which I sent him, wherein my opinion was upheld in every respect and agreed completely with that held by the said fathers. [Marginal note:  “Have this opinion brought, so that after consideration the contents of this letter may be replied to from clause nine to this point; also all the papers which are here acknowledged by the governor, and those of which mention is made in the following clauses as far as the twenty-first.”]

14.  At this juncture, the bishop came to see me in these royal houses of your Majesty; and among other discussions in regard to my assertion that the clergy must not have preeminence over me in every respect, as they have done heretofore, he replied that he had directed his clergy that no one, not even your Majesty, had any rights here, and other things to this same effect.  To this I replied that I would not interfere with his clergy, as far as punishing them is concerned, nor with his jurisdiction; but that the boat-service which they took from the Indians without payment, and a thousand other injuries committed by them under the pretext that they are fathers of instruction, ought not to take place; and that he had misunderstood me.  It is true that I said he was very peevish; and I begged him to speak plainly for if we could not come to terms this time and disagreed again, I could discuss the subject no longer.  While replying to me on this point and others, he rose from his chair at the beginning of the discussion, very wrathful and choleric.  Several days later, on the fourth of March, he wrote me a letter as long as it was good-humored and free from anger—­as may be seen, if your Majesty wishes.  Nevertheless (not to discuss what concerns myself), it contains nothing new, except many arguments by which he still defends his opinion.  Among other statements, he declares (and rightly) that the encomenderos are so loyal vassals of your Majesty that they would not leave their encomiendas nor the country, as if I had denied their fidelity and loyalty in thinking that if they could not be supported by their encomiendas, they would leave them, and, having abandoned them if they could not be supported therefrom, try to seek their fortunes elsewhere.  He says also that although a Franciscan father is placed in every province, there is not sufficient result to warrant the paying of the tribute; and that neither the king of Castilla nor his officials have any greater power in the Indias than that given by the church, although the church does not have so much authority as this with the infidels.  He still insists that your Majesty entrusted to both him and me equally the settlement of this matter; and that bringing justice into the land is like bringing firebrands:  [Marginal note:  “Answer him with what has been decreed in this.”]