In  the  year  1641  the  Pope  nominated  the  Franciscan  priest,
Bemardin  de  Cardenas,  to  be  Bishop  of  Paraguay,  with  his  See
at  Assumption,  and  he  occupied  this  position  during  three  years
•  quite  unopposed.  He  now,  however,  caused  it  to  be  made
known  that  it  was  his  intention  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  parishes  of
the  Provinces  of  Parana  and  Uruguay,  in  which,  as  we  know,  the
Jesuits  ruled  as  lords;  and  now,  although  such  a  visitation  was
imperative  on  the  Bishop  as  his  bounden  duty,  the  sons  of
Loyola  made  at  once  a  terrible  stir.  It  was  most  necessary
for  them,  indeed,  to  keep  concealed  from  the  world  their
proceedings  in  their  dominion  of  Paraguay,  and  not  to  allow
anything  to  be  made  known,  either  respecting  their  trade  or  their
State   constitution.      They  therefore   endeavoured,  at  first  by


CONFLICT    WITH    CATHOLIC   ECCLESIASTICS.  453-

flattering  speeches  and  bribery,  to  dissuade  the  Bishop  from  hi»
intention ;  as,  however,  he  held  to   it  steadfastly,  they  at  once
disputed  the  right  of  his  episcopal  power,  and  loudly  proclaimed,
from  all  their  pulpits,  that  Cardenas  had  arrogated  to  himself
his  alleged  dignity,  and  that,   therefore,  no  obedience  need  be-
given  to  him.    Up  to  this  time,  however,  no  real  injury  had  been
done  to  the  Bishop,  as  this  could  only  happen  with  the  assist-
ance of  the  secular  power,  and,  consequently,  the  sons  of  Loyola
strove  to  bring  over  to    their  side  the    Spanish    Governor  of"
Assumption,  by  name  Don   Gregorio  de   Hintrosa.     This  they
succeeded  in  doing  with  the  aid  of  30,000  dollars  in  gold,  and'
the  consequence  was  that  the  Governor  caused  the  Bishop  to-
be  put  into  a  boat,  which,  being  committed  to  the  mercy  of  the
wind  and  current,  floated  down  the  Paraguay  river  for  upwards  of
eighty  miles  from  Corientas.    Here  Cardenas  remained  during
several  years,  naturally  not  without  the  necessary  steps  being  taken
for  his  re- establishment  by  the  Eoyal  Government  of  La  Plata.
