Chapter IX: Part 9

I charge and command my viceroys of Nueva Espana, both present and future, to take especial care in the accomplishment and execution of all the foregoing; and to station in the port of Acapulco, besides the royal officials who are now there, a person of great integrity, trustworthiness, and competence, with a commission as alcalde-mayor, so that this decree may be suitably enforced in all respects; and no more money may be carried [in the ships] than the amount permitted, whether with or without license. In the said port the registers of all that is brought from the said Philipinas Islands shall be opened by the person to whom that duty is entrusted by my viceroy and by the officials of my royal exchequer at the said port of Acapulco. They shall also together inspect and check off the bales and chests, with the scrutiny and care necessary to ascertain what has come without registry and contrary to permission. The said registers are to be sent to Mexico, as usual, with the results of the investigations made in the said port of Acapulco, by a person of integrity or by one of my said officials. In Mexico everything shall be again checked off, and appraised; and the duties that belong to me shall be collected and proper measures shall be taken to ascertain and learn what has come registered, and whatever shall be found to have come without registry, and whatever is carried contrary to the said prohibition, shall be confiscated: but no permission or opportunity shall be given for committing, in this procedure, or under pretext or occasion thus afforded, any injury or act of injustice against the owners of the said property.

And I command that the same care be taken at the port of Acapulco in examining the royal silver and other articles which may be embarked and carried to the said Philipinas Islands. The royal officials of the said port shall take account of them, and shall inform my governor thereof and the royal officials of the said islands, sending them the registers, and giving them all necessary information. As the majority of the persons who go every year from Nueva Espana to the said islands do not remain there, but return immediately, investing what money they possess, I command my viceroy of Nueva Espana to give permission to no one to go to the Philipinas Islands, unless such person shall give securities that he will become a citizen and resident there for more than eight years, or unless he shall go as a soldier, sent to the governor; and against those who violate this decree, and their bondsmen, he shall execute the necessary penalties without fail.

And as it is my will that all the aforesaid should be complied with, observed and executed inviolably, as also the decrees which were ordered to be despatched by the king my lord, which are hereinbefore mentioned, concerning the said trade, in so far as they are not contrary to what is decreed and ordered, I command my viceroy of the said Nueva Spana and my governor and captain-general of the said Philipinas Islands, and my audiencias there, and my other judges and magistrates, and all private persons whomsoever--each in so far as concerns him--to observe and comply with, and cause to be observed and complied with this decree, with exactness, and to execute the said penalties without any exemption or remission. And in all cases of remissness or carelessness which these my ministers shall display in the fulfilment and execution of the said orders, I command that the penalties be executed against them, and the example which the affair demands shall be made; for this reason I command that, when the residencias of their offices shall be taken, they shall be made responsible for such matters. And that these commands may come to the notice of all, and none may pretend ignorance of them, I command that this my decree be publicly proclaimed. Issued at Valladolid, on the last of December of the year one thousand six hundred and four.

_I The King_

Countersigned by _Pedro de Ledesma_; signed by the Council.

[_Note at beginning of MS._: "Your Majesty's decision and mandates concerning the trade of the Philipinas Islands with Nueva Espana. Corrected."]

DOCUMENTS OF 1605

Complaints against the Chinese. Miguel de Benavides, and others;
February 3-9.
Letter from a Chinese official to Acuna. March.
Letters from Augustinian friars to Felipe III. Estevan Carrillo,
and others; May 4-June 20.
Letter to Felipe III. Antonio de Ribera Maldonado; June 28.

_Source_: All of these documents are obtained from MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla.

_Translations_: The first and fourth are translated by Robert W. Haight; the second and third, by Henry B. Lathrop, of the University of Wisconsin.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE CHINESE

