304 Letters from the two Bishops. B. XV. which, he says, some of them have been "inhuCh. 3. manly put to death by their fathers; but they live crowned in glory with Christ." Tlascala's peroration. The Bishop of Tlascala brings his letter to a Bishop of conclusion by saying, in a fine metaphorical strain, "We shall strike at the walls of the demons with a double battering ram, if we rescue the native Indians from the possession which of old these demons have had over them, and if, at the same time, with the gold gotten in the Indies, we can drive them from the bounds of Europe" (he alludes to the war against the Turks); and he ends by imploring the Pope not to fail in sending money and soldiers-he means monks (for the Bishop keeps up the military metaphor)-lest any blame should be imputed to His Holiness for neglect of this great duty. details in The Bishop of Mexico, whose letter is less Practical ambitious, gives us an account that shows the the Bishop manner in which those great spiritual changes letter. had been brought about. He tells his Franciscan of Mexico's brethren how each convent of their Order has a building attached to it in which the Indian children are taught, where there are a school, a dormitory, and a chapel ;* and he proceeds to celebrate the merits of Peter of Ghent, who, he says, has charge of more than six hundred boys. The Empress also has sent six women to teach the girls, and has commanded a great building to be Advance of the Romish Church. 305 Ch. 3. constructed which will hold a thousand children.* B. XV. "Brother Peter of Ghent," the Bishop mentions, takes great interest in promoting the marriage of the young men and maidens whom he has had under his care. Teaching them well what are the duties of matrimony, he makes them marry on festival days with much solemnity.† The facts narrated in the episcopal letters afford a clear view of the gradual advance of the Romish Church in these regions; and we may easily infer, what we shall afterwards see * This statement is not found in DAVILA, but appears in the copy of the letter given by TORQUEMADA (Monarquia Indiana, lib. 20, cap. 33). These copies differ considerably: they are probably extracts translated from a Latin original. It appears from the following passage of Francesco da Bologna's letter, that two daughters of Montezuma were among the young women educated by the matrons sent from Spain, according to the instructions of the Empress. I think there is evidence to show that the Empress, during her regency, gave much attention to the affairs of the Indies: : opportuni essercitii che se gli La Lettera mandata dal R. "Entre los Frayles mas aprovechados en la Lengua de los Naturales, ay uno particular, llamado Fray Pedro de Gante Lego, tiene cuydado de mas de seiscientas niñas, y cierto es un principal Paraninfo, que industria los moços, y mozas que se han de casar, en las cosas de Nuestra Fe Christiana y como se han de aver en el Santo Matrimonio, y enseñados, los haze casar en los dias de fiesta, con mucha solenidad."-GIL GON "Circa d'instruere le donne, noi habbiamo fatto venire matrone assai di Spagna, quali sono del Terzo ordine nostro, e fanno le schuole di Donzelle simile alle nostre, & dicono l'officio della gloriosa Vergine Maria, come fanno li frati, & le insegnano ZALEZ DAVILA, Teatro Eccles., à filare, cucire, tessere, & altri | tom. 1, p. 27. 306 Death of the Bishop of Mexico. Ch. the great protector of the Indians. B. XV. proved, that the Church would come forward as the great protector of the Indians, loving them The Church much as converts, more as pupils, and having that general feeling of humanity and philanthropy which learning and devout study tend to foster. The soldier, in those days, was apt to consider the Indian as a fierce and yet cowardly enemy, or as a mere slave; the priest looked upon the same Indian as a possible Christian, who would be more docile and devout than the priest's own fellow-countrymen, the Spaniards. Of the excellent Bishop of Mexico,* whose letter has thus thrown some light upon this period, I find that, after a life spent in active goodness, he died in the year 1548, burdened with many debts, contracted in founding churches and succouring the poor, all which debts the Emperor-who, throughout the course of Indian legislation, always comes forward as a good and true king—took upon himself, and caused to be paid from his own revenues.† *It is worthy of notice, that Cortes, who knew men well, chose Bishop Zumarraga and Domingo de Betanzos as two out of the four executors of his very important will.-See Doc. Inéd, tom. 4, p. 275. "Murió con muchas deudas, contraidas en fundar Iglesias, y socorrer á sus pobres. El Emperador mandó que se pagassen, por Cédula dada en 7 de Julio de 1549." GIL GONZALEZ DAVILA, Teatro Eccles., tom. I, p. 28. CHAPTER IV. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TOWN OF SANTIAGO IN Q GUATEMALA DOMINGO DE BETANZOS COMES TO SANTIAGO AND FOUNDS A DOMINICAN CON- VENT THERE MEXICO. UITTING the pleasant paths of humanity B. XV. and civilization, and passing from the Ch. 4. gentle labours of monks and bishops to the arid march of conquest, or to the uphill and thorny ways of colonization on which ordinary men follow with new difficulties their usual life of gain and of self-interest, it becomes our duty to return to the affairs of Guatemala. These were in an indirect way much affected by the journey of Cortes to Honduras. When Pedro de Alvarado heard of that journey, he prepared to go and pay his respects to Cortes, leaving his brother, Gonzalo, as Lieutenant-Governor. The unvaried tradition of the Indians states that the Lieutenant-Governor imposed upon the inhabitants of Patinamit, or Tecpan-Guatemala, a burden that could not be borne. It was that a number of children, boys and girls (one account says 800), should, each of them, bring him daily a reed full of golden grains. The children played about, like B. XV. children, and failed to bring in the required Ch. 4. tribute. The extortionate Governor punished, or threatened to punish, the adult population. The Revolt in Guatemalans rebelled. It was not merely a popu1526. lar tumult, for Sinacam, King of the Kachiquels, Guatemala. meets Luis Marin. with the and Sequechul, King of the Quichés, joined in it. The whole country, with the exception of one faithful cacique, was in full and determined revolt. The Spanish inhabitants of Guatemala were for some time in the greatest peril; and it seemed not unlikely that the conquest would have to be made over again. Meanwhile, Pedro de Alvarado had not made Alvarado his journey in time to find Cortes, but had met with Luis Marin and a party of Spanish soldiers (among whom was the historian, Bernal Diaz), who were returning by land from Truxillo to Mexico, after the embarkation of Cortes. Bernal Diaz, in a very summary manner, speaks of some Battles severe engagements which they had with the revolters. Guatemalans, and of a futile attempt on the part of Pedro de Alvarado to conclude a peace with the Kings Sequechul and Sinacam. At Olintepeque, Pedro de Alvarado rejoined his brother Gonzalo and the main body of his troops. The Governor, a very different man from Cortes, left Alvarado Gonzalo to make head against the insurgents, Mexico. and went on with Luis Marin and his company to Mexico. goes to Nov. 22, 1526. The revolt was ultimately quelled by Alvarado and his brothers, at the latter end of the year 1526. The kings, Sinacam and Sequechul, were |