_Of the election of our father, Fray Jerónimo de Salas; and of other
events in this province at that time._
The [time for the] chapter arrived in which our father Fray Vicente
left his office, at which he would rejoice; for this matter of
command, although it appears to be all honey, certainly contains
much more of gall and confusion than rest. The father visitor,
Fray Juan de Enríquez, received votes, and he was well liked in
Pampanga. The father-provincial thought that father Fray Agustín
de Mejía [38] was needed for the government of the province, for he
was of Manila, and had maintained that convent with great devotion
and punctuality, and no one had been lacking in anything--and that
in times so calamitous as his own. During that time the ships from
España failed us for two years, and during all that period he had so
great courage that he did splendid things in the convent of Manila,
both for the church and for the house. The monument placed in our house
is the best of all those belonging to the orders; it and many others
are his work. Notwithstanding this, the religious did not consider him
favorably. Consequently, our father provincial, seeing the difficulty,
did not wish, as a prudent man, to venture upon a thing which would
make face against him. For the religious alone are of this condition,
that they play openly; as they look rather at the common good than
that of their own particular interest. Consequently, he cast his eyes
on father Fray Jerónimo de Salas, a man so well received that the
other fathers agreed on him immediately, and he was elected without
much difficulty on the twenty-ninth of April, 1617. That election
was very pleasing to the province, for all were very sure that they
would receive very great consolations at his hands. They were quite
right too, for I could treat of that point, as a very large share of
it fell to me, when I was in Bisayas acting as prior of Dumangas; for
he sent me leave to come to Manila, as he wished me to become subprior.
Father Fray Jerónimo de Cabero presided at that chapter, as we had
no letters-patent from our father general. As definitors, father Fray
Juan Enríquez, father Fray Pedro de Lesarte, [39] father Fray Alonso de
Baraona, and father Fray Felipe de Tallada were elected. The visitors
were father Fray Estacio Ortíz and father Fray Agustín de Mejía. All
together assembled, they annulled preceding orders and enacted others
for the good management of the province.
But little life was left for our father provincial, for a very
slight accident occasioned his death, so that, without any medicine
sufficing, he went away and left us on the seventeenth of May,
leaving us disconsolate and very desirous of him.
Our rules, in such an event, summon the preceding provincial, who
immediately took the seal. Persons were not lacking to advise him to
leave the government of the province, saying that the province was not
well affected toward him. And even persons outside of the order who
were viewing things with some interest, said the same to him. But we
are not to understand that any ambition guided him, but that since he
had had experience in the government, which is not the least thing,
he thought that he could govern better than another. He commenced to
burden the province with mandates, for in his term there was too much
of that. Thereupon, the fathers began to regard him less favorably
than before, and to represent to themselves the evil of his having the
command. There were meetings and discussions in which the coming evil
was clearly presaged and announced. One old religious, who was such
in all things, in order to avoid cavilings and inquisitions went to
confess to him; and told him that he knew most positively that they
wished to kill him, and that he should relinquish his office. He
assented to nothing, carried away, doubtless, by his good zeal. A
brother served him in his cell, a creole whom he wished well and whom
he treated with affection. The latter, in return for the benefits
which he received, gave him pounded glass in his chocolate, for he
had been told that that was the most virulent poison which could be
administered. But the provincial's natural force resisted everything,
for he was robust, though small of body.
During this time, which was June of the same year, 1617, as the ships
which had been despatched the year before had put back in distress,
the viceroy of Nueva España, in order not to leave the islands without
succor, bought a small Peruvian ship called "San Jerónimo," little
but very staunch. Although they had but little comfort, the bishop,
Don Fray Miguel García, embarked with his fine company of religious;
and he brought them in safety to the port of Cavite, although they
were almost wrecked among the islands, because the vendavals had set
in early and with violent force. At last freed from this and other
dangers by the mercy of God, and as they were laborers chosen by
God for this His vineyard, He did not wish them to lack work in it;
and so He placed them at the doors of the convent of Manila, poor
from the lack of comfort in the voyage, but rich with their hopes
and virtues. Their names were:
Father Fray Hernando Guerrero, who came as prior of them all.
Father Fray Antonio de Ocampo, a very eloquent preacher, and a
Castilian.
Father Fray Juan de Trejo, a very eloquent preacher, and from
Estremadura.