In the city of Manila, on the third day of the month of February in the year one thousand six hundred and five, the most reverend Senor Don Fray Miguel de Benavides, archbishop of these islands, member of the council of the king our lord, etc., declared that, since the uprising of the Chinese Sangleys who were formerly settled in this city, in a market [_alcayceria_], or large town (which they call Parian) that was situated there, the said Parian and town has been commanded to be built, and has now been built anew, and is at this time again peopled with the said infidel Sangleys. The said Sangleys are infidels and idolaters, and a most pernicious and injurious people to be settled among the Christian natives, newly converted to our holy Catholic faith; for the said infidel Sangleys are most vicious, both with women and in an unnatural manner, and are extremely liberal in spending money for their purposes and desires, and artful and crafty for every form of evil. Moreover, these Indian men and women of these islands, especially those of the neighborhod of Manila, are very easily persuaded to carnal sins, in short, as natives of so hot and humid a climate; although it is a crime against nature, this they do not know, and in some regions did not even have a word for it in their language, until these infidel Chinese made this sin known to them. These native Indian men and women are very greedy, and as they are but lately made Christians, and are not thoroughly instructed, a great many of them find it very easy to leave not only Christian morals, but even the Catholic faith as well, and embrace the superstitions and rites which the idolatrous infidels desire to teach them. Likewise--and this is very important, considering the state of the faith here, and upon what depends the peace and preservation of these islands (namely, the faith in God and obedience to the king our lord), and the extreme danger and peril in which these infidel Sangleys placed us in the previous year of one thousand six hundred and three, in the month of October, from which we were delivered only by the mercy and infinite power of God, by which alone we could be freed--their desire to slaughter all of us Spaniards, and to make themselves masters of this kingdom, is much inflamed now at seeing so many thousands as were here of their fathers, sons, brothers, and kinsmen, and of their friends and countrymen, slain; and how so great an amount of their property here was destroyed. With this so open enmity, hatred, and thirst for vengeance so aroused, they will seek, great in cunning and craft as they are, to sow discord between us Spaniards and the Indian natives of these islands, and separate us, mind and heart. For this purpose they promise and give them articles of value; for of all known people they best understand how to bribe, and they will contrive to know all secrets. And all this they can easily accomplish, if they succeed in maintaining dishonorable carnal intercourse with the Indian men and women. To stop all this, there is no other means out to send all the said infidel Sangleys out of this city, and give them only a place to live and dwell in during the two or three months of April, May, and June, while the trading and lading for Nueva Espana is being carried on; or, if it seems best to his Majesty, to give license to a few of them, even though they be such cruel and open enemies of him and of God; and to give an order that no Indians, men or women, shall settle near them, but shall remain at a considerable distance from the settlement or market where these infidel Sangleys may dwell. His most reverend Lordship, considering these things from the point of view of a person who has known the Sangleys so many years, is acquainted with their language and customs, has been in that country of China for a long time, and has noticed that since the said rebellion and war which the said Sangleys set on foot and waged against us, some of the natives have made a settlement on a part of the site where the market and Parian formerly stood, in which dwelt these infidel Sangleys; and that the new settlement of the said natives adjoins the new market and Parian which has been erected for the said infidel Sangleys, in which they now are, and at present dwell. The said natives are so near to the said infidel Sangleys, that it is not more than a rivulet, no wider than a narrow street, that separates them; and it has a foot-bridge of timbers, which affords passage from one side to the other. And even this is not the only evil and danger, but as the said Parian of the said infidels is midway between Manila and the said new settlement of the natives, every time when those Indian men or women have to come to this city, they must do so by passing through the street of the said Parian of the said infidel Sangleys; and at morning, noon, and night the latter can securely plan and execute all their misdeeds. What is perhaps the worst is, that from birth the Indians of this country, men and women, grow up in the water, bathing and swimming. The said Sangleys see them naked in the said creek, or at best in the river which is there, close to both districts. What with this unavoidable chance for caressing them, and particularly for attracting the boys with fruits and other little presents, they must draw them into their own vices. This is particularly so as these boys actually go upon the bank in the district of the infidel Sangleys, and there disport, and enjoy themselves; and they are usually naked, or, if dressed, they are almost the same as naked. It is very noticeable with these Sangley people that they intermix with any other people who are here, in a very singular fashion; for at once they intermarry with the women of these nations, adopt their customs, and live like Indians. These are not the only evils connected with the said settlement of the said natives remaining there, but there are even other injuries, perhaps greater, at any rate as great. One is that the said settlement and district of these said Indian natives is very close to another district and market, that of the Japonese, so near that they are only about a stone's throw from each other; and the Japonese are fully as bad as the Sangley infidels, both on the score of the infamous sin, and as concerns the need of protecting ourselves from them as from enemies. For on the banner that the infidel Sangleys raised when they rebelled and made the late war against us, so endangering us, there were written Chinese letters, which declared the Sangleys to be friends of the Japonese; and in the rebellion about sixteen years ago, when the former royal Audiencia of these islands commanded and caused to be executed Don Agustin and Don Martin Panga, Indian chiefs from Tondo, they found a Japonese implicated in the plots and the rebellion, and hanged him in the plaza here at Manila. There is no one that does not know the well-founded rumors and suspicions that have been afloat to the effect that the king of Japon wished to come against this city. It is likewise a matter of importance that these natives of this new village and district before mentioned, neither sow grain nor have lands for that purpose, but can only act as peddlers and wanderers; and as such, must be ready for any ill deed, especially if there be profit in it--as there will be, and that a great one, as has been pointed out. His most reverend Lordship, considering that he stood alone, has done his utmost to persuade the lord governor of these islands, Don Pedro de Acuna, to provide a remedy for an evil so greatly developed (or rather for so many evils), by removing the said natives from the vicinity of the said infidel Sangleys; but the said lord governor would not do it. When his most reverend Lordship commenced to point out the great evils attendant on having the said natives so near the said infidel Sangleys, the remedy was easy and without difficulty; for the said district and settlement of natives had but just begun, and they had not even commenced to build the new Parian of the infidel Sangleys. Thus, each day the said settlement grows larger, and its destruction grows every day more difficult; and later it will be a greater damage to the said natives to remove them.

