Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-07
Aqui tubo
Principle Ell sto
Evangelio EN- ES
TIE Nuevo Mu-
ndo.

From this pulpit preached those
earnest and godly friars who crossed
the tempestuous Atlantic in little barks
and walked with weary feet up the
steep mountains to the table.lands.
These good men did much to mitigate
the horrors Of the conquest. They
stood up bravely against the fierce sol.
diery, and although they, in their iguo-
rance and zeal, caused to be harmed the
ancient Aztec manuscripts, they were
sctuated by good motives--they wished
TO destroy every vestige Of heathenism.
Near at hand is another and
VERY INTERESTING RELIC.
1t is q yellowish-white font of solid
stone, in which were bsptised the four
senators of the republic of Tiaxcala
in the year 1920, the godfathers being
Herman Cortez, the conqueror, and
some of bis chief officers. II was after
the retreat of the " Sad Night" that Cor
ttz came back with his faithful Tlax-
calan allies to this town, and here, to
show their devotion to him and to his
cause, the Indian senators became
Christians. In another room, a sort of
chapter-room, are the first priestly
robes worn at divine service in the New
World, their colors still intact, very
little damage having been done by tbs
centuries.
In the palace you can SEQ the banner
Of Cortez, appropriately preserved here
in the city of his ancient allies. A
Spanish museum recently offered $4,000
for it, but the Tlaxcalans would not
part with it for as many millions.
They laughed at the offer from across
the sea. Hero also are to be seen the
portraits in oil Of the four Tlaxcslan
senator's who were baptised in the old
font.
Still another historical sight is the
ancient royal chapel, the cspilla real,
half.ruined edifice, but which the In
dams keep making repairs on to save
i; from the condemnation of the Law,
which legally conflscates all abandoned
ard unrepaired edifices. 1t is
A BIT OF SENTIMENT
which a poet might work up we'll, that
these poor Indians from the bills, in
order to preserve sanctuary OF the
Almighty, come in from their villages
to give few days labor to the build
ing Of a wall, or some other work, just
to keep their favorits chapel within tho
pale Of the Law. Longfellog would
have made the cspilla real immortal.
On the front wall Of the editice are the
arms of spain, with the double.headed
Austrian eagle for a crest, indicating
the ancient political union Of Spain aud
Austria, and singularly enough, endu-
ring through and past the era Of the
Austrian Archduke Maximilian's at
tempt IS found an empire here.
But If the tourist leaves Tlaxcala
without having climbed with peni.en-
tial feet the steep hill which leads to
the Church Of Our Lady Of 0cotiau, he
will have failed to see one of the most
wonderful buildings on this continent.
1t is a good half-hour's climb up the
steep hill. But onco there, you come
to church with magnifcently-sculp-
tured FACADE, a wonder Of work and
patience. Pity it is that the custodi-
ans of the church should nave painted
all this rare and costly sculpture g
blank white. Inside the church is very
quaint and very rich. One half the
edifce is in the modern style, and the
altar very ancient. Two enormous sill
yer lamps hang suspended in the
semi-daTknuss and the floor IS occupied
with poor Indians who have come here
TO seek answer to important petitions
TO heaven. On tho Inside Of the altar
rail was an old man
CLAD IN A STRANGE GARB,
Who lifted not his head nor made a
single sound. One would have thought
him the csryen image Of perpetual
alteration. 1t was a worthy ancient
who spends all his days in this church
on his knees. Perhaps he is an old
monk left high and dry on this hill
after the reform deluge Of Jdarez's
time.
A special favor was granted us
through the courtesy of the sacristan,
who knew our estimable companion
who served as g guide for the occasion,
We were allowed to enter the sanctu.
airy, al apartment some thirty-six feet
in diameter sEd lOftily domed. A most
wonderful room, with a bewildsring
amount Of sculpture and intertaining
Of gilded bands Of stone and stucco.
work, marvellous beyond power Of
verbal description. There are, in pa.
nels, fine pictures Of saints aud scrip.
tursl scenes and an altar OF silver, ex-
ceedingly unique. To see this sanctu.
airy is to look on one of the most won.
derful works Of human Ingenuity. The
wealth piled on top Of this lonely hill
must be immense-altars and gigantic
lamps Of solid silver, precious paint.
ings and carved work Of great price.
The reason for one half the church
being modern is most romantic. A
rich and pious woman Of Tlaxcala died
and was buried in the church yard
The sexton noted that the corpse wore
many very choice rings, these, in fact,
serving as the setting for costly jewels.
His avarice was excited, and at night
he came with pick and lantern and dug
up the coffin. To bis horror, the
corpse came to life. The lady had been
buried in trance, and 10 her coffin she
had called on the Virgin to rescue her
from her living tomb, vowing to devote
the jewels on her hands to the rebuild
ing Of her church. The timely rescue
by the sexton saved her, ard she
DID NOT FORGET HER vow.
But the Indians would not permit he,
TO modernize the altar, and so it re.
mains as Of yore, together with the
robing.room and the sanctuary.
In the month Of May every yea,
tho Indians Of Tlsxcala come by thou
sands to this holy bill and here enc amp
for week or more. their inumsrable
fires lighting up the eminence most
picturesquely at night. / know by al
inscription that my soilful journey up
the steep hill Of Our Lady OF Ocotlsa