I, Miles Phillips, And William Lowe Were Appointed To The Black Friars,
Where I Was Appointed To Be An Overseer
Of Indian workmen, who wrought
there in building a new church, amongst which Indians I learned their
language or Mexican
Tongue very perfectly, and had great familiarity
with many of them, whom I found to be a courteous and loving kind of
people, ingenious, and of great understanding, and they hate and abhor
the Spaniards with all their hearts. They have used such horrible
cruelties against them, and do still keep them in such subjection and
servitude, that they and the negroes also do daily lie in wait to
practice their deliverance out of that thraldom and bondage that the
Spaniards do keep them in.
William Lowe, he was appointed to serve the cook in the kitchen;
Richard Williams and David Alexander were appointed to the Grey Friars;
John Storey and Robert Cooke to the White Friars; Paul Horsewell the
Secretary took to be his servant; Thomas Hull was sent to a monastery
of priests, where afterward he died. Thus we served out the years that
we were condemned for, with the use of our fools' coats, and we must
needs confess that the friars did use us very courteously, for every
one of us had his chamber, with bedding and diet, and all things clean
and neat; yea, many of the Spaniards and friars themselves do utterly
abhor and mislike of that cruel Inquisition, and would as they durst
bewail our miseries, and comfort us the best they could, although they
stood in such fear of that devilish Inquisition that they durst not let
the left hand know what the right doeth.
Now after that the time was expired for which we were condemned to
serve in those religious houses, we were then brought again before the
Chief Inquisitor, and had all our fools' coats pulled off and hanged up
in the head church, called Ecclesia Majora, and every man's name and
judgment written thereupon with this addition - HERETIC LUTHERAN
RECONCILED. And there are also all their coats hanged up which were
condemned to the galleys, with their names and judgments, and
underneath his coat, HERETIC LUTHERAN RECONCILED. And also the coats
and names of the three that were burned, whereupon were written, AN
OBSTINATE HERETIC LUTHERAN BURNT. Then were we suffered to go up and
down the country, and to place ourselves as we could, and yet not so
free but that we very well knew that there was a good espial always
attending us and all our actions, so that we durst not once to speak or
look awry. David Alexander and Robert Cooke they returned to serve the
Inquisitor, who shortly after married them both to two of his negro
women; Richard Williams married a rich widow of Biskay with four
thousand pezoes; Paul Horsewell is married to a Mestiza, as they name
those whose fathers were Spaniards and their mothers Indians, and this
woman which Paul Horsewell hath married is said to be the daughter of
one that came in with Hernando Cortes, the Conqueror, who had with her
in marriage four thousand pezoes and a fair house; John Storie he is
married to a negro woman; William Lowe had leave and licence to go into
Spain, where he is now married.
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