Therefore his most reverend Lordship, desiring to check so enormous sins, and to avert the so evident dangers from them, and the destruction and end of this kingdom--both in faith and morals, and in loyalty to the king our lord--commanded and commands that there be drawn and received an investigation of the said matter, to seek and apply the remedy, if in justice and right that be fitting; and that the witnesses received shall declare the truth in all matters, under oath, and under penalty of major excommunication, _late sententia, ipso facto_, incurring [_word illegible in MS._] canonical admonition and [_word illegible_]--as only this said penalty and oath will secure secrecy so that they will not tell that they were cited for this purpose, or what they declared, or any part thereof, or that this investigation is being made, or anything concerning or touching the matter. Accordingly I so provide, command, and sign; and they shall declare, under the said oath and penalty, not only whether there have not been infidel Sangleys here, since his Lordship has taken up this matter of separating these natives from the said infidel Sangleys in the district of the said Parian; but likewise whether they were not living there in the said quarter of the said natives, until his most reverend Lordship was constrained to make known the truth, and cause them to be removed from the place--for it had already become an intolerable thing, in the sight of any man whatsoever.

_Fray Miguel_, archbishop of Manila. By command of his most reverend Lordship: _Francisco de Carranca_

In the city of Manila, on the fifth day of February in the year one thousand six hundred and five, his most reverend Lordship, Don Fray Miguel de Venavides, archbishop of this said city, caused to appear before him the canon Pablo Ruiz de Talavera, cura for the natives of this city, from whom he took and received oath _in verbis sacerdotis_, placing his hand upon his breast. Having done this, he swore to tell the truth; and being questioned after the tenor of the caption of this document, declared that this is what he knows, and what is occurring. After the uprising and rebellion of the Sangleys which occurred on the fourth of October in the previous year of six hundred and three, as the settlement and Parian built by the said Sangleys was burned--which stood outside the walls of this city, at about an arquebus-shot from them, where the first houses began--all the site on which the said Sangleys had thus settled was abandoned. As it was thus depopulated, several Indian natives of this country, with some servants of Captain and Sargento-mayor Christoval de Asqueta, settled in several houses close by and adjoining the said site of the Parian, so that there is nothing but a creek between (so small that at low tide it is almost dry), with a wooden bridge; and on the further side, a stone's throw more or less, is the site of the Parian of the Sangley merchants (or _auhaes_), where the Xaponese are at present settled. This witness, as a person who has been in this country more than thirty years, and who is an interpreter of the natives, knows that the said Sangleys are a very pernicious people, and are cunning in all evil. They are especially so in the unnatural sin, which they practice commonly among themselves, and likewise with women, with whom they commit the same sin. For this they are very generous, and readily give bribes for the fulfilment of their desires. Likewise he knows that the natives, especially those of this district, are very vicious, and the Indian women very facile and unchaste in regard to offending God. Moreover, among themselves they never knew of the unnatural sin, and they had no word or name for it, nor would they know of it, until these Chinese came to this country; and from them they have learned it. Further, this witness knows that indeed these said natives are but lately converted to our holy Catholic faith, and therefore are easily approachable; for they easily give up not only the good morals that have been taught them by the ministers of the gospel, but likewise our holy Catholic faith, that has been taught them with so much pains, and is being taught them from day to day. And if they communicate and have dealings with the Chinese, it will be an easy matter to persuade them to abandon their obedience to his Majesty, as they did when the said Sangleys rebelled in the previous year of six hundred and three, when the Chinese gardeners of the village of Huiapo, where this witness holds a benefice, persuaded many Indians to rise in rebellion with them, saying that they were good people and the Spaniards bad. And the said Indians, not wishing to fall with them, gave information to this witness, as their cura, which he communicated at length to his most reverend Lordship, bringing the Indians to him so that they might tell him. And shortly after this the Sangleys rebelled, and placed this city in so great straits that if God our Lord had not miraculously delivered us, they would have killed all the Spaniards, and remained in possession of the country; and the Catholic faith would have perished here, which has cost so much to the king our lord for its establishment and support. Owing to the loss of life inflicted on them so justly at that time, they have become irritated, both those who remained alive, who now maintain the new Parian--which has been built on a part of the site of the old one, close to the village of Indians above referred to--and likewise those that live in Great China, where their brothers and kinsmen are. These also had a part of their property burned. And this witness knows that the said Chinese are a people full of craft in all they undertake, and that they can in one way or another turn the mind to any rebellion or uprising. This witness heard Ensign Christoval Gomez--who was sent as ambassador to the province of Myndanao by the governor of these islands, Don Pedro de Acuna, and who came back to this city--say concerning a ship of infidel Chinese, which was in Myndanao and came armed to the port of this city, where it at present is, that the infidel Chinese of this ship while they were in Mindanao persuaded the said people of Mindanao to come to these islands in an armed fleet, encouraged them to do this, and gave them many supplies of war, catans, and metal to make artillery, powder, and battle-axes; and the said ensign added, to this witness, that these Chinese were great rascals, and that they ought all to be in the galleys. Further, he told this witness that they did not come to the port of this city of their own will, but were forced to it by winds; and that another vessel had gone to the island of Xolo for the same reason. And, both, for this and on account of the hatred they bear for us, this witness knows that they will do all in their power to stir up the Indians against us--which will be easy for them, with the bribes that they give the Indians; and easier still if they have committed the crime against