Page:Vol 2 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/697

Rh Thus for a time the rule of the rack was quite benignant. But when a generation had passed away and Christianity had planted firmly her foothold in the conquered country, apostasy was regarded as without excuse. Moreover, the land was full of adventurers who scoffed at religion and interfered with the work of conversion. Philip was a most Catholic king, and with the effect of Luther's preaching before him he would, if possible, save his American dominions from the sanguinary religious wars then desolating Europe. Thus it came about that a regular tribunal of the inquisition was sent out to New Spain in 1571, there to be received with demonstrations of joy and beasts. Cogolludo says nothing about the punishment inflicted on the culprits who did not hang themselves. But he assures us that for many years after that bright example of Christian charity, cases of idolatry were never again heard of. The blessed father was called cruel, but what of that? Doctor Don Pedro Sanchez de Aguilar, whoever he might be, held a very different opinion on his action in the report he made against the idolaters of the country. ''Cogollvdo, Hist. Yuc.,'' 309-10. The visitador Vivanco reported to the crown in 1503 that the provincial had the victims subjected to the torture of cord and water; triced up with weights of from 50 to 75 pounds attached to their feet, and then flogged; he also had their flesh burned with flames or with hot wax; he made them suffer in various other cruel ways, all without any trial having been given them. The result was that the unfortunates in their horrible agony would confess offences they had never committed, among them idolatrous rites. In this way many idols were brought to light which they had possessed before their conversion, and whose existence they had almost forgotten. Many Indians perished, and others were maimed for life. These cruelties were continued till Bishop Toral arrived in August and stopped them. Petitioners begged in the name of humanity and of the hapless sufferers that such miscreant tormentors should be punished, and taken away from Yucatan. Bibanco, Carta al Rey, in Cartas de Ind., 392-6. The alcalde mayor in his report corroborates much of the above, of course covering his own procedure, and adding that upwards of 2,000,000 idols were found, some old and others new, besmeared with blood. Six Indians hanged themselves and two others committed suicide in prison. Quixada, Carta al Rey, March 15, 1563, in Cartas de Ind., 382-3. Rodriguez Vivanco, official defender of the Indians, supported their complaints that the charge of apostasy had not been well founded, and that the proceedings had been excessively cruel: 'hagan allá penitencia Fr Diego de Landa y sus compañeros, del mal que hizieron en nosotros, que hasta la quarta generaçion se acordarán nuestros descendientes de la gran persecucion que por ellos nos vino.' ''Yucatan, Carta de los indios gobernad. de varias prov., al Rey, in Cartas de Ind.,'' 407-10. However, in 1567 ten caciques prayed the king to give them Franciscans, for whom they expressed a strong preference, that being the order from which they first received baptism. Carta de diez caciques d S. M. al Rey, in Cartas de Ind., 367-8, and fac-sim. U. I cannot find that the complaints were heeded or the grievances redressed; on the contrary, it is seen that the man complained against was placed in a higher position than ever. Calle gives a royal order of July 25, 1586, prescribing means to be taken for the extirpation of idolatry among the Indians.