OCR Text |
Show 302 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN THE HISTORY Mr. Adolph F.. Bandelier, writing in 1881 of Ofiate’s entrada, is the first authority, in the English language, to use the poem of of soldiers, ete., tells us ‘‘dejadas largas historias, que no hacen 4 mi intento,”’ tude 37° with over 400 men went 30’, and went on to make 400 miles further north, entradas pitched and his camp explorations. in lati- But he adds an account of the Quivira expedition, pp. 26, et seq. 806 Villagra, Historia de La Nueva Mexico, del Capitan Gaspar de Villagra. a) el Rey D. Felipe nuestro setor Tercero deste nombre Afio 1610. Con nee te por Luys Martinez Grande. A costa de Baptista Lopez The writer has had the privilege of using a copy of Villagr4é’s work, made ba cy el emp by him presented a" Bonk B. Caton, of Santa Fé, ah: yf to intl : a beautiful Specimen of Bandelier’s work with the pen and einen 2 ert of Villagréa was published in Mexico in 1900 by the Museo a Vis je the i ae The a book contains a wood-cut print (portrait) of oe gesocpioaling of license and approval by the clergy; a deding; prologue; quite a number of canciones and sonétos by different auth ; * : ? fs anus oe addressed either to Captain Villagré or to Ofiate, and also a The first canto is as follows: HISTORIA Del DE LA NUEVA Capitan Gaspar de MEXICO Villagré Canto Primero Que declara el argumento de la historia y sitio de la nueva Mexico, y noticia q della se tuvo, en cuanto la antigualla e los Indios, y de la salida y decendencia de los verdaderog Mexicanos. a armas y el varon heroi co canto, ser, valor, prudencia, y alto esfuergo, NEW MEXICO 303 De aquel cuya paciencia no rendida, Por un mar de disgustos arrojada, A pesar de la inuidia poncofiosa. Los hechos y prohesas va encumbrando. De aquellos Espafioles valerosos, Que en la Occidental India remontados, Descubriendo del mundo lo que esconde, Plus vitra con baauesa van diziendo, A fuerga de valor y bracos fuertes, En armas y quebrantos tan sufridos, Quanto de tosca pluma celebrados; is really remarkable.?* that Ofiate OF Don Juan de Onate was a resident of Zacatécas, a man of very considerable wealth, and ambitious to be known as one of the discov- Gaspar de Villagra, a companion of Ofiate, which was published only eleven years after the conquest. Later, the facts narrated in this poem were used by Bancroft, and at a still earlier date, in 1882, a Spanish investigator gave to the world a résumé of the book, which, for historical accuracy as demonstrated by the inspection of documents in the Spanish archives, found in modern times, mada’s history of the conquest. Mendieta, Hist. Ecles., 402, writing in 1596, merely notes that the viceroy is now fitting out Ofiate’s expedition. Vetancurt, Cronica, 95, notes the contract made by Velasco and confirmed by Monterey, the appointment of friars, as in Torquemada, and then says: ‘‘Llegaron con facilidad, y entre los dos rios fundaron una Villa 4 San Gabriel dedicada.’’ Calle, Noticias, 102, after noting the contract ratified September 30, 1595, the Franciscans, ete., like the rest, thus records the conquest: “Legs al Nuevo Mejico y 180 asiento, tomo posesion del por la Magestad Catolica del Rey N. Sefior, y puso su Real en el pueblo que se intitulo San Gabriel cuyo sitio esté en 37 de altura al Norte, situada entre dos rios, donde fundaron Convento luego los Religiosos, y hasta el afio de 1608 bautizaron 8,000 almas.’’ Salmeron Relaciones, 23-4, recording the start in 1596, the names of the friars number CONQUEST Suplicosos Cristianissimo Filipo, Que pues de Nueva Mexico soys fenix, Neuamente salido y producido, De aquellas viuas llamas y cenizas, De ardentissima fee, en cuyas brazas, A vuestro sacro Padre, y sefor nuestro, Todo deschecho y abrasado vimos, Suspendais algun tanto de los hombres (hombros), El grande y graue peso que os impide, De aqgese inmenso globo que en justicia, Por solo vuestro bracgo se sustenta, Y prestando gray Rey atento oido, Vereis aqui la fuerca de trabajos, Calumnias y afliciones con que planta, El evangelico santo y Fé de Cristo, Aquel Christiano Achiles que quisiestes Que en obra tan heroica se ocupase, Y si por qual que buena suerte alcango, A. tenernos Monarco por oiente, Quien duda que con admirable espanto, La redondez del mundo todo escuche, Lo que a tan alto Rey atento tiene, Pues siendo assi de vos fauorecido, No siendo menos escriuir los hechos, Dignos de que la pluma los leuante Que emprender los q no son menos dignos De que la misma pluma los escruia, Solo resta que aquellas valerosos, Por quien este cuydado yo he tomado, Alienten con su gran valor heroico, El atreuido buelo de mi pluma, Porque desta vez pienzo que veremos, Yeguales las palabras con las obras. Escuchadme gran Rey que soi testigo, De todo quanto aqui sefior os digo. Villagré was procurador general of the Ofiate expedition as well as captain. He was of the family of Perez of Villagré, a town in the province of Campos, Spain, a family of many valiant soldiers, among them Don Francisco de Villagr&, well known in the conquest of the Araucanos in South America. Bancroft says of the poem: little, if at all, the less useful ‘‘I found it a most complete narrative, very for being in verse. The subject is well enough |