nature with them, and with their women. And it appears to this witness that there is no other remedy than to drive the Chinese out of the country, and allow them here only during the three months of the year while their trade lasts, and then let them go back to their own country. And if it should appear best to his Majesty to give permission to some few of them to remain in this land, he should order that no Indian men or women be settled near them, or near the market where dwell the infidel Sangleys. And this witness knows that his most reverend Lordship is considered to know the language and customs of the Chinese, having been acquainted with them for many years past, and that he has spent a considerable time there in China. He also knows that the Indians of the village above mentioned are so close to the new Parian of the Chinese that they must pass through it in going and coming, when they are obliged to come to this city; and there they have opportunity to talk with the said Sangleys, to concoct their misdeeds and sins. This witness knows that the said houses and village of the natives, as has been said, are also near the Parian of the Japonese, a pernicious people, who, like the Sangleys, do great harm through practice of the infamous sin; and they are a more restless and warlike people than the said Sangleys. They have always been threatening this country with war, and they have molested it and its coasts by their ships, with which they come to plunder; and they bring Sangleys as pilots and sailors. In a native rebellion organized sixteen years ago by certain Indians, at which time several chiefs who were implicated were executed, they were in communication with the Japonese, and one Japonese was hanged. This witness likewise knows that at the time when the Sangleys rebelled, in the said past year of six hundred and three, there was taken from them a banner, with an inscription in the characters which they use, which was examined and read by one who understood it; and he said that in the said inscription the said Chinese declared themselves friends of the Xaponese. Besides, it is easy to see the loss that would result from the intercourse of these natives with the said Xaponese and Chinese. And this witness knows (for he was present and saw it) that at the time when they were commencing to rebuild the Parian of the said Sangleys there were present his most reverend Lordship, with the president and all the auditors of this royal Audiencia, the regidors, and many other persons, on the site of the Parian--at which time they were considering its rebuilding, it being on the first anniversary of the burning of the said Parian, which was on the sixth of October of the said year six hundred and three. This witness saw that the lord archbishop opposed it, saying that it was inexpedient to build it for many reasons, until an account of them had been given to his Majesty. And finally he called to this witness, and said to him that those houses of the Indians--pointing out to him the said village above mentioned--would better be moved back and taken from that place; for it was not good that they should remain there, and particularly when they were considering putting Sangleys so near. This was heard by the lord governor, Don Pedro de Acuna, and other persons who were there. And this witness knows that on that same day the lord governor and both the cabildos, the secular and ecclesiastical, were in the church of San Andres, where mass was being chanted in honor of the patron saints of this city, in thanksgiving for their aid, which, on such a day as this, had given us victory over the Chinese; and the said lord archbishop preached, and in the sermon discoursed at length concerning the inadvisability of a second Parian, owing to the many offenses against God there committed, and the great danger in which it would again place this city. Notwithstanding this and other measures which the said lord archbishop took in the matter--such as sending to tell the lord governor, Don Pedro de Acuna, with Captain Pedro de Ortega, alcalde-in-ordinary of this city, that this village of the natives should be removed, as it was so near to the Parian, in order to avoid the offenses that would there be committed against God our Lord--so far as he has learned, they have not up to the present day removed the said village. And this witness knows that in the said village of the said natives, there was a house of Sangleys, in which this witness saw three Sangleys; for this witness, as cura of the natives of this city, was commanded by his most reverend Lordship to investigate their way of life, and see whether there were any infidel Sangleys among them. In compliance with what his most reverend Lordship commanded, he went to the said village, with Senor Geronimo de Alcaraz, and both together saw the said three infidel Sangleys, who were living there; and, when asked how long they had been living there, they answered "three months." Likewise this witness asked the Indians of the said village and another Indian--a chief from Mindoro, who frequently went to the said village--whether there had been more Sangleys. They answered that as many as six other Sangleys had lived there, in this said Indian village, for more than two months. This witness knows further that, by a strenuous effort made by the said archbishop, the said Chinese were removed from the said village. This procedure was public, as was also the fact that the said archbishop had informed Senor Don Pedro de Acuna, governor of these islands, that the Chinese were among these Indians, and that the said lord governor sent to investigate this an ensign of the guard, who returned and told the said lord governor that the said Sangleys were not there; or at any rate the said governor so understood the said ensign. But as the lord archbishop was certain of the truth, he told the said lord governor, in the presence of all the people, that they were deceiving him, and that the said infidel Sangleys were among the said natives of the said village. As the lord governor was not yet satisfied, he himself went in person to the said Parian, and, from the bank of the stream, called for the Sangleys who were living in the said village with the natives; immediately the said three infidel Sangleys came into the presence of the said lord governor. This witness asked them how long they had been there, and they answered that they had been there three months, and had come from Cebu. This was heard by the lord governor, who was present, and by other persons who were accompanying him. Then the said lord governor ordered the said Sangleys to leave the said village straightway. And the said village of the said natives is, at this very day, as has been said, in the danger explained in the document heading these proceedings, and in this statement and declaration. And this is the truth, by the oath he has taken, which he affirmed, ratified, and signed; and he says that he is about thirty-five years of age.

