st happy
and invincible king, to whom may God grant a long life and an increase
of territory, several pious monks of different orders arrived in New
Spain, who travelled from place to place, preached the gospel to the
inhabitants, and baptized new-born infants. By their unremitted
exertions Christianity became planted in their hearts, so that the
inhabitants came to the confessional once every year; and those who were
better instructed in our Christian faith received the holy communion.
Their churches are very richly ornamented with altars, crucifixes,
candelabras, different-sized chalices, censers, and everything else
required in our religious ceremonies, all of pure silver. The more
wealthy townships have the vestments of choristers, the chasuble and the
full canonicals of a priest, mostly of velvet damask or silk, and of
various colours and manufacture. The flags which hang to the crosses are
of silk, and richly ornamented with gold and pearls. The funeral crosses
are covered with satin, and bear the figure of a death's head and cross
bones; the funeral palls, in some townships, are also more or less
splendid. The churches are likewise provided with a set of bells, have a
regular band of choristers, besides flutes, dulcimers, clarions, and
sackbuts, and some have even organs. I do believe there are more large
and small trumpets in the province of Guatimala, where I am writing
this, than in my native country Old Castile. It is indeed wonderful, and
we cannot thank God too much for it, to behold the Indians assisting in
the celebration of the holy mass, which they particularly do in those
places where the Franciscan friars or the Brothers of Charity officiate
at the altar.

It was also a great blessing for the Indians that the monks taught them
to say their prayers in their own language, and frequently to repeat
them. The monks have altogether so accustomed them to reverence
everything relating to religion, that they never pass by any altar or
cross without falling down on their knees and repeating a Pater Noster
or an Ave Maria. We also taught the Indians to make wax lights for the
holy service, for, previous to our arrival, they made no manner of use
of their wax. We taught them to be so obedient and respectful to the
monks and priests, that whenever one of these religious men approach a
township the bells are rung, and the inhabitants go out to meet him with
wax-lights in their hands; and they always give him a hosp