de Arce, bishop
of Zibu, governed this archbishopric; but he did not know of the
said decrees. But as they have come to my notice, and since we are
obliged, both myself and your Paternities, to observe and obey what
his Holiness and his Majesty order in regard to this, as above stated,
we cannot excuse ourselves from immediately putting it into execution.

We shall not be able to delay the observance of the said royal decree,
by saying that since twenty years have passed since its issue,
without having given it a beginning, it will be well to await his
Majesty's will once more; for, besides that things are today in the
same condition as then, it appears that his Majesty, having heard that
the said royal decree was not being observed in Nueva Espana, either
because the bishops had no knowledge of it, or for other reasons,
gave it again to the viceroy, Marquis de Guadalcazar, under date of
November nineteen, six hundred and eighteen, in which, inserting word
for word the first decree above mentioned of November fourteen, six
hundred and three, he orders it to be obeyed in the following words:

"And inasmuch as it is my intention and will that what I have ordained
and ordered in regard to the above be strictly observed and executed,
I order you to examine the said my decree which is here incorporated,
and to observe and obey it _in toto_, according to its contents
and declarations, just as if I were talking with you, and it were
directed to you. Such is my will, notwithstanding that in the lapse
of time, and with the claims of the prelates and missionaries,
it has been winked at or another custom introduced, which shall,
under no circumstance, be in any manner allowed. Given in Madrid,
November nineteen, one thousand six hundred and eighteen.

_I The King_

By order of the king our sovereign:

_Pedro de Ledesma_"

And the archbishop of Mexico having reported to his Majesty that the
above decree of his Majesty of six hundred and eighteen had not been
shown by the viceroy, although he had had it in his possession for some
time, his Majesty despatched other new decrees to the said viceroy and
archbishop, under date of February eighteen and August twenty-five,
six hundred and twenty, in which, he again orders them to observe and
obey the said first decree to the said archbishop, in these words:
"And since your person is authorized, not only by the council of Trent,
but by the declaration of the cardinals, and by comm