Alonso de Zorita

the long version

"This lively biography illuminates a key role in the Hispanic New World, that of the oidor, or royal judge, appointed by the Spanish monarch to administer justice and law among settlers and subjects. Alonso de Zoria played his role as oidor conscientiously--loyal to the crown, orthodox in faith, attentive to duty. But he tempered his duties with a humanist's interest in the native cultures of the places where he served--Santo domingo, New Granada, Guatemala, and Mexico. His belief in the dignity of humankind led him to record his observations about the native peoples with a genuine respect for their ways. His attitude aligns him with Rousseau, Montaigne, and his own contemporary, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas"--Jacket.