Finally, the san-benito, which ordinary prisoners wore, was a flesh-colored sack bearing a Saint Andrew’s cross.
The kind of mitre which the condemned wore upon the head was called coroza, and was a cap of paper, more than a vara high, ending in a point like a fool’s-cap, with flames, snakes or demons painted on it, according to the category of the criminal.
The condemned carried also rosaries, and yellow or green candles; those of the “reconciled” were lighted, those of the impenitent extinguished; when they were “blasphemers” they were gagged.
In time these insulting insignia were looked upon with indifference as any other dress, and gave occasion, in Mexico, to a curious story. It chanced that once a “reconciled” was walking through the streets wearing his san-benito; some Indians seeing him noticed that the dress was new and one thought it was the Spanish devotional dress for Lent; returning to his house he made some excellent san-benitos, well painted; he brought them to the city and offered them for sale to Spaniards, saying, in the Indian language, Sic cohuas nequi a san-benito? which means, Do you wish to buy a san-benito? The thing so amused everyone that the story even went to Spain, and in Mexico there is still a saying, “ti que quis benito.”
The common people ended by losing all fear of such scarecrows, and defied the Inquisition in this way:
A merited jest for that which knew not how to respect worthy and valiant heroes, such as Hidalgo and Morelos.