246 MIRACULOUS APPARITIOJN'S. 



already been shown, the civil authority is so 

 nearly merged in the military and the ecclesi- 

 astical, that the government, if not a military 

 hierarchy, is something so near aldn that it is 

 difficult to draw the distinction. As Mr. 

 Mayer very appro jjriately remarks, you are 

 warned of the double dominion of the army 

 and the church " by the constant sound of 

 the drum and the bell, which ring in your eais 

 from morn to midnight, and drown the sounds 

 of industry and labor." 



In the variety and grossness of popular su- 

 perstitions. Northern Mexico can probably 

 compete with any civilized country' in the 

 world. Others may have their extravagant 

 traditions, their fanatical prejudices, tlieir 

 priestly impostures, but here the popular creed 

 seems to be the embodiment of as much that 

 is fantastic and improbable in idolatrous wor- 

 ship, as it is possible to clothe in the garb of 

 a religious faith It would fill volumes to re- 

 late one-half of the wonderful miracles and 

 extraordinary apparitions said to have occurred 

 during and since the conquest of the Indian 

 Pueblos and their conversion to the Eoniish 

 faith. Their character may be inferred from 

 the following national legend of La MaraviUosa 



Aparicion de Nuestra SeTiora de Guadalup 



anglice, the marvellous apparition of Our La 

 dy of Guadalupe, — which, in som^^ one of il' 



many traditionary shapes, is generally 

 ed throughout the republic. I have seen some 

 half a dozen written versions of this celebrat- 

 ed tradition, and heard about as many om 