Father Fray Juan Ramírez, a preacher, from Burgos.
Father Fray Pedro Ramírez, a preacher, from Burgos.
Father Fray Diego de Robles, a Castilian.
Father Fray Diego de Avalos, from Toledo.
Father Fray Agustín Carreño, from Asturia, a Tagál.
Father Fray Francisco de Madrid, a preacher, and a Castilian.
Father Fray Lúcas de Aguilar, a Castilian.
Father Fray Juan de las Cuevas, from Madrid.
Father Fray Andrés de Prada, from Burgos.
Father Fray Antonio de Ulloa, a preacher, and a Castilian.
Father Fray Alonso Delgado, from Estremadura.
Father Fray Alonso Rodríguez, a fine organist, and a Castilian.
Father Fray Juan de Orasco, a Castilian.
Father Fray Martín de Arastí, a Biscayan.
Father Fray Félix de Villafuerte.
Father Fray Antonio Quintano, a preacher, from Burgos.
Father Fray Juan Gallegos, a preacher, from Mancha.
Father Fray Jacinto de Herrera; this was the second time that he has
sailed for this land. He is a preacher and a Castilian.
Father Fray Pedro Mejía, a preacher, from Mancha.
Father Fray Jerónimo de Paredes, a preacher, and a Castilian.
Father Fray Martín Vázquez, a Castilian.
Father Fray Tomás de Villanueva, from Mancha.
Father Fray Alonso de Carabasal, reader, and who came the following
year. He remained behind because of his poor health.
Father Fray Antonio de Mójica, a Castilian.
Father Fray Cristóbal Enríquez, a preacher, from Estremadura.
Father Fray Juan de Espinosa, a Castilian.
Father Fray Gaspar de Lorenzana, a Castilian. [40]
All those fathers who came here were from the province of
Castilla. Their arrival was of great consequence, and with them the
death of the father provincial, Fray Jerónimo de Salas, was, in some
measure, corrected; for, in return for a person whom the Lord took
from the province by that action, He gave it many workers in whom
there were very great hopes.
Our father rector-provincial, as the matter devolved on him, divided
the fathers among the four provinces of Tagalos, Pampanga, Ilocos,
and Bisayas. He had ordered that father Fray Alonso Baraona, at that
time definitor of the province, should take the religious who fell to
its share to the Pintados; and that he should come to the province
to govern it, since he was his vicar-provincial and visitor. The
religious embarked, therefore, and with them, the father prior of
Sugbú, Fray Luis de Brito, [41] and the prior of Panay, Fray Miguel
de Suaren. [42] As the winds were adverse, because the vendavals were
raging obstinately, they were unable to get away from the island of
Manila for a long time.
Two ships were sent to Nueva España. One put back and the other,
which was a Portuguese caravel, went to India and was wrecked. The
ships for Castilla were being prepared, and were to sail by the first
of August. Our father provincial tried to have father Fray Juan de
Ocadiz sail in them, as he considered his return to España necessary
for his own quiet; and since he was able to do so, he ordered that
Fray Juan should go immediately to Cavite, for he suspected that,
if anything evil was to occur, it would be perpetrated by that
man. Finally, the religious left, after putting off his departure as
long as possible. He said "goodby," in order to go to embark in the
morning, and permission was given him. That night, the first of August,
1617, one of the most tragic events that has ever happened in these
islands occurred in our province--namely, that that same night our
father rector-provincial, Fray Vicente de Sepúlveda, was choked to
death, and was found dead in his bed at two o'clock in the morning,
with clear signs of a violent death. In that most horrible crime were
implicated three religious--one a priest, one a chorister, and one
a lay-brother, namely, the creole who gave the poison to the father,
and whom his relatives hid; and, as he had money, they helped him to
escape out of these islands. The lay-brother was a European, and the
father priest, Fray Juan de Ocadiz, an American. They [_i.e._, the last
two] were hanged near the atrium of our church, in front of the well,
after we had first unfrocked, expelled, and disgraced them. The two
said men were buried beneath the cloister of our convent, near the
porter's lodge, before the altar of St. Nicolás de Tolentino. [43]
In the interval from the death of our father provincial, Fray Jerónimo
de Salas, which occurred on May 17, until our father rector-provincial
Sepúlveda was killed, a singular case happened in our convent, which
was apparently a presage of the said fatality. It happened that in
the fine infirmary of the said convent, which looks toward the sea,
a white cat was found which was rearing three rats at its breasts,
feeding them as if they were its own kind of offspring, and giving a
complete truce to the natural antipathy of such animals. But after
it had reared and fattened them well, it ate them, ceasing the
unwonted truces in its natural opposition. Almost all the people of
the community of Manila and its environs came to see such a thing,
for scarcely would they credit the truth of it, and all affirmed that
it must be the presage of some great fatality.
