Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Introduction
- 1 Seville and Early Modern Spain
- 2 To the Indies
- 3 The Genesis of the Black Legend
- 4 Conversion
- 5 Protector of the Indians
- 6 “Micer” Las Casas at Court Looking for Good Spanish Peasants
- 7 Las Casas the Political Animal
- 8 Catastrophe in Tierra Firme and the “Long Sleep” in Puerto Plata
- 9 Coming Out to Battle
- 10 The New Laws
- 11 Bishop of Chiapas
- 12 The Great Debate
- 13 Court Activist and Historian
- 14 The Final Fights
- Conclusion
- Epilog
- Bibliographical Essay
- Index
- References
11 - Bishop of Chiapas
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Introduction
- 1 Seville and Early Modern Spain
- 2 To the Indies
- 3 The Genesis of the Black Legend
- 4 Conversion
- 5 Protector of the Indians
- 6 “Micer” Las Casas at Court Looking for Good Spanish Peasants
- 7 Las Casas the Political Animal
- 8 Catastrophe in Tierra Firme and the “Long Sleep” in Puerto Plata
- 9 Coming Out to Battle
- 10 The New Laws
- 11 Bishop of Chiapas
- 12 The Great Debate
- 13 Court Activist and Historian
- 14 The Final Fights
- Conclusion
- Epilog
- Bibliographical Essay
- Index
- References
Summary
“Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole world strives and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, Yet everyone curses me.”
Jeremiah 15:10Preparations
As a reward for his services, the emperor offered Las Casas the bishopric of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Peruvian Incas and one of the wealthiest sees of the land. That is the story as told by Las Casas’s earliest biographer, Antonio Remesal, O. P. The bishopric covered most of the expanding Spanish Empire in South America, from just south of Panama (another bishopric) to Chile. Remesal says that Las Casas turned down the immensely wealthy bishopric for the humble one of Chiapa in southern Mexico/northern Guatemala. Las Casas thereby showed us the face of humility. It is a wonderful story redolent with the humble side of Las Casas. His modern biographers doubt it is true. One, there is little or no documentary evidence, and, two, perhaps most important, it was not in keeping with Las Casas’s very aggressive nature. Humility and Christian patience were not strong suits in Las Casas’s quiver of Christian gifts and virtues.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Bartolomé de las CasasA Biography, pp. 285 - 341Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012