42

The progress made by the Franciscans had ensured to them at the close of the sixteenth century an influential position which was further developed in the following years. From their first entry into New Spain their aim had been the extension of their order throughout the entire country; and not confining themselves to any special district, their convents were found in almost every town or pueblo of importance, though naturally those in the capital and neighborhood were most prominent." At the beginning of the seventeenth century the extension of the order had assumed such dimensions that, in 1604, the provincia de San Francisco de los Zacatecas was established, and in 1607 that of Santiago of Jalisco. To illustrate how vast was the influence of the Franciscan provincials at Mexico, I may mention that on several occasions the king requested them to support viceroys in their administration.43 Indeed, such was the appreciation of the order by the crown, that the authorities in New Spain were instructed not to interfere in the least with its internal government. While the Franciscans were thus steadily gaining ground in Mexico and its environs, their progress encountered more serious obstacles in the missionary field of the central and northern regions. Effective aid in this direction was obtained from the Franciscan college for missionaries of Querétaro, established in 1683, under the name of Colegio de propaganda fide, by Fray Antonio Linaz de Jesus María. 45

44

41 In 1691, in the province of Santo Evangelio alone, they had 83 convents and monasteries. Truxillo, Relacion, in Doc. Hist. Mex., série ii. tom. i. 9-10. Vetancurt, Chrón., 30, says 86. For description and names see Id., 30 et seq., and Sierra, in Disturbios de Frailes, MS., i. 359.

42 For details about that region see Arlegui, Chrón. Zac., 393–438. 43 Cédulas in Ordenes de la Corona, MS., iv. 132, 166, 190-1. Cédula of February 10, 1714. Cedulario, MS., iii. 63-4.

45 He had been sent to Spain to attend a chapter of the order, and there obtained on April 18, 1682, the king's license for the establishment, the convent of Santa Cruz at Querétaro being granted him for that purpose. In the following month the pope issued a confirmatory bull, and in 1683 Linaz left with 22 companions for New Spain, taking possession of the convent assigned him on the 15th of August 1683. Espinosa, Cron. Apost., 38-50. For rules to which the members were subject, see Id., 52-4.

EXTENSION OF FRANCISCANS.

715

The object of this institution was the preaching of the gospel to the natives, especially in the district of Sierra Gorda, but during the first years of its existence, the members confined their labors to the more civilized regions extending from Querétaro to Oajaca and Yucatan. In later years they also established houses in the city of Mexico, under the name of San Fernando, the Hospicio de Nuestra Señora del Destierro at Puebla, and at Zacatecas, the college of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe."

From these establishments and the regular convents of the order issued the Franciscan missionaries, who unceasingly devoted their energies to the conversion of the savages in the northern districts. Missions in the district of Rio Verde were founded in 1612 and succeeding years, and an independent custodia, under the name of Santa Catarina Mártir de Rio Verde, was temporarily established," but more effective labors were delayed till 1686. From that time the gospel was also preached with alternating success in the more remote parts of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, and Nuevo Leon, the result being freqently jeopardized by the extortions of the Spaniards, who ever followed the steps of the advancing friars. 43

It was not until the middle of the eighteenth century, after the conquest of the Sierra Gorda by Escandon, that christianity became more widely spread and more firmly established there, the missionaries, after that time, being only exposed to such cause of failure as emanated from the generally poor condition of the Indians. These were often unable to furnish the means requisite for the maintenance of the friars, and occasionally it was even necessary to supply some

46 This hospicio was closed in 1772 for want of funds. Arricivita, Crón. Seráf., 431-7.

Erected as such in 1621, but later reunited with the province of Michoacan, owing to insufficiency of means. Arias, in Pinart, Col. Doc. Mex., MS., 319-20. Revilla Gigedo in his report on missions says the founding of Rio Verde took place in 1607, but this indicates probably the first date when missionary labors began in that region.

48 Sce N. Mexico, Cédulas, MS., 196-9; also Revilla Gigedo, in Dicc. Univ., v. 458.

of the missions established after 174449 with provisions and tools to prevent the Indians from deserting the settlements. Notwithstanding the great interest displayed in such cases both by private persons and friars,50 in several instances the padres either abandoned the missions or delivered them to the secular clergy. But the secularization system was also applied, and eighteen establishments of the Tampico jurisdiction, merely because of their advanced condition, were transferred to the ecclesiastics of the church.51 That such changes were not always advantageous is certain, for in several instances missions were subsequently restored to the orders, and at the close of the century only a portion of those secularized were in charge of the secular clergy, the remainder being intrusted to the friars.

In Yucatan the Franciscans were almost the only order represented, for though the Jesuits attempted to establish colleges in that province, their influence was only temporary and never important. With the field of labor to themselves the Franciscan friars gained almost absolute direction.52 Their missionary zeal led them on several occasions to undertake the conversion of the wild tribes in the centre of the Peninsula, but their labors were only partially successful, and several of them gained only the crown of martyrdom.

Less prominent than the followers of St Francis of Assisi were the barefooted friars of the same name

49 Friars of the college of San Fernando at Mexico had established the missions of Xalpa, Purisima Concepcion, San Miguel, San Francisco, and Nuestra Señora de la Luz, but they declined owing to the death of several friars and the return of others to the college. In 1750, however, others were sent, among them the famous California missionaries Junípero Serra and Francisco Palou, who resumed the work with good success. Palou, Vida, 24-9, 34-5. See also Arias, in Pinart, Col. Doc. Mex., MS., 329-30.

