Sahagún's "Doctrinal Encyclopaedia"

Resumen

"The prologue 'To the Prudent Reader' with which Sahagún preceded the text of the Coloquios shows us that the plan of the work was vast", Nicolau D'Olwer writes; "it was to be part of a sort of doctrinal encyclopaedia..." The plan was to follow his Coloquios y doctrina christiana, which he was arranging and comiling in 1564, with, in order, a catechism or doctrina, a chronicle of evangelism in New Spain, and "an explanation or commentary (una declaración o postilla) of all the epistles and gospels in the scriptural texts for all the Sundays (dominicos) of the year... very suitable in language and subject matter to the abilities of the Indians..." The compilation of the chronicle was abandoned even as its place in the scheme was announced, since Motolinía had alredy written one.