146 Ten Years of 'my Life, 



which seems rather strange, by a smell of brimstone, and a 

 spring of which the water has tke taste of that suspicious min- 

 eral, she appeared for the fifth time, told him that his uncle 

 was perfectly well again, and ordered him to gather roses on 

 the sumit of the mountain, which he should bring to the 

 Bishop as a token that all he had told was true. 



Now, on that mountain had never before grown anything 

 but thistles and thorns ; but when the Indian went there, he 

 found the most beautiful and most odoriferous flowers, which 

 he put in his tihna, and went to the Bishop. 



This gentleman, on being informed of the errand of the 

 Indian, came, with some priests running eagerly 

 after him. Juan Diego told his adventure in all his simplicity^ 

 and when untying the two ends of his tilma, to produce the 

 roses, lo ! the Bishop and all the priests fell on their knees as 

 if struck by lightening, for on theayateof the fortunate Indian 

 was impressed the image of the Holy Virgin, as the face of our 

 Saviour was impressed on the handkerchief of St. Veronica. 



Now of course all doubts were removed : the miracle was 

 evident. It happened on the 12th of December^ i53i> ten 

 years and four months after the Conquest, under the pontifi- 

 cate of Clevent VII., and during the reign of the Emperor 

 Charles V. 



What appears to me especially wonderful is, that on the 

 celestial picture the Holy Virgin is not only represented in an 

 Indian dress, but also an Indian face and complexion ; though 

 I ought not to wonder, knowing that she appeared in Africa 

 like a negress, and having seen in Rome a picture of the 

 Mother of God with a black face. 



When the Bishop recovered from his stupefaction he over- 

 whelmed the blessed Indian with compliments, and went out 

 to visit the places sanctified by the apparations. He took the 

 miraculous picture first to his house, and transferred it a few 

 days later to the Cathedral. 



This picture is painted, probably by some angel, on a cloth 

 woven from the fibres of some Mexican plant, and made by 

 Indians. The Holy Virgin wears a tunic of woollen stuff,, 

 descending from the neck to the feet, and her head is covered 

 by a manto ; in a word, the costume of a noble and rich 

 Azteke lady. Her complexion is brown, her hair black, her 

 expression timiable, humble and open. This image is called 

 the Creole Virgin. • 



