Fray Bartolome de Olmedo, Capellan de los Conquistadores de Mexico

258 pages. Royal octavo (9 1/4" x 6 1/4") bound in original publisher's wrappers. Bartolomé Ochaita , better known as Fray Bartolomé de Olmedo (born in Olmedo on an imprecise date and died in October 1524) was a Mercedarian friar who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. In 1519 he embarked on the expedition of Cortes to conquer what was called New Spain . Fray Bartolomé de Olmedo took care of the evangelization of the natives (at the beginning, with a spirit less tax than that of Cortés himself), and in particular of La Malinche; celebrated the first Mass in Mexico and Tenochtitlan in Mexico and, as a man of confidence of Cortés, he participated in his duties in negotiations and diplomatic missions. Thus, Olmedo was part of the commission that went to meet Pánfilo de Narváez when he arrived in New Spain sent by the governor of Cuba Diego Velázquez to capture Cortés. Fray Bartolomé de Olmedo indoctrinated Moctezuma the time he was captive of Hernán Cortés and sought his conversion, but finally the tlatoani died before being baptized. He was also in charge of baptizing the twenty women who gave the caciques of Tabasco to Hernán Cortés, among whom was Malinche , who was Christianized and received the name of Marina. These were the first Christian women in New Spain. Around 1524 Cortes entrusted him with the administration of the Hospital de la Purísima Concepción and Jesús Nazareno, known as the Hospital de Jesús . He died in Mexico that same year, in the month of October. Condition: Foxing to wrappers, some age toning to pages else a very good copy.