ÁLVARES, Francisco, & Juan de Zumárraga.

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Bottschafft des grossmechtigsten Konigs David aus dem grossen und hohen Morenland, First German edition of this important early account of Ethiopia, translated from the original Latin edition of the same year and supplemented with a letter by Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop of New Spain, on the progress of his mission in Mexico. "This letter was not present in the Latin edition, so the work only here becomes an Americanum" (Kraus).Zumárraga (1468-1548) opens his letter with the announcement that he and his fellow Franciscans have baptized 250,000 natives, destroyed more than fifty temples of their gods, broken and burned more than 20,000 figures of demons, and brought an end to human sacrifices. Zumárraga praises the progress of the Aztec youth in their education and their adherence to Christian teaching, particularly in reading, writing, and singing, noting their special devotion to the Virgin Mary. He describes the Franciscan compounds at length, notes that he has been performing marriages, and informs his superiors that of the many missionaries who speak Nahuatl, there is one man, Petrus de Gante, who is particularly skilled. This is the famous Peter of Ghent (Peeter Van Der Moere, ca. 1486-1572), the former confessor to Emperor Charles V, who founded the first schools in New Spain, first at Texcoco and then at Tenochtitlan. The letter concludes with a report that the empress has sent six women from Spain to educate Aztec girls and women. The text was translated into G

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