WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 435 



1247. The Order of the Seraphic Father St. Francis has its grand 

 convent, where Heaven would seem to have deposited sanctity, par- 

 ticularly in the estate of the lay friars, so near perfection is their 

 religious observance, as is the case also in the other convents, without 

 weakening in good example, and with remarkable continuity in choir 

 and other religious exercises. It has over 200 friars in residence. 

 It occupies a magnificent site, with cloisters and garden. There are 

 very great professors and preachers among them, and so extreme 

 is the devotion of the people to them that even though their church 

 is magnificent in its decoration, and all gilded and with frescos on 

 its walls and a sacristy rich in ornaments, if they wanted to imitate 

 Solomon's temple and line it with gold plate, they would be able to, 

 for the devotion of the people goes out to them in every matter with 

 great fervor and charity. 



1248. There is a splendid chapel of the Immaculate Conception, 

 to whose service and religious worship this Seraphic Order is de- 

 voted ; it is impressively decorated with altarpieces, and provides 

 many chaplaincies and Masses ; the most pious Confraternity of this 

 chapel marries ofif every year -some 9 or 10 orphan girls ; and although 

 all the other convents have their infirmary quarters well cared for. 

 this has a unique cloister and apartments for them, like a convent 

 apart, with as much comfort for the poor sick friar as the wealthiest 

 citizen could have in his home, nor could the most lavish and exact- 

 ing person have such luxury and medicines, although each invalid 

 costs a considerable sum in reals for the nursing, though the nurse 

 will not accept as much as the people's devotion gives him. 



1249. This holy order has another convent, of Barefoot Friars, 

 across the river in Triana at the end of the Alameda, home of 

 acknowledged sanctity and a very devout retreat, where the pious 

 find persons on whom to expend their devotion, and the afflicted find 

 consolation. There is another convent of this order, Nuestra Sefiora 

 de Guadalupe, in the other part of the city, a college dedicated to 

 education ; its beginnings are so impressive that it promises to be 

 one of the finest in the Indies, and able to vie with the most remark- 

 able in Europe. 



Chapter XXII 



Continuing the Description of the Remarkable Convents of This 

 Important City. 



1250. The Order of the Glorious Doctor and Patriarch St. Augus- 

 tine has a splendid convent in the best part of the city. It has a 

 magnificent temple with three naves, with reredos imposing for their 



