LEGEND OF THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE. 



257 



ish of Don Ignacio Barillo y Perez, in which the history of her 

 miraculous appearance is set forth with more detail than we have 

 elsewhere encountered. 



The story of the Virgin is implicitly believed by the great mass 

 of the people ; and the wonderful picture, described in the following 

 account, adorned with invaluable precious stones, is now preserved 

 in a massive golden frame, in the collegiate church of Guadalupe 

 erected at the foot of the hill of Tepeyacac. On the 12th of every 

 December, the anniversary of the miraculous visit, the people poui 

 forth from the capital to the sacred shrine and witness the splen 

 did rites instituted in honor of the saint. In the temple and at 

 the holy well, they are met by crowds of country folks and Indians, 

 who come from far and near on the same errand, while the whole 

 pompous ceremonial is countenanced by the presence and apparent 

 devotion of all the high officers of government including the presi- 

 dent himself. 1 



Legend of the Apparition of the Most Holy Virgin Mary 

 of Guadalupe; the Patron Saint and Protectress of 

 Mexico. 



Tepeyacac is a small mountain whose southern side is a scarped 

 and inaccessible precipice which looks to Mexico, situated on the 

 south of it at the distance of about three miles* Its ascent, by 

 whatever part undertaken, except that of the pathways made to fa- 

 cilitate the access, is extremely rough and stony. Its whole surface 

 is covered w T ith crowsfeet, buck and hawthorn, which are common 

 to such sterile wastes. The Indian name, Tepeyacac, signifies the 

 abrupt extremity or termination of hills, and in this bluff, terminate 

 all the hills to the north of the capital. 



It was celebrated in the days of heathenism for the worship paid 

 in this place to the mother of the false gods of the Indians, but 

 it is more celebrated at present for the adoration which is worthily 

 paid to the Mother of the true God in her beautiful temple. 



As Juan Diego, — an Indian recently converted, of pure and 

 unblemished morals, though of lowly birth, was passing by this 

 place on Saturday, December 9th, 1531, on his way to hear mass 

 and participate in the Christian worship which the Franciscan 

 fathers taught in the district of Tlatelolco, at the hour of early dawn, 

 he heard, upon attaining the brow of the little mountain, which he 



1 See also, "Mexico as it was and as it is" — p. 63, for a full account of the cere- 

 monies of the Collegiate church, and of Archbishop Lorenzano's sermon, preached 

 in 1760, confirming the miraculous history. 



