tered
from the sacristy to speak to them, no one rose or showed any of the
customary marks of respect. The notary immediately read the
"requirement" it had been their intention to present before Las Casas was
admitted to the city, omitting however the passages which denied his
authority.

Las Casas replied to this with great benevolence, saying that as he was
ready even to shed his blood for them, he had no intention of interfering
with their properties except in so far as was necessary to prevent sin
against God and their neighbour: he exhorted them to consider matters
calmly and not to allow themselves to be carried away by irreflection.
His manner, as well as the sense of this speech, were surprisingly
conciliatory, but one of the council, less impressed by the persuasive
eloquence of the Bishop, observed from his place that as Las Casas was but
a private individual, he had presumed too far in summoning such an
important body as the council, composed of the most illustrious gentlemen
of the colony, to come to meet him, instead of going himself to them. The
Bishop, with much dignity, answered; "Look you, sir,--and all of you in
whose name he has spoken,--when I wish to ask anything from your estates, I
will go to your houses to speak with you; but when I have to speak with
you concerning God's service and what touches your souls and consciences,
it is for me to send and call you to come to wherever I may be, and it is
for you to come trooping to me, if you are Christians." Nobody ventured
to reply to this rebuke and the Bishop, rising immediately withdrew,
towards the sacristy. Then the notary of the council approached him
respectfully, saying that he had a petition to present on behalf of the
townspeople, which there was no need to read as it merely asked that they
should be treated as a Christian people and have confessors appointed to
grant them absolution. The Bishop assented, but as he named the Canon
Juan Perera and the Dominicans, who all notoriously shared his views on
the question in dispute, the council demurred, saying that they were
unacceptable. The Bishop therefore named a priest from Guatemala and a
Mercedarian friar, whose sentiments he knew to be in harmony with his own,
though they had taken no part in the controversies and hence their opinion
had never been publicly manifested. Both were men of exemplary piety and
zeal in their ministry. Even Fray Vicente Ferrer, who accompanied the
Bishop,