Chapter 4. Translations
Section 1, Paragraph 3:mucho numero de cofradres de los mas principales e mas onrrados de toda la cibdad
["a great number of brothers from among the most principal and honored [men] of the city."]
Section 1, Paragraph 4:considerando que la perfecta caridad consistia en procurar con todas sus fuerzas que Nuestro Señor Dios no fuese ofendido
["considering that perfect charity consists in preventing offence to Our Lord God with all their strength."]
aún más necesario es el remedio en las huérfanas españolas o mestizas que no en las varones, porque según su flaqueza femenil están mas propicias al caer
["because according to their feminine weakness they are more likely to fall."]
Section 1, Paragraph 5:andaban perdidos por los campos, sin ley ni fe, comiendo carne cruda
["they wandered lost through the fields, without law or faith, eating raw meat."]
por que los varones sean hombres y las mujeres no se pierdan
["so that the boys might be men and the women might not be lost."]
Section 1, Paragraph 6:en esta cibdad de mexco avia muchas huerfanas donzellas pobres perdidas desmanparadas [sic] sin abrigo ni rremedio hijas despanoles conquistadores y otras personas que por su fallecimiento sus hijas quedavan sin rremedio e venian en muy gran perdicion de lo qual se siguia muy gran deservicio y en la tierra mui mal exenplo y ocasion de ofensa de dios.
["in this city of Mexico there were many poor lost defenseless orphaned maidens, without protection or remedy, daughters of Spanish conquerors and other other people who, because of their death, left their daughters without remedy, and they came into great perdition, from which has followed very great disservice and in the land very evil example and occasion for offence to God."]
Section 1, Paragraph 9:... en estas partes ay muy grande necessidad de que v.m. provea algun medio para que las mestizas hijas de españoles y de indias se recojan en alguna casa a donde sean enseñadas y se crien en buenas costumbres para que de alli salgan a casarse o a tomar algun estado en que a dios sirvan, porque ay gran copia dellas y de no tener este remedio redunda que dan muchos malos exemplos a estos naturales y andan muy muchas perdidas
["... in these parts there is a great necessity that Your Majesty provide some medium so that the mestizas, daughters of Spanish men and Indian women, be enclosed in some house where they might be taught and raised in good customs, so that from there they might leave to marry or to take some state in which to serve God; because there is a great number of them, and from not having this remedy it results that they give many evil examples to the natives, and very many of them wander lost."]
Section 1, Paragraph 10:cosas espirituales e tenporales para que sean mugeres en sus casas
["spiritual and temporal things, that they might be housewives."]
algunas hijas de conquistadores ... [que] bibian erradas y en deservicio de dios
["some daughters of conquerors ... who were living in error and in disservice to God."]
Section 1, Paragraph 14:buen recogimiento e dotrina que ay en la dicha casa
["good enclosure and doctrine that exists in the said house."]
Section 1, Paragraph 16:una de las casas rrecogidas e de buena dotrina que ay en esta nueva españa
["one of the most enclosed houses [of religion] and of good doctrine that exist in New Spain."]
Section 2, Paragraph 1:... en mexico ay cinco monasterios de monjas profesas y uno de la penitencia y otro de amparedadas que se llama santa monica y un collegio de donçellas
["in Mexico there are five monasteries of professed nuns and one of penitence and another of sheltered women that is called Santa Monica and a school of maidens."]
que todos son bien necesarios para las muchas mugeres moças que ay y la gran pobreça en que sus padres estan pues ya son pocos los que aun para meterlas monjas tienen caudal
["all are very necessary because of the many young women there are and the great poverty of their fathers, so that now there are few who have assets [sufficient] even to place [their daughters] as nuns."]
los rrecogidos y exemplares monasterios de la xpianidad y donde mejor se guardaba su rregla y mas se sirbe nro sr
["the most enclosed and exemplary monasteries in Christendom, where the rule is best kept and Our Lord is most served."]
Section 2, Paragraph 7:mugeres pecadores en el pecado de la carne que con su vida davan mal exemplo y heran ocassion de muchos males
["women who are sinners in the sin of the flesh, who with their life gave bad example and were the occasion of many evils."]
