Advance of the Romish Church.

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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 afterward see proved, that the Church would come forward as the great protector of the Indians, loving them 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 sai 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 à filare, cucire, tessere, & altri opportuni essercitii che se gli appartengono, e sono quasi tutte figliuole de gran Signori, & tra le quale ce ne sono due figliuole del primo Principe di questa Provincia.”

La Lettera mandata dal R. Padre frate FRANCESCO DA BOLOGNa dal India over nova Spagna et della Città di Mexico al R. P. frate Clemente da Monelia. Bologna, s. d.

* "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 GONZALEZ DAVILA, Teatro Eccles., tom. i., p. 27.

It is worthy of notice, that Cortez, who knew 'men well, chose

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Death of the Bishop of Mexico.

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 succoring 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.* Bishop Zumarraga and Domingo de Betanzos as two out of the four executors of his very important will.-See Doc. Inéd., tom. iv., 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 GUATEMALA. DOMINGO DE BETANZOS COMES TO SANTIAGO AND FOUNDS A DOMINICAN CONVENT THERE.-IS OBLIGED TO RETURN TO MEXICO.

Q

UITTING the pleasant paths of humanity and civilization, and passing from the gentle labors of monks and bishops to the arid march of conquest, or to the up-hill 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 Cortez to Honduras. When Pedro de Alvarado heard of that journey, he prepared to go and pay his respects to Cortez, 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 TecpanGuatemala, 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 children, and failed to bring in the required tribute. The extortionate governor punished, or threatened to punish, the adult population. The Guatemalans rebelled. It was not merely a popular tumult, for Sinacam, King of the Kachiquels, and Sequechul,

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Revolt in Guatemala.

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 his journey in time to find Cortez, 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 embarka tion of Cortez. Bernal Diaz, in a very summary manner, speaks of some severe engagements which they had with the 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 Cortez, left Gonzalo to make head against the insurgents, and went on with Luis Marin and his company to Mexico.

The revolt was ultimately quelled by Alvarado and his brothers at the latter end of the year 1526. The Kings Sinacam and Sequechul were made prisoners, and remained in durance many years. The next thing we hear of the restless governor is that he was resolved to go to Spain. He was dissatisfied with the conduct of Cortez toward him, who, he thought, in his dispatches had not sufficiently represented the magnitude of his services to the Spanish court.

Alvarado wished also to hold his government directly from the Emperor, and not as a dependency from Cortez; and, on reaching the court of Spain, he

Marriage of Alvarado in Spain.

287

took the best means to effect his purpose by making an advantageous marriage with a lady related to Francisco de los Cobos, the Emperor's secretary of state. From thence flowed honors and profits to the ambitious Alvarado. He was appointed governor adelantado,* and captain general of Guatemala and its dependencies. He was, moreover, created a Comendadort of the Order of Santiago, and succeeded in procuring a confirmation of the repartimientos of Indians which he had given to himself.

Meanwhile, his infant town of Santiago had, not

* "Adelantado significa, hombre antepuesto, ó preferido como dizen la diction, y la ley primera de la Partida tercera, en el título 4o. En Aragon son llamados sobre junteros, como si dixessen, sobre las juntas, Presidente de las juntas, ó comunidades. Otra ley veinte y dos, tit. 9, Partida 2a, dize :

“Adelantado, tanto quiere dezir, como home metido adelante en algun fecho señalado, por mandado de el Rey: y por este razon el que antiguamente era puesto sobre la tierra grande, llamáronlo en Latin Prases provinciæ:. ...En otra ley, secunda, tit. 9, Partida 2a, es llamado, Adelentado, ó Præfectus Legionis, el Capitan General. Segun esto, el Adelantado en la paz es Presidente, y Justicia mayor de algun Reyno, provincia, ó districto: y en la guerra el Capitan General."--PEDRO SALAZAR DE MENDOZA, Origen de las dignidades seglares de Castilla y Leon, cap. 14, p. 61. Toledo, 1618. See also LoRENZO DE SANTAYANA Y BUSTILLO, Los Magistrados y Tribunales de España, tom. i., cap 4, p. 63. Zaragoza, 1751.

What Las Casas's opinion was of the adelentados who had been appointed in his time for services in the New World, may be seen from the following words:

Entre otras mercedes que se les hacian era communente hacellos Adelantados, y porque se adelantavan en hacer males, y daños tan gravísimos á gentes pacíficas que ni los habian offendido, ni algo les devian, con los mismos adelantamientos que procuraron, hallaban, y hallaron su muerte, como la gallina escarvando el cuchillo."-LAS CASAS, Hist. de las Indias, lib. iii., cap. 117.

†This title he had long enjoyed as a nickname, for wearing an old cloak of his uncle's, who had been a comendador; the mark of the cross on the cloak not being worn out, the soldiers called Alvarado the Comendador.