_Fray Miguel_, archbishop of Manila. _Pablo Ruiz de Talavera_ Before me: _Francisco de Carranca_, notary.

[On the ninth of February of the year one thousand six hundred and five, the archbishop caused to appear before him for the said investigation, the canon Diego de Leon, who, having been sworn in the manner before described, made a declaration in every way similar to that of the preceding witness. He mentioned as an instance of the bad faith of the Chinese, the death of Gomez Perez Das Marinas, and the many good soldiers that they then killed. Below the formal closing of the declaration, but before the signature, he adds the following to his testimony:] This witness further says that in his opinion, if the infidel Sangleys were to come only for purposes of trade to these islands, and none of them were to remain here, the kingdom of China would be altogether friendly toward us for the sake of our trade; and if none of them remained here, the Spaniards would have no occasion to injure them, and they would not have time to acquire influence over these natives, who are quick at learning a new language, and are excellent soldiers, shooting even better than do the Spaniards with arquebuses, and possessing very good weapons.

_Fray Miguel_, archbishop of Manila. _Diego de Leon_ Before me: _Francisco de Carranca_, notary.

I, Francisco de Carranca, canon of this holy church of Manila, appointed notary by his Lordship, by his command caused this copy of this information to be made from the original, which was drawn before me, and remains in the archives of the notary-public of this archbishopric. It is a certain and true copy, to the best of my knowledge, and I refer to the original. Witness its copying, correcting, and comparison, Thomas de Cardenas and Juan Camacho de el Hello, residents of this city of Manila, where it is dated, on to the seventh of July of the year one thousand six hundred and five.

_Francisco de Carranca_, notary.

[We append to this document the following affidavit:]

Sworn statement to the effect that there are Sangleys in Manila in the present year 1605.

In the city of Manila, on the fifteenth day of the month of June in the year one thousand six hundred and five, the schoolmaster Don Luis de Salinas, whom I affirm that I know, declared that it was necessary for expediency's sake that I, Francisco Davila, notary of the king our lord, should testify on oath that today, on the said day here given, there live, exist, and reside infidel Sangleys in the houses of the citizens of Manila, or in some of them. It should be known that they are in the house of the master-of-camp Pedro de Chaves, and in the house of the master-of-camp Augustin de Arceo, who is at present exercising the said office and military rank in this camp--and the said houses form one side of the palace, and front on the Plaza de Armas--and in the houses of the dean Don Juan de Bivero and those of Antonio de Spinosa, which are on the plaza of this said city; and in a number of others belonging to the most prominent citizens--that is, those of the highest life and rank in the city. The said notary requested me to give the said testimony, and by these presents I ask that there be witnesses, that I the said Francisco de Avila, give my word and truthful testimony that I have seen today, on the said date, the said Sangleys in the said houses, selling their merchandise and being present therein as if in their own homes. And in accordance with the said request I have given these presents in the said city of Manila on the said day, month, and year, being witnesses thereto the prebendary Tomas de Cardenas, Antonio Bacan, and Alonso Cano, residents in Manila. And therefore I have set my seal in witness of the truth.

_Francisco Davila_

We, the notaries who have here signed our names, certify and give faith that Francisco de Avila, by whom the statement above is signed and sealed, is a royal notary, and to the acts and instruments which have been or are drawn before him full faith and credit are given, in and out of court; and that this may be apparent we have given these presents, in Manila, on the sixteenth day of the month, of June in the year one thousand six hundred and five.

_Bartolome de Quesada_, royal notary. _Alonzo Gomez_, his Majesty's notary. _Francisco de Alanis_, notary-public.

