HISTORY OF MEXICO, 



279 



that of his countrymen, as may appear from the paffage 

 of his letter which we have fubjoined here below (/). 

 "What perfon is there who would not give greater faith 

 to thofe three biftiops, who, befides their probity, their 

 learning, and character, had long commerce with the 

 Americans, than to other authors who either never faw 

 the Americans, or viewed them without reflexion, or 

 paid improper and unjuft deference to the informations 

 of ignorant, prejudiced, or interefted men ? 



But laftly, if M. de Paw refufes the depolitions of 

 thefe three witneffes, however refpe&able, becaufe 

 they were ecclefiaftics, to whom he thinks weaknefs of 

 mind attached, he cannot but fubmit to the judgment 

 of the famous bifhop of Angelopoli, Palafox. Mr. de 

 Paw, though a Pruffian and a philofopher, calls that pre- 

 late the venerable fervant of God. If he gives fo much 

 faith to this venerable fervant of God in what he wrote 

 againfl: the Jefuits in his own caufe, why not believe him 

 in what he has written in favour of the Americans ! Let 

 him read the work of this prelate, compofed in order to 

 demonftrate the difpofition, genius, and virtues of the 

 Indians. 



Notwithstanding the implacable hatred which M. de 

 Paw bears to the ecclefiaftics of the Roman church, and 

 to the Jefuits in particular, he praifes the Natural and 

 Moral Hiftory of Acofta, and calls it very juftly an ex- 



cellent 



(s) " Nunc vero de horum figillatim hominum ingenio, quos vidimus ab hinc 

 " decennio, quo ego in Patria converfatus eorum potui perfpicere mores ac inge- 

 " nia perfecutari, teftificans coram te, Beatiffime Pater qui Chrifti in terris Vi- 

 " carium agis quod vidi quod audivi et manus noftrae contredtaverunt de his pro- 

 " genitis ab ecclefia per qualecumque minifterium meum in verbo vitae quod fin- 

 " gula fingulis referendo, id eft paribus paria, rationis optima; compotes funt 

 " et integri fenfus ac capitis fed infuper noftratibus pueri iftorum et vigore fpi- 

 " ritus et fenfuum vivacitate dexteriore in omni agibili et intelligibili prseftantio- 

 * res reperiuntur." 



