3, five hundred thousand natives of
Nicaragua were transported to Peru, where they all perished by incessant
labour in the mines.

In the space of twelve years, from the first landing of Cortez on the
continent of America, to the entire reduction of the populous empire of
Mexico, the amazing number of 4,000,000 of Mexicans perished, through
the unparalleled barbarity of the Spaniards. To come to particulars, the
city of Cholula, consisted of 30,000 houses, by which its great
population may be imagined. The Spaniards seized on all the inhabitants,
who refusing to turn Roman catholics, as they did not know the meaning
of the religion they were ordered to embrace, the Spaniards put them all
to death, cutting to pieces the lower sort of people, and burning those
of distinction.

CHAPTER XI.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE PERSECUTIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND PRIOR TO THE
REIGN OF QUEEN MARY I.

Gildas, the most ancient British writer extant, who lived about the time
that the Saxons left the island of Great Britain, has drawn a most
shocking instance of the barbarity of those people.

The Saxons, on their arrival, being heathens like the Scots and Picts,
destroyed the churches and murdered the clergy wherever they came: but
they could not destroy christianity, for those who would not submit to
the Saxon yoke, went and resided beyond the Severn. Neither have we the
names of those christian sufferers transmitted to us, especially those
of the clergy.

The most dreadful instance of barbarity under the Saxon government, was
the massacre of the monks of Bangor, A. D. 586. These monks were in all
respects different from those men who bear the same name at present.

In the eighth century, the Danes, a roving crew of barbarians, landed in
different parts of Britain, both in England and Scotland.

At first they were repulsed, but in A. D. 857, a party of them landed
somewhere near Southampton, and not only robbed the people, but burnt
down the churches, and murdered the clergy.

In A. D. 868, these barbarians penetrated into the centre of England,
and took up their quarters at Nottingham; but the English, under their
king Ethelfrid, drove them from their posts, and obliged them to retire
to Northumberland.

In 870, another body of these barbarians landed at Norfolk, and engaged
in battle with the English at Hertford. Victory declared in favour of
the pagans, who took Edmund, king of the East Angles, prisoner, and
after t