[Illustration: Paul III..]

Paul III.

From an engraving by Vincenzo Crispino after the portrait by Titian.

The satisfaction of Las Casas with this authoritative pronouncement from
the supreme head of Christendom may be easily imagined, for it reads not
unlike some of his own compositions. He translated the Latin text into
Spanish and supplied copies to all the governors and chief persons in
those colonies, so that the decision and commands of the Pontiff might be
perfectly understood by every one.

To one of his projects for civilising and converting the Indians more
rapidly, the cacique was very reluctant to agree; this was that they
should quit their semi-nomadic life and their custom of living in small
scattered groups throughout the country, and come together in towns and
villages. They were so much attached to the independence and freedom of
their mountains, that it was easier for the natives to renounce their
religion, to which indeed they seemed to have little attachment, than to
abandon the ancient customs of their race. Their resistance to this
innovation risked losing all that had been accomplished, for they were
prepared rather to fight than to yield on this point. By his quiet
persistence, however, Las Casas succeeded in starting a village of one
hundred houses at a place called Rabinal, whose familiar name he wisely
refrained from changing, and little by little, even the natives of Coban,
who were the least amenable, were attracted by the novelty, and came to
inspect the new system, with which those who had adopted it were
delighted, as they could thus hear mass every day and enjoy the discourses
and conversation of the friars, of which they seem never to have tired.
Fray Luis now joined Las Casas at Rabinal, from whence he repeated his
former visits to various places through-out the neighbouring country. The
friars were obliged to learn the language or dialect of Coban in order to
enter into relations with its people, the most savage of all the tribes in
those parts.

The Bishop Marroquin had meanwhile returned from Mexico and Pedro de
Alvarado, the captain, who distinguished himself during the conquest of
Mexico by his rashness and cruelties, was now the lieutenant of the
Emperor in Guatemala, and to these authorities Las Casas wished to render
an account of what had been accomplished. To give a more striking proof
of the condition of things i