Section 2, Paragraph 8:como en la dicha ciudad [hay] gran numero de mugeres de mal bibir lo qual rrefferimos con dolor... inporta mucho que aya alli algunos barones buenos que espessialmente e teniendo lo de possession travajen de conbertir las dichas mugeres.
["as in the said city [there are] many women of evil life, to whom we refer with sorrow ... it is very important that there exist there some good men who, especially taking it as their occupation, may work to convert the said women."]
Section 2, Paragraph 12:esta tierra dello a rrecivido gran beneficio por el enxenplo que an dado e dan a otras munchas mugeres del mundo... en toda esta nueva españa no ay otra casa ni monesterio syno es este donde dios nro sor tanto se syrve
["from it this land has received great benefit, through the example that it has given and gives to many other women of the world ... in all this New Spain there is no other house or monastery where God Our Lord is so well served."]
una de las cosas pias mas dignas de ser faborescida
["one of the pious works most worthy of being favored."]
Section 3, Paragraph 2:una casa santa e piadossa y muy nescesaria en aquella cibdad
["a house holy and pious and very necessary in that city."]
unas por ausencias de sus maridos y padres y otras por pleitos de diborcios y matrimoniales y otras por estar rrecoxidas y honrradas y otras para asperar [sic] su rremedio
["some because of the absences of their husbands and fathers, and others because of divorce and matrimonial suits, and others to be enclosed and honored, and others to wait for their remedy."]
Section 3, Paragraph 5:se a bisto y entendido ser casa ynportante y muy necesaria y mas en esta rrepublica que en otra y se an escusado y escusan muchos pleytos de diborcios en que particularmente avia ecesos en esta ciudad por no yr al dicho emparedimiento.
["It has been seen and understood to be an important and very necessary house, and more in this republic than in others, and many divorce suits have been excused, in which particularly there were excesses in this city because of [women's] not going to the said house of protection."]
Section 3, Paragraph 6:asi a las yslas del poniente y guerras de las chichimecas y a negocios que les ynporta
["to Asia and to the Chichimec Wars and to [attend to] their important business"]
Section 3, Paragraph 7:avia tanta soltura y libertad en las mas de las mugeres casadas
["there was so much looseness and license among most of the married women."]
por poder acudir con libertad a sus malos intentos y libiandades
["to be able to attend with freedom to their evil intentions and lewdnesses"]
a trueco de andarse solturas y fuera de su dominion y con libertad
["in exchange for wandering loose and with license and free of [their husbands'] dominion."]
Section 3, Paragraph 8:por horden e mando de la justa eclesiastica y de la seglar desta ciudad
["by order and command of the ecclesiastical and secular justices of this city."]
Section 3, Paragraph 9:libertad y desenbolturas en esta ciudad en algunas mugeres
["license and brazennesses in some women in this city"]
Section 3, Paragraph 10:de suerte que no se pudiesen ver ni comunicar las unas con las otras
["so that the one cannot see or communicate with the other."]
Note 7:La iglesia de San Juan que es en esta ciudad de la parte de México, escribí a V.A. que estaba en parte conveniente para mudar el colegio de los niños de la dotrina. No se ha efectuado el mudarse porque los indios se agravian deciendo que es su parroquia y que hay mucha población dellos junto a la iglesia, y que recibirán mala vecinidad de los mochachos. Y demás desto la iglesia mayor contradice que cerca desta iglesia no se haga la casa del colegio.
[I wrote to Your Highness that the Church of San Juan, which is in this city, was in a convenient location to move the school for boys. The move has not taken place because the Indians resisted, saying that it is their parish and there are many of them living near the church, and the boys will be bad neighbors. And the cathedral also forbids that the school building be built around this church.]
Note 22:se nos ha hecho tambien relacion, que muchos españoles oficiales y otras personas como las veen ansi recogidas, y enseñadas, y doctrinadas en virtud, las piden para casarse con ellas, y que el dicho Don Antonio de Mendoza en su tiempo ayudaba con algunos dineros para su casamiento de la caxa de su magestad ...
["We have also been told that, seeing [the girls] enclosed, taught, and indoctrinated in virtue, many Spaniards, both officials and other persons, ask to marry them; and that [viceroy] Don Antonio de Mendoza in his time helped with some money for their marriage from the treasury of His Majesty."]