ns of the fathers, who had
caused him to show such indignation, and to beg him not to give rise
to scandals and schisms. I advised him to finish his treatise and hoped
that God would grant that everything might be settled and composed.
18. After this there was quiet for several days, in which we maintained
no correspondence. During this time I gave to the encomenderos (who had
begged me to do so in the name of your Majesty) the order which was
necessary for the collection of their tributes. As your Majesty will
see by the accompanying document, this order was the most justifiable
that could be given and did not depart one jot from my opinions, which
I also send in their original form to your Majesty. The encomenderos
are now somewhat consoled for their former afflictions, and all this
land likewise, as will appear by the petition presented to me which
I send in the original. This order will be kept in force until your
Majesty shall order differently.
19. After the lapse of several days, and having ascertained that the
service of God and that of your Majesty were suffering, as the bishop
would not right them, I wrote him the accompanying letter. In it I
proposed some means of providing instruction in places where there is
none. Moreover, as the encomenderos were still uneasy because he denied
them absolution, I gave him to understand that, in the diminution of
the encomiendas and the reduction and collection of the tributes,
he was neither judge nor party, since he could discuss the subject
only in one of three ways which I expressed therein; and by no means
could he do more than give his opinion, which he had already done. I
again have recourse to the laymen of good life, in lack of religious;
and beg also that he will not keep engaged here the large number
of Indians that he is wont to, who come here under the pretext of
making complaints, which are a thousand childish and impertinent
trifles--thereby losing much more in their absence from their homes
and fields. I remind him that the appointments to prebends, canonries,
and benefices are reserved to your Majesty's royal patronage; and
that you should not be defrauded, as you have been, by making the
appointments terminable _ad nutum_, and not with complete title, and
with due presentation by your Majesty, and canonical institution of
the bishop. On these things I write a separate letter to your Majesty,
as also on other matters about which I give advice. I offered
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