eturn to Santiago, where, as may be imagined, his
companions received him with the greatest joy.

As the rainy season was over at the end of October, the moment for
visiting Tuzulatlan was favourable, and Las Casas determined to go himself
and visit the newly converted cacique. It was December when he and Fray
Pedro de Angulo arrived in the Quiche country, where the cacique, who
since his baptism was known as Don Juan, showed them the same hospitality
as he had to Fray Luis. While some of the Indians received them as
messengers bringing glad tidings, there were others who cast epicurean
glances upon them and decided that they would taste well served with a
sauce of chili. (49)

The introduction of the new religion had not been effected without
opposition and the Indians of Coban had even burned the first church.
Another was soon built, however, in which the two friars said mass daily,
preaching afterwards in the open air to immense assemblies of people.

Don Juan was at first unwilling that the friars should penetrate farther
into the country, fearing that some of the people, who adhered to the old
customs and were hostile to the Spaniards might attack them, but he
finally withdrew his objections and formed a guard of his bravest
warriors, to whom he confided the safety of his guests. Thus escorted,
they traversed all the provinces of Tuzulatlan and Coban where, contrary
to the cacique's apprehensions, they encountered only the most friendly
treatment.

At this juncture a Bull of Paul III. (Farnese) which was designed to put
an end to further disputes concerning the status of the Indians, by
defining their rights once for all, arrived in America. (50)

This Bull was issued in reply to letters sent to the Pope by the Bishop of
Tlascala, begging his Holiness to decide the vexed question of the status
of the Indians, and was based on the Scriptural text _Euntes docete omnes
gentes_. The Pope declared the Indians to be rational beings, possessed
of liberty and free-will and therefore susceptible to receive the gospel,
which must be preached to them in obedience to the divine commands. He
condemned in severe terms those who enslaved the Indians and pretended to
deny their capacity to become Christians. A pontifical brief was at the
same time addressed to the Cardinal-Archbishop of Toledo, confirming the
sense of the Bull and commending the Emperor's condemnation of slavery in
his American possessions.