supreme, subject only to the throne.[1] Carried away by excessive zeal in the friars' cause, he exhibits likewise great animosity toward the public officials in general — Viceroy Velasco only excepted — and all Spaniards living in Mexico who were not friars. He speaks of the discontent prevailing among the religious orders, all members of whom, he asserts, were anxious to abandon a field in which their services were considered no longer useful. Things had come to such a pass, in his opinion, that the 'friar had lost all heart for his work,[2] the old fervor having died away, both on the part of the missionaries and the recently converted natives.
The position of the friars during this period was, indeed, an unenviable one, and so effectively had the church and audiencia represented them to the throne that certain cédulas were issued against them which caused serious loss of influence. In fact, both Spaniards and Indians openly displayed their lack of reverence.[3] Even Bishop Quiroga, who had been a warm supporter of the orders, now as warmly defended his prerogatives in this ecclesiastical warfare, and would have closed the Augustinian convents
- ↑ 'No sea reino diviso con muchas cabezas . . . Quiero decir que su visorey, mes su nombre y titulo denota que es imágen del rey y que tiene las veces y lugar del rey, de facto lo sea, y no lo supedite, ni apoque, ni deshaga lo que él hace . . . . otro que el mismo rey.' Id., 530.
- ↑ 'Dicen que ya: ni aun confesar ni predicar, sino meterse en un rinçon, y lo ponen por obra.' Id., 517; Prov. del S. Evang., MS., No. 16, 201-6. The Franciscan friar Mena also reported to the king, relative to the existing management of affairs, that 'si en esto no se pone remedio, téngase por cierto, que los religiosos dejarán la tierra.' Mena, Gobierno, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xi. 190, 192, And he adds that it would be well if the king sent for the archbishop and retained him in Spain, as had been done with Las Casas, and thus prevent him from doing further mischief.
- ↑ Martin Cortés, writing in October 1563, says: 'Desde que comenzaron á venir estas cédulas, estaban los españoles tan contentos, y les habian perdido el respeto . . . diciendo y dando á entender á los indios que habian de quitar todos los frailes desta tierra,' and adds that the consequence was that many Indians 'les perdian el respeto y reverencia que les solian tener.' Carta, in Pacheco and Cardenas, Col. Doc., iv. 454-5. 'Aora estan tan predicados que el fraile | no tiene q entremeterse en sus negocios, ni que dezirles como han de viuir.' Franciscanos, Abandono, in Prov. S. Evang., No. 12, 169-70.
males que de ella se siguen, que yo tuviera por mas seguro para la conciencia de 8. M. dejar á estos naturales penitus sin justicia ni hombre que la adiministrara que habérsela dado de la arte y manera que ahora la tienen.' Id., 532.