LETTER FROM A CHINESE OFFICIAL TO ACUNA

(Translation of a letter from the inspector-general of Chincheo in the kingdom of China, which was received in this year 1605, addressed to Don Pedro de Acuna, governor and captain-general of the Filipinas Islands. The address is to the great captain-general of Luzon. The same letter was sent by the viceroy of Chincheo and the eunuch of the same province; and since they are all three identical, without any discrepancy except in the signatures, this copy stands for all of them.)

Learning that the Chinese who went for purposes of trade to the kingdom of Luzon have been put to death by the Spaniards, I have inquired into the cause of these deaths and have prayed the king that he will do justice upon the person who has been the cause of this great evil, that redress for it may be undertaken and that the merchants may enjoy peace and quietness. Some years before I came here as inspector, a Sangley, by name Tionez, [_sic; sc._ Tiognen] [37] went by permission of the king of China with three mandarins to Luzon, searching at Cabite for gold and silver. The whole thing was a lie, for they found neither gold nor silver; accordingly the king directed this deceiver Tionez to be punished, that the strict justice done in China might be known.

During the time of the preceding viceroy and eunuch, Tiognen and his companion, named Yanlion, told this lie; and I, after I came hither, begged the king to have a copy made of all the documents in the case of Tiognen, and to command the said Tiognen to be brought before him with the record in the case. I myself saw the aforesaid papers and caused him to see that the whole thing had been a deceit uttered by the said Tiognen. I wrote to the king declaring that on account of the deceits of the said Tiognen the Castilians had suspected us of intending to make war upon them; and that on this account they had put to death more than thirty thousand Chinese in Luzon! The king did as I asked him and therefore punished the said Yanglion by ordering him to be killed, and the said Tiognen, by commanding his head to be cut off and suspended in a cage. The Chinese who were put to death in Luzon were innocent, and I with others discussed this matter with the king, that we might learn what was his will in this grave affair. There was also another matter of importance to be considered, which was that two English ships had come to this coast of Chincheo, a very dangerous thing for China. This we did that the king might learn what was to be done in these two matters of such importance. We also wrote to the king that his Majesty should command the two Sangleys who pointed out this port to the English to be punished. After we had written the aforesaid letter to the king he answered us that since English vessels had come to China, they should be commanded to go away immediately to Luzon, for fear that they had come for piratical purposes; and that they should carry word to the inhabitants of Luzon not to give credit to a deceitful and lying set of Chinese, He also commanded the two Sangleys who had piloted the English to be immediately executed. As for the other things that we had written to him he declared that our will should be done. Immediately, after having received this document, we--the viceroy, the eunuch, and I--sent these documents to the governor of Luzon, that his Lordship might know the greatness of the king of China and of his realm (for they are so great that he governs everything upon which the moon and the sun shine), and likewise that the governor of Luzon may know the great justice with which this vast realm is governed. It is long since anyone has dared to give offense to this kingdom; and although the Japonese have endeavored to disturb Corea, which is under the government of China, they have been unable to succeed therewith, and have been driven from the said kingdom, and Corea has remained in great peace and quiet, as the peoale of Luzon know well from what has been told them. [_At the beginning of this paragraph, and on the margin_: "They knew that the English are our friends."]

Last year, after we learned that, as a result of the deceit of Tiognen, so many Chinese had been put to death in Luzon, many mandarins assembled to agree upon urging the king to take vengeance for all these deaths. We said that the land of Luzon was a wretched land of little importance, of old inhabited only by devils and snakes; and that, as a result of the immigration there a few years ago of so many Sangleys to trade with the Castilians, the country has been enriched to the extent to which the said Sangleys have labored therein. They have built the walls, and made houses and gardens, and other things of great advantage to the Castilians. Nevertheless, the Castilians had no consideration for these things, and have felt no gratitude for these good works, but have 60 cruelly slain all those people. Although we wrote this statement two or three times to the king, he replied to us that, although he was grieved by what had happened, there were three reasons why we should not avenge ourselves or make war upon Luzon. The first was that the Castilians had long been friends of the Chinese in this region; the second is that it was uncertain who would be victorious, Chinese or Castilians; and the third and last reason, that the people slain by the Castilians were a base people, ungrateful to China, their native country, to their parents, and to their relatives, since so many years had passed during which they had not returned to China. The king said that he did not consider these people of any value, for the aforesaid reasons; and he merely commanded the viceroy, the eunuch, and me to write this letter sent by this ambassador, that the people of Luzon may know that the king of China has great kindness, great patience, and great pity, since he has not commanded them to make war against the people of Luzon. His justice is plainly to be seen, since he has punished the deceit of Tiognen. As the Spaniards are a wise and prudent race it must be that they would be grieved for having put so many people to death, and will repent thereof and will show justice to the Chinese who have survived. If the Castilians show justice to the Chinese, send back the Sangleys who have survived the war, and pay the money due for the goods taken from the Sangleys, there will be amity between this kingdom and that, and merchant vessels will sail there every year. If not, the king will not permit merchant vessels to make the voyage, but will command a thousand vessels of war to be built with a force of soldiers--relatives of the deceased, and inhabitants of the other nations and kingdoms that pay tribute to China; and, without having mercy upon anyone, they will make war, and afterward the kingdom of Luzon will be given to that people which will pay tribute to China. [_On the margin_: "Those who pay tribute are Siang, Cochinchina, and Corea."]

