Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/116

96 Francisco Verdugo, long connected with the inquisition, and since 1623 bishop of Guamanga in Peru, was appointed his successor at Mexico, but died in August 1636, before the bulls reached him. Meanwhile the archdiocese was administered by Doctor Fernandez de Ipenza, an intimate of Zúñiga, who probably assisted in procuring for him the bishopric of Yucatan; but death overtook Ipenza before consecration. The next appointee to the prelacy of Mexico was a creole, Feliciano de la Vega, born at Lima and there educated. His great learning and brilliant talents procured prompt recognition, and he became successively governor of the Lima archdiocese and bishop of Popayan and of La Paz. The latter appointment was conferred in 1639 and in the same year came his promotion to Mexico. On arriving at Acapulco early in December 1640 he was seized with fever from which he died within a few days, to the regret of the creole population at least, who were naturally eager to see installed as leading prelate one of their own class, though born in a distant land.