50 The settlement of Divina Pastora in the jurisdiction of Rio Verde was made at the expense of the count de Santa Maria Guadalupe del Peñasco and maintained by him for about 20 years. Michoacan, Informe, in Id., 136–7; Arias, in Id., 323.

51 See Pinart, Col. Doc. Mex., MS., 457. The total number of missions in Tamaulipas in 1787 was 48, partly belonging to the custodia of Tampico, partly to that of New Mexico. Ylzarbe, in Id., 345-60.

52 In 1687 a mission of 20 friars was sent to Yucatan, and the king granted them the usual alms of oil and wine. Ordenes de la Corona, MS., ii. 58.

AUGUSTINIAN PROGRESS.

717

belonging to the province of San Diego. They also spread toward the north, founding establishments in Querétaro, Zacatecas, and Guanajuato. They moreover directed their attention to the Sierra Gorda region, but with less success, and consequently prosecuted their labors more generally in the province of Mexico, where they possessed the college of Pachuca and the house of Recollects at San Cosme.

54

By the close of the sixteenth century the Augustinians had founded so many convents in localities scattered over so wide a range of country, that it was found necessary to divide the provincia into two separate jurisdictions. Accordingly, permission having been obtained from the general of the order, together with the king's sanction, in 1602 the division was effected, the new provincia comprising the territories of Michoacan and Jalisco, under the name of the provincia de San Nicolás Tolentino, while that of Mexico retained the former title of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus. On the 22d of June, 1602, the first chapter was held at Uquareo attended by twenty priors, presided over by Padre Pedro de Vera, who had been elected provincial.56

55

It is unnecessary to pursue in detail the history of the provincia of San Nicolás. The conditions and mode of progress were similar to those of other orders; the friars founded new convents and missions, struggled against the authority of viceroys and audiencias, opposed ecclesiastical encroachments, and were internally agitated by the vexed question of equality of Spaniards and creoles.57

53 In about 1757 the order wished to resign its settlements in that district, but was refused license to do so. Soriano, Prólogo, MS., 5.

Founded by virtue of a bull of Pope Benedict XIII. of April 3, 1727, and confirmed in July 1733 by Clement XII. Soriano Prólogo, MS., 4.

55 Torquemada, iii. 333; Grijalua, Chron. de S. Augustin, 217-18; Salguero, Vida, 12. The king of Spain gave his permission in 1601; the act by which the division was made was issued by the 'padre maestro' in Mexico on the 17th of March, 1602.

56 Prov. Mich. Agust., 111-13. The author of this work states that the viceroy had previously objected to the division.

67 For 20 years the society of San Nicolás was ruled by the former, and

The years between 1623 and 1626 were marked by prosperity and peace both internal and external. This period was accordingly signalized by the appellation of 'el feliz.' The debt with which the provincia had been encumbered was paid off, and money accumulated in the coffers of the convents; twenty-five thousand pesos were expended on a chapel and sacristy for the convent at Valladolid; work on nine different churches was vigorously carried on, and the new priories of Guadiana and Ytuquaro established. About the year 1626 the prosperity of the provincia of San Nicolás appears to have reached its culmination.58

In the annals of the provincia of Santísimo Nombre de Jesus the year 1650 is memorable on account of an extraordinary disturbance occasioned by disputes as to the successor of the provincial Fray Diego Pacheco who died during his term of office. On his demise the friars Francisco de Mendoza and Diego de los Rios provincial ad interim, together with the definidores, elected Fray Andrés de Oñate of the provincia

habits of the order were prohibited from being granted to the latter class. Provincia, in Disturbios de Frailes, MS., i. no. iv. 167. About the year 1639, however, the Capuchines were compelled to yield to the pressure brought to bear upon them, and the alternative system came into force. Mich., Prov. S. Nic., 189-96. In 1629 a violent dissension occurred owing to the appointment of Juan de Leivana as provincial, without any attention being paid to the 'alternativa.' Eleven voters immediately proceeded to Mexico, and by order of the viceroy formed themselves into a chapter, admitted the alternative system, and elected Padre Vergara provincial. Vergara returned to Michoacan accompanied by an oidor. Fray Leivana opposed his taking possession of the office, and attempted to place Vergara in confinement, whereupon a chapter was held at Valladolid, and Leivana was sentenced to be banished to China. He was afterward sent to Acapulco, but the ships had sailed before his arrival. Salguero, Vida, 87-9; Prov. Mich., Agust., 192-4. Veraga died in the first year of his office, and was succeeded by P. Pedro de Santa María, for the concluding two years. In 1632 the majority elected P. Damian Nuñez provincial. Id., 194-6. Nuñez was a creole, and appears to have been the first of that class who occupied the office.

58 The increase of rental was estimated at 300,000 pesos. The income of the provincial treasury during these three years was 54,378 pesos, of which 27,236 pesos were expended on the repair of churches and the erection of the Valladolid chapel; of the remainder, 3,000 pesos were allowed the provincial for expenses; 2,136 pesos were spent in supplying assistance to sick and needy friars; debts amounting to 3,323 pesos brought forward from the preceding triennial were liquidated, and 1,360 pesos were transmitted to the general of the order, making the outcome amount to 37,055 pesos, and leaving a balance in favor of the treasury of 17,323 pesos. Salguero, Vila, 19–21.