nent, and as usual with the cloth, face clean-shaven. He wore at this time short black trousers and stockings of the same color, leathern shoes with buckles, and a long gown with cape. His heart was kind and sympathetic; his manner soft and winning; his voice sonorous, vibrating, and most pleasing to the ear; and his deportment was natural and attractive. He had the true scholarly stoop; and in all his features, air, and attitude a profoundly meditative expression—a fitting incarnation of a great soul bathed in settled calm. Yet the clear, black, brilliant eyes betrayed the activity of the mind, and through them shone the light from the burning fires within.
It does not appear that Hidalgo attended the early meetings of the revolutionists with regularity. Indeed, from his own statements I conclude that he visited Querétaro only on one occasion for that purpose, although he frequently held conversations elsewhere with Ignacio Allende and others on the subject of independence.[1]
Allende was certainly one of the moving spirits of the revolution; and although his fame as a patriot has been eclipsed by that of Hidalgo, it is only justice that his merits and patriotism should be fully recognized. He was born on the 21st of January, 1779,[2] in San Miguel el Grande, his father being a Spanish merchant and estate owner, named Domingo Narciso de Allende. When Don Domingo died, which was while Ignacio was of tender years, his affairs were greatly embarrassed, and had it not been for the high character of his executor, Domingo de Berrio, the
- ↑ Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., i. 9. At these conferences with Allende, Hidalgo continually and prophetically expressed his opinion that 'the authors of such enterprises never enjoyed the fruits of them.' Ib. Negrete, however, states that he went several times to Querétaro. 'Varios viajes aunque de una manera occulta, hizo a Querétaro Hidalgo, con el objeto de fomentar la revolucion. ' Hist. Mex. Sig. XIX., i. 83.
- ↑ Copies of his baptismal certificate can be seen in Liceaga, Adic. y Rectific., 210-11, and in Alaman, Hist. Mej., iii., app. 75-6. Liceaga, ut sup. 15, 17, however, and Zamacois make the mistake of assigning 1769 as the year of his birth.
