from persecuting the Mahometans, he would destroy the holy house at
Jerusalem and the sepulcher of the Redeemer. As can be verified, the
letter contains many profane remarks against Christianity. It was sent
by a Franciscan friar who lived in a monastery on the mount called
Sion, and who was guardian there at Jerusalem. The said pontiff, as
soon as he saw the letter, sent a copy of it to Castilla and Portugal
through the same friar. King Don Manuel, your Majesty's grandfather,
sent the celebrated answer to the pontiff, saying that he gave advice
neither to the Apostolic See nor to the sacred council of cardinals;
but what he answered (and he would do it with all his might) was to
persecute Mahometans forever. He added that the Holy Father was much
to blame for the sultan's pride, since he did not gather and unite
in peaceful alliance the Christian princes, who were divided by wars
in their own interests, and were neglecting so common an interest
as that of undoing the power of Moors and Turks. He also answered
that he understood his father and father-in-law, the Catholic king
Don Fernando, to give the same answer. As I have said before, the
histories of Portugal are full of these old enmities. It seems as if
this evil sect had increased and multiplied in the West as well as
in the islands and countries of the East. Indeed the various causes
for this are to be found in the condition of these regions and in
the measures, decrees, or instructions like those issued for Peru,
Nueva España, and the other Yndias.

Concerning slavery, the main thing to be noticed is that we have
here many kinds of slaves: some are slaves because their fathers
and grandfathers were such; others sold themselves _ad pretium
participandum_, either to make use of the money or to pay their debts;
others were captured in war; others became slaves because, being
orphans, they were held in that condition for food and expenses; others