, natural son of James de Palafox, marquis de Hariza, in the kingdom of Arragon, was
born in 1600. His mother, it is said, attempted to drown
him at his birth, but one of his father’s vassals drew him
out of the water, and took care of him till the age at which
he was acknowledged by his parents. Philip IV. appointed
Palafox member of the council of war; then that of the
Indies. Having afterwards chosen the ecclesiastical profession, he was made bishop of Los Angelos, “Angelopolis,
” in New Spain, in 1639, with the title of visitor of the
courts of chancery and courts of audience, and judge of the
administration of the three viceroys of the Indies. Palafox
employed his authority in softening the servitude of the
Indians, checking robbery in the higher ranks, and vice in
the lower. He had also great contentions with the Jesuits
concerning episcopal rights. He was made bishop of
Osina or Osma, in Old Castille, in 1653, which diocese he
governed with much prudence and regularity, and died,
in great reputation for sanctity, September 30, 1659, aged
59. This prelate left some religious books, of which the
principal are, “Homilies on the Passion of Christ,” translated into French by Amelot de la Houssaye, 16to; several tracts on the “Spiritual Life,” translated by the abbé
le Roi; “The Shepherd of Christmas-night,” &c. but he
is best known by his “History of the Siege of Fontarabia;”
and “History of the Conquest of China by the Tartars,”
8vo. There is a collection of his works printed at Madrid
in 13 vols. fol. 1762, and a life by Dinouart in French,
1767, 8vo.