended of the chief Conquerors; as in Lima and Peru the Pizarros, in Mexico and Guaxaca the house of the Marquess Dell Valle, Ferdinando Cortes his Successors, others of the house of Giron, others of the house of Aluarado, others of the Gusmanes, finally many of the chiefest houses of Spain; yet none of these ever preferred to any dignity. And not only thus are they kept from Offices, but daily affronted by the Spaniards as uncapable of any Government, and termed half Indians by them.

Which general contempt hath also spread it self in the Church, where no Criolio Priest is scarce ever preferred to be a Bishop, or Canon in a Cathedral Church, but all such as come from Spain. So likewise in the Religious Orders they have many years indeavored to keep under and suppress such as have been admitted to their Orders of the Natives of the Country, lest the number of them should prevail against

C 3
those