278 HISTORY OF MEXICO* 



of the anfwers of Dr. Sepulveda ; " The Indians have," 

 he fays, " as good an underftanding and acute a genius, 

 " as much docility and capacity for the moral and fpecu- 

 " lative fciences, and are, in mod inftances, as rational 

 " in their political government, as appears from many 

 " of their extremely prudent laws, and are as far ad* 

 " vanced in the knowledge of our faith and religion, in 

 " good cuftoms and civilization where they have been 

 " tutored by perfons of religious and exemplary life, and 

 " are arriving at refinement and polifh as faft as any na- 

 " tion ever did fince the times of the apoftles." Since 

 M. de Paw believes all that which this learned exempla- 

 ry prelate wrote againft the Spaniards, although he was 

 not prefent at the greater part of the fafts which he re- 

 lates, he ought much more to believe that which the 

 fame bifhop, depofes in favour of the Americans, as an 

 eye-witnefs and relident among them ; as there is much 

 lefs requifite to make us believe that the Americans are 

 people of a good genius and difpofition, than to per- 

 fuade us of thofe horrid and unheard of cruelties of the 

 Spanifli conquerors. 



But if he does not admit the teftimony of that great 

 biihop, becaufe he efteems him, though wrongfully, to 

 have been a cheat, and ambitious hypocrite, he may 

 read the depofition concerning them of the firft biihop of 

 Tlafcala, Garces, a moft learned man, and highly and 

 juftly efteemed by his famous patron Ant. de Nebrija, 

 the reftorer of letters in Spain. This renowned prelate 

 in his Latin Letter to pope Paul III. written in 1536, 

 after ten years continual commerce with, and obferva- 

 tion of the Americans, among many praifes which he 

 beftows on their difpofitions, and the gifts of their minds, 

 he extols their genius, and in fome degree raifes it above 



that 



