Page:A New Survey of the West Indies or The English American his Travel by Sea and Land.djvu/38

 those that are brought from Spain; they have been very nice in choosing of them, and though they have been forced to admit of some, yet still the Provincials, the Priors, and all Superiors have been Spaniards born in Spain. Till now lately some Provinces have got the upper hand and prevailed against the Spaniards, and have so filled their Cloisters with Criolios or Natives, that they have utterly refused to admit the supplies of Spanish missions which formerly were sent unto them, and till this day are sent to others. In the Province of Mexico there are Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustines, Carmelites, Mercenarians and Jesuites, whereof the Jesuites and Carmelites only to this day prevail against Criolio's, bringing every two or three years Missions from Spain. The last Mission that was sent to the Mercenarians was the year 1625, and then was the opposition such between that Mission and the Criolio's, that in the Election of the next Provincial in their Cloister of Mexico, the Friers drew knives one against another, and were like to kill each other, had not the Viceroy gone to their Cloister to make Peace, and Imprison some of them. Yet at last by the multitude of voices the Native party prevailed, and till this day have exempted themselves from Spanish Missions, alledging (as others have done) that they have Friers enough in their Cloisters, and need none to be sent them from Spain; submitting themselves to the Pope, and presenting to him as stately gifts as ever Spaniards did before them. In the Province of Guaxaca none admit of Missionaries from Spain; true it is, the Dominicans are but newly subdued by the Criolian party; and as yet are strongly pleading at Rome for Spanish Friers, alledging that the glory and lustre of their Religion hath been much blurred since the non-admittance of supplies of their Zealous Compatriots. The Province of Guatemala, (which is of a large extent) containing Guatemala, Chiapa, the Zoques, part of Tabasco, the Zaldales, the Sacapulas, the Vera Paz, all the Coast lying to the South Sea, Suchutepeques and Soconusco, Comayagua, Honduras, S. Salvador, Nicaragua, hath in it these Orders chiefly, Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustines, (who are subject to Mexico being one poor Cloister in Guatemala) Jesuites also in Guate-