June. They were defended by Capt. Padilha with 150 men, but after an heroic resistance the vessels were captured. Padilha was dangerously wounded, taken prisoner, and executed the same day.
PADILLA, Diego Francisco (pah-deer-.vah),
Colombian patriot, b. in Bogota in 1754 ; d. in
Boyaca in 1829. He entered the order of St.
Austin in his youth, and became one of the most
famous preachers of his time. In 1785 he was sent
as commissioner to the general chapter of his order
in Rome, and was chosen to deliver the inaugural
address before Pope Pius VI. Without making
use of the customary license to read his address,
he delivered it in Latin from memory with such
eloquence and purity of language that the pope
offered him any mitre he should choose, but Pa-
dilla refused all honors. He returned to Bogota
and gave himself entirely to his studies, preaching
and writing treatises and pamphlets on matters of
public interest, of which he published forty-nine
before 1809. By the liberal principles that he ad-
vocated therein he prepared the public mind for
liberty. When Gen. Pablo Morillo (q. v.) conquered
Colombia, Padilla was sent as a prisoner to Spain
and confined for a long time in Seville and Cadiz.
During the liberal movement of 1820 he was set at
liberty and returned to his country, dying in Bo-
yaca, where he had been appointed parish priest.
PADILLA, Juan de, Spanish missionary, b. in
Andalusia late in the 15th century ; d. in Mexico
in 1539. He came to Mexico in 1528 with the first
Franciscan friars, and was the first superior of the
convent of Tulancingo. Afterward he went to
Michoacan and Jalisco, where he converted nu-
merous Indians and became superior of the convent
of Zapotlan. In 1540 he accompanied his provin-
cial, Marcos de Niza {q. v.), in the expedition of
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado for the discovery
of Cibola. On the return of the expedition, Padil-
la, with Friar Jiuxn de la Cruz, remained in Tiguex
to preach to the recently conquered tribes, and
afterward penetrated farther north to convert the
wild tribes, by whom he was murdered. He wrote
under date of 17 Nov., 1532, a letter to the emperor
Charles V. about the results of the missions of New
Spain and the great merits of Bishop Juan de
Zuraarraga, the original of which is in the archives
of the council of the Indies. A facsimile was pub-
lished in the " Cartas de Indias," printed by order
of the Spanish government (Madrid, 1876).
PADILLA, Juan José, Central American scien-
tist, b. in Guatemala late in the 17th century ; d.
there about 1750. At an early age he was or-
dained priest and became canon of the cathedral
of his native city, but, being inclined to mathemati-
cal pursuits, he gave all his spare time to that
science and applied mechanics, in which he soon
became proficient. He was fond of physical ex-
periments and constructed various machines, es-
pecially tower-clocks, of which he made several for
the convents of the Jesuits and Recollets of Gua-
temala and for the churches of Comayagua. He
wrote " Arte de Aritmetica practica " (Guatemala,
1732); " Ortografia Latina y Castellana" (1733);
and left in manuscript " Baratillo raatematieo, 6
Miscelanea de experimentos fisicos, de maquinas,"
" Tratado de hacer y componer Relojes," " Arte de
Perspectiva," " Arte para saber las Lunaciones y
Eclipses, con solo el uso de Aritmetica," •' Almana-
ques para 85 afios desde el de 1735. arreglados al
Hemisferio de Guatemala," " Cronieon de Guate-
mala," and others, which are preserved in the ar-
chives of the cathedral.
PADILLA Y ESTRADA, Jose Antonio de, Mexican archbishop, b. in the city of Mexico in 1696; d. in Merida, Yucatan, 20 July. 1760. He was of noble birth, but entered the order of San
Augustine and was graduated at the University of
Mexico as doctor in theology. He was professor
of philosophy and theology and rector of the Col-
lege of San Pablo, visiting secretary of the con-
vents of Guadalajara and Habana, and prior of
the main convent of Mexico. On account of some
misunderstanding with his provincial, he resolved
to go to Rome, but he was detained at Campeche
and obliged to return to Mexico, where he was ap-
pointed procurator for the courts of Rome and
Madrid. In 1749, while at Madrid, he was pre-
sented with the archbishopric of Santo Domingo,
of which he took possession the following year.
He introduced several reforms and repaired many
churches. Afterward he was appointed to the see
of Guatemala, but resigned, asking instead for that
of Yucatan, which he obtained, taking possession
on 7 Nov., 1753. There he repaired and reorgan-
ized the seminary, founded a vice-rectory, imported
two teachers for philosophy and theology, and did
many charitable deeds.
PAEZ, José Antonio (pah'-eth), Venezuelan
soldier, b. near Aearigua, province of Barinas, 13
June, 1790 ; d. in New" York city 6 May, 1873. He
received a common-school education, and during
his youth was em-
ployed in menial
pursuits by some
of his relatives.
At the age of sev-
enteen, during a
trip to deliver
some money, he
was waylaid in a
wild region by
four robbers, one
of whom he killed
on the spot. Be-
ing afraid of the
consequences, he
fled to the llanos
of Barinas and obtained employment on a cattle
estate, where he
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became inured to a life of hardship. Two years later he entered the cattle-trade on his own account, and when independence was declared in 1810 he joined the patriot troops, serving till the beginning of 1813 in the province of Barinas. When Bolivar occupied Cucuta, Paez was called by the Spanish department-commander to collect a drove of horses, and was appointed captain ; but, unwilling to serve against his country, he fled across the mountains, and was given the same commission by the patriot government. When fresh Spanish forces arrived under Gen. Francisco Lopez, Paez refused to abandon Venezuela, and with only 500 cavalry routed Lopez at Mata de la Miel, 16 Feb., 1816. with the loss of 400 killed and 500 prisoners. For this he was promoted lieutenant-colonel by the Granadian government. At a meeting of the patriot officers several months later, Francisco Santander, the commander-in-chief, was asked to resign, and subsequently Paez was elected supreme political and military chief , and promoted to brigadier-general. His force consisted of 700 cavalry, destitute of clothing, provisions, ammunition, and even regular arms, poles of bamboo and slender palm-stems, pointed at one end. serving them as lances. They were hampered by a great number of old people, women, and children, who had been driven from their homes by the Spaniards, and by the condition of the country, which was converted