By the death of the said our father Sepúlveda (which was very keenly
felt by our province, and which grieved the hearts of all the members
individually), although the father definitors ought to have taken
up the government, yet they made a renunciation of the right which
pertained to every one of them. Accordingly, announcements were sent
through the provinces to the effect that the provincial chapter should
be held on the last day of October, the thirty-first, of the year 17.
About this time the very illustrious Don Diego Vázquez de Marcado,
archbishop of Manila, a most worthy prelate, died. He was the
embodiment of learning, virtue, and prudence, and all grieved sorely
at his death. Our bishop of Cebú, Don Fray Pedro de Arce, entered upon
the government of the archbishopric, by a special bull of Paul V,
and he was assigned one _talega_ [44] more salary than he received
in his bishopric.
During this period occurred the persecution of Christians in Japón
by the emperor Dayfusama, and the martyrdom of our blessed martyrs
in that kingdom. [45]
Our enemy the Dutch also came with seventy [_sic_] vessels to Playa
Honda in Zambales, seeing that they were unable to attain their
designs--namely, to capture the port of Cavite, and change the minds
of the natives, turn them from the service and homage of our Catholic
monarch, and render them allies to themselves. But on Saturday, April
7, 1617, our fleet left Cavite under command of Master-of-camp Don
Juan Ronquillo, who had the happiness and good luck to sink several
of their vessels, burn another, and put the rest to flight amid the
islands. Our fleet remained intact, except for two vessels which
were roughly handled. May 8, 1618, the fleet returning to the port
of Cavite, was received with great pomp and joy because of their
happy victory, which they had obtained by the Divine favor. Salutes
were fired in honor of Nuestra Señora de Guía [_i.e._, "our Lady of
Guidance"], and Don Juan Ronquillo was acclaimed as the father of
this land and its savior from the Dutch enemy, who were trying to
conquer this archipelago.
Our religious who were assigned to the Bisayan provinces went to their
respective destinations, and arrived safely, thanks to the Lord,
notwithstanding the dangerous seas among the islands in the season
of báguios and hurricanes. But they were courageous, and confided in
the obedience that conquers all things.
In the beginning of the month of September, father Fray Juan de Rivera,
prior of Octóng, and father Fray Francisco Bonifacio, prior of Passi,
set forth in an excellent caracoa, and a good crew of sailor folk. As
they were crossing from the island of Tablas to Dumalor, or the
island of Mindoro, they encountered a large boat of Camucones and a
little vessel. The Vizcayan prior of Octóng did not lose his head, but
encouraged their men, and made them attack the enemy's bark. They did
it with great resolution, so that the pirate, imagining that they were
a caracoa belonging to a fleet, began to flee. To do this more quickly,
they abandoned the small boat, after taking off all its crew. Thus they
rowed so quickly that our men could not overtake them. Ours took the
little boat, which proved of no little use; for as they came near the
island of Mindoro, they saw that the weather was growing very bad, that
the clouds were moving more quickly, and that the wild waves of the
swollen sea were running high. They took good counsel--namely, that of
father Fray Juan de Lecea--to place themselves in a little house, and
put ashore all their belongings, and beach the boat, which they could
have done. But the Indians refused to work, a vice quite peculiar to
them, and everything was lost. The elements began to rouse themselves,
and the winds to blow with so great fury that no greater tempest has
been witnessed in the islands. Our caracoa went to pieces and all its
cargo was lost, except what was later cast ashore. During that same
storm six galleons were wrecked in the islands; they were the best
that the king has launched. Among them was that so famous galleon
"La Salvadora." When the fleet returned from Malaca, Don Jerónimo
de Silva, who was in charge of the department of war, ordered those
vessels to be taken out for repairs; and they were taken out, to their
loss. Some sank, others were driven aground. Many men perished, both
Spaniards and Indians, as well as Japanese, Sangleys, and workmen. It
is a loss that Manila will ