COLONIAL MEXICAN ADMINISTRATION - POWER OF PALAFOX

[Mexico] [Baraona y Aguila, Juan de] [Palafox y Mendoza, Juan de]: Por Francisco de Gauna: Oficial mayor de la Real Hazienda de la Ciudad de Mexico. Con Don Diego Ossorio de Escobar y Llamas, Obispo de la Puebla de los Angeles, Virrey interrino que fue de la Nueva-España. Sobre la confirmacion en lo favorable de la sentencia dada por D. Iuan Cesati, Oidor de la Audiencia de Guadalaxara, Iuez de residencia que fue del dicho Virrey. Sin lugar de impresion [Madrid?], sin impresor n.d. [c.1664].

Opinion against the confirmation by the acting viceroy of New Spain (Mexico), Diego Osorio de Escobar y Llamas, bishop of Puebla, of a sentence that had been passed against Francisco de Gauna, the ex-chief of the royal treasury in Mexico City. The pamphlet makes use of the name of a famous predecessor as viceroy and bishop, Juan de Palafox y Mendoza (1600-1659), the writer and Mexican hero. Palafox had praised (para. 10) Gauna's good credit, fidelity and great intelligence. Palafox is described (para. 38) as "of this supreme council [of the Indies], and of that bishopric, and who occupied such great positions, with such continuous attention, as his works show, and the truth of his writings, which have borne and bear so much fruit for Christianity, whose life was such an example, whose death was so happy, and whose name will live for eternity". At this passage, a contemporary reader exclusively draws a line in the margin.

Details

Folio, 28 pages (fols. 14). Woodcut headpiece of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, small woodcut initial on verso of fol. 1. Touch of very light soiling, a very good copy in modern wrappers. Removed by a previous owner from a larger volume, with the old contemporary or early MS foliation to this.

Not in Alden, Medina or Palau. OCLC has only a photocopy of a copy at BNE (UMass Amherst). For an account of this period in Mexico, see Jonathan Israel, 'Race, class and politics in colonial Mexico' (Oxford 1975) 263-266.