him a number of sheep that were left for him to keep, met him as he was on his way to visit some other villages, which were 15 or 20 leagues from Cicuye, accompanied by some followers. He felt very hopeful that he was liked at the village and that his teaching would bear fruit, although he complained that the old men were falling away from him. I, for my part, believe that they finally killed him. He was a man of good and holy life, and may Our Lord protect him and grant that he may convert many of those peoples, and end his days in guiding them in the faith. We do not need to believe otherwise, for the people in those parts are pious and not at all cruel. They are friends, or rather, enemies of cruelty, and they remained faithful and loyal friends.[1]
- ↑ General W. W. H. Davis, in his Spanish Conquest of New Mexico, p. 231, gives the following extract, translated from an old Spanish MS. at Santa Fé: "When Coronado returned to Mexico, he left behind him, among the Indians of Cibola, the father fray Francisco Juan de Padilla, the father fray Juan de la Cruz, and a Portuguese named Andres del Campo. Soon after the Spaniards departed, Padilla and the Portuguese set off in search of the country of the Grand Qnivira, where the former understood there were innumerable souls to be saved. After traveling several days, they reached a large settlement in the Quivira country. The Indians came out to receive them in battle array, when the friar, knowing their intentions, told the Portuguese and his attendants to take to flight, while he would await their coming, in order that they might rent their fury on him as they ran. The former took to flight, and, placing themselves on a height within view, saw what happened to the friar. Padilla awaited their coming upon his knees, and when they arrived where he was they immediately pnt him to death. The same happened to Juan de la Cruz, who was left behind at Cibola, which people killed him. The Portuguese and his attoudants made their escape, and ultimately arrived safely in Mexico, where he told what had occnrred." In reply to a request for further information regarding this manuscript, General Davis stated that when he revisited Santa Fé, a few years ago, he learned that one of his successors in the post of governor of the territory, having despaired of disposing of the immense mass of old documents and records deposited in bis office, by the slow process of nsing them to kindle fires, had sold the entire lot--An invaluable collection of material bearing on the history of the southwest and its early European and native inhabitants, — as jnnk.
Mota Padilla, cap. xxxiii, 7, p. 187, gives an extended account of the friars: "Pero porque el padre Fr. Juan de Padilla cuando acompañó á D. Francisco Vazquez Coronado hasta el pueblo de Quivira, puso en el una cruz, protestando no desampararla aunque le costase la vida, por tener entendido hacer fruto en aquellos indios y en los comarcanos, determinó volverse, y no bastaron las instancias del gobernador y demas capitaues para que desistiese por entonces del pensamiento. El padre Fr. Luis de Ubeda rogó tambien le dejasen volver con el padre Fr.Juan de Padilla hasta el pueblo de Coquite, en donde lo parecia podrian servir de domesticar algo á aquellos indios por parecerle so hallaban con alguna disposicion; y que pues él era viejo, emplearia la corta vida que le quedase en procurar la salvacion de las almas de aquellos miserables. A su imitacion tambien el padre Fr. Juan de la Cruz, religioso logo (como lo era Fr. Lnis de Ubeda) pretendió quedarse en aquellas provincia de Tigües, y porque se discurrió que con el tiempo se conseguiria la poblacion de aquellas tierras, condescendió el gobernador á los deseos de aq nellos apostólicos varones, y les dejaron proveidos de lo quo por entónces pareció necesario; y tambien quiso quedarse un soldado, de nacion portogues, llamado Andres del Campo, con ánimo de servir el padre Padilla, y tambien dos indizuelos donados nombrados Lúcas y Sebastian, naturales de Michoacan; y otros dos indizuelos qne en el ejército hacian oficios de sacristanes, y otro mnchacho mestizo: dejáronle a dicho padre Padilla ornamentos y provision para que celebrase el santo sacrificio de la misa, y algunos bienecillos que pudiese dar á los indios para atraerlos é su voluntad.
"8. . . . Quedaron estos benditos religiosos como corderos entre lobos; y viéndose solos, trató el padre Fr. Juan de Padilla, con los de Tigües, el fin que le movia á quedarse entre ellos, que no era otro que el detratar de la salvacion de ans almas; que ya los soldados se habian ido, que no les serian molestos, que él pasaba á otras poblaciones y les dejaba al padre Fr. Juan de la Cruz para que les fuese instruyendoen lo que debian saber para ser cristianos e hijos de la Santa Iglesia, como necesarío para salvar ens alnas, que les tratasen bien, y que él procuraria volver á consolarles: despidese con gran ternura, dejando, como prelado, lleno de bendiciones. á Fr. Juan de la Cruz, y los indios de Tigües señalaron una escuadra de sus soldados que guiasen a dichos padres Fr. Juan de Padilla y Fr. Luis de Ubeda hasta el pueblo de Coqnite, en donde les recibieron con demostraciones de alegría, y haciendo la misma reco mendacion por el padre Fr. Luis de Ubeda, le dejó, y guiado de otros naturales del mismo pueblo, salió
