INTRODUCTION. Vll 



canonised as St. Toribio. In 1582 a Provincial 

 Council was called to meet at Lima, consisting of 

 the Archbishop and the Bishops of Cuzco, Imperial, 

 Santiago de Chile, Paraguay, Quito, Charcas, and Tu- 

 cuman. 



Don Martin Henriquez opened the third Council of 

 Lima in person. He also founded the College of St. 

 Martin, to be managed by the Jesuits, and was active in 

 promoting useful measures ; but his career as Viceroy 

 of Peru was cut short by death on March 12th, 1583. 

 The Council proceeded with its sittings, and got 

 through a vast amount of work. Full instructions 

 were drawn up for the guidance of parish priests, and 

 catechisms were prepared for the instruction of the In 

 dians. It may be observed that the proceedings of 

 these Lima Councils throw much light on the religion 

 and folk-lore of the people. For they enter into many 

 minute details respecting the customs and superstitions 

 which the priests were to suppress, and have thus pre 

 served an invaluable record of the beliefs of the ancient 

 Peruvians. Father Acosta was very busily employed 

 during the sessions of the third Council of Lima, and 

 he was its historian. 



The last sitting took place on October 18th, 1583, on 

 which important occasion the Jesuit Father Joseph de 

 Acosta delivered an eloquent and learned oration. 1 

 The proceedings were forwarded to Spain, and received 

 the royal assent on September 18th, 1591, having pre 

 viously been confirmed by the Pope. The Papal 

 approval was announced by Cardinal Caraffa, in 1588, 

 1 &quot; Una elegante y docta oracion.&quot; Montalvo, page 214. 