(The letter of the inspector-general was written on the twelfth of the second month, which, according to our reckoning, is March of the [_blank in MS._] year of the reign of Bandel. [38] The letter of the eunuch was written on the sixteenth of the same month and year; and that of the viceroy on the twenty-second of the same month and year.)

LETTERS FROM AUGUSTINIAN FRIARS TO FELIPE III

Sire:

This province of our father St. Augustine in the Philipinas enjoyed a fortunate and prosperous season as a result of the care, zeal, and strictness in religion of the provincial, who (to my great sorrow) has just completed his term, and was chiefly inspired by the advice, directions, and commands which your Majesty has sent us in your letters, all of which have been scrupulously obeyed and respected. During this happy time there returned to this province Fray Lorenso de Leon, [39] a man who after having been provincial here went on business of the province to Espana and Roma for six years, as your Majesty has been fully notified. This father Fray Lorenso de Leon came, then, to disturb all this good, having sought and pursued nothing but his own personal interest and desires, with his notorious vanity and ambition, and having wholly neglected the general advantage of this forgotten province.

He arrived last year, one thousand six hundred and four; and up to the present time (our provincial chapter having been held in the interim) his only occupation and efforts have been to bring it about by unfair contrivances that he should attain his own pretensions and advancement, as is evident by the result. In the face of the requisitions and notifications made by our assembly of definitors, he, although he was under solemn oath, concealed the papers and documents which he brought with him, and brought them forward only in this present chapter. These documents, although they were nothing but simple letters from our father-general, were accepted there, in order to avoid contentions and scandals; and accordingly, as they directed, he presided in the chapter as vicar-general, the same authority being valid for all chapters and congregations [of the order] at which he might be present. Thus he has taken this ancient and rightful name from our provincials of Castilla, to whom it was granted by his Holiness; and this without command from your Majesty and your royal Council, to whom all this is subject. We pray will all humility that such assumption of authority may be permitted to go no further, in order that the evils thus begun in such a decay of this province (of which your Majesty will be informed in this letter) may no longer continue.

After the majority of the chapter, including those most worthy of confidence, had agreed and determined, for the greater peace and quiet of the chapter, to elect as provincial a deserving religious of the qualifications required by our rules, we proceeded peacefully with the election, until the said father Fray Lorenso de Leon took control of it. Although he had no right to be present in spite of his being president, he eagerly seated himself so near the clerk who gave out the blank ballots that, whether by fear or affection, he certainly by this, and with his gestures and signs, being himself a candidate, affected and changed the wills and intentions of some of the electors, contrary to the freedom of the election. Moreover, he was present at the counting of the votes and ballots with the three tellers. When he discovered that he had some votes, at which time he ought to have departed, and that another (whom he feared) was receiving more than he was then, so as to be sure of the election--and that candidate is said certainly to have had it--exceeding his authority, he barred the votes and commanded the counting to cease, declaring the election to be void. He showed--as a pretext, as will later appear from all this--a ballot or vote somewhat torn, in order to force a new election. Hence followed much ill-will, which he manifested on his side. In order to compel a new decision, as a result of the fear and change of purpose which he intended to cause in their minds, he delivered deceitful and satirical speeches (with which he is provided), in which he let them know that there was no one else in the chapter who could be elected except himself. He declared that he was not obliged to confirm him whom they might elect, making this declaration for the benefit of him who presumed to be most fit to be chosen. Although he was challenged and called upon to declare the impediment or incapacity of that man or of any other, he was not willing to do so, since in truth there was no such disability. As a result of this and other acts of tyranny, he forced a new election and new vote, to the great disgust and astonishment of the chapter. This sufficed to elect him (as he was in fact elected) provincial. He caused himself to be confirmed by one of the definitors; and, as the chapter had begun by siding with him, so it was continued. He now saw himself provincial, president, and vicar-general; and all this encouraged and enabled him to take our courage and spirit away from us in all elections, both small and great. Thus they all resulted in accordance with his will, and with the promises which he had made to those of his party, and to those from whom he had asked votes. This he had done through some laymen, a thing which makes the matter worse.

The result is manifest in the holders of all the better offices and convents. They are chosen from the friars of his province of Mexico, and from those who have assumed the habit here--unlearned, dissipated, and worthless boys. At the same time he has put out of office those whom he has oppressed, solely because they have come, being sent out by your Majesty from the provinces of Espana. The hatred and division among ourselves arising from his party cannot be remedied unless you Majesty take prompt measures to cure it from there, so completely have these fathers who are not from Espana obtained possession of the province, which is not very lucrative under their control. All the rest of us remain in discouragement and unhappiness to see such things, so opposite to good government and the Christian religion, and so full of peril to consciences. The result has been that some religious have not been willing to accept priorships in this chapter, for fear that they cannot hold them securely, inasmuch as the said father has not in their view been elected as a lawful superior, considering the coercion in the proceedings. Taking warning from past experience, fearing to cause public scandal and the rumors that result from disputes and investigations in such matters, and timid because of the little redress that can be had here, we have endured this affliction, and will suffer the harm within our own gates. For the whole series of proceedings is in violation of law; yet we have not, although your Majesty has many just counselors in this his royal council, entered our plea for justice and liberty before the council; for we desire to avoid scandals, and the governor of these islands has shown himself to be greatly biased in favor of the provincial elected. This is due to the activity and unlawful proceedings of the sargento-mayor Christoval de Asqueta, long since an agent for father Fray Lorenso de Leon. Such a relation is completely contrary to the rule of our order and our withdrawal from the world. Our only redress is in recourse to your Majesty, prostrate before whose feet we send our petition from this remotest province to our patron, defender, and gracious king, praying for justice, relief, and liberty in this case and in all other cases in which oppression is brought upon our good purpose and holy zeal, which were taught us in the convents in the provinces of Espana. We assure your Majesty that we who make this earnest and truthful report are the most prominent and sound part of the chapter; and that we are moved solely by the purpose of serving our Lord God and of promoting the advance of our holy order in credit and reputation, to the benefit of the royal crown and to the spiritual desert of your Majesty in these regions. We feel certain that your Majesty will soon send the remedy for all these evils, as we entreat, by interposing the authority of the nuncio of his Holiness, that he may by his official censure revoke all documents, rights of preeminence, or letters of our father-general which the said father Fray Lorenso de Leon may have, since it is entirely improper that he should take advantage of them. By this means and by the decrees which your Majesty will issue, this province can be assembled anew for an election--that is, those of it who have the right to vote--free from domination, under the presidency of a bishop of these Philipinas Islands. That which is supremely necessary is, as we have often prayed your Majesty, that there may come here from that province of Castilla a religious to inspect this province and set its affairs in order. If need be, he should have plenary authority to govern it, without allowing other elections; and he whom your Majesty shall send should come accompanied by religious fit to restore and preserve this province. Like a young vine, it is in need of such laborers, and not of such as dry up its moisture and pluck its fruit, like the friars who come here from Mexico. They have no other care, imitating in this their head; for it is evident that the said father Fray Lorenso de Leon has always acted in this way, since for his own private claims he has taken almost ten thousand pesos in past years and at present he has begun to collect the same a second time, in order to satisfy these claims entirely. We are eye-witnesses that in his behavior, desires, possessions, and unlawful wealth [40] he lays claim to great things. According to rumor and his beginnings, he aims at a bishopric; and this is made certain by the saying that he brought back here, when he complained that he would have received the bishopric of Manila if some persons had not written against him, and declared that he brought letters with him which would cause him to be feared, and that he would be provincial, by fair means or foul. May your Majesty be pleased to abate this evil by causing him to leave this province, and by granting us this boon and redress for which we pray, and which will conduce so greatly to the restoring of this province. Be assured that we make this truthful representation without any sort of malice or evil purpose, but only with wholesome and well-founded zeal. Your Majesty will have satisfactory proof of this in the letters and advices which will be sent from the government, the community, and the religious orders here, all of which will furnish information in the case. The cause is that of God and of your Majesty, and this will give us calmness and courage, in certain hope of receiving this great grace and protection. We remain your Majesty's humble chaplains and faithful servants, praying our God to grant your Majesty many years of happy life with all spiritual gifts, to the increase of your royal estates and Christian seigniories. Dated after the session of our chapter in our convent of San Augustin in Manila, on the fourth day of the month of May, one thousand six hundred and five.

_Fray Estevan Carrillo_, definitor. _Fray Bernabe de Villalovos_, definitor of Guadalupe. _Fray Miguel Garcia_, visitor. _Fray Jhoan de Tapia_, associate of the late provincial and secretary of the province [?]. _Fray Francisco Serrano_, sometime visitor. _Fray Miguel de Siguenza_, sometime visitor. _Fray Mathedo Dacas_, prior. _Fray Jhoan de Pineda_, prior, and lecturer in theology. _Fray Diego Pardo_, procurator-general. _Fray Jheronimo de Salas_, prior. _Fray Jhoan de Rojas_, sub-prior of Manila. _Fray Miguel de San Marco_ _Fray Bartolome de Aguirre_ _Fray Ambrosio de Leon_, procurator.

[_Endorsed_: "September 12, 1606. Considered; the decree on a separate paper."]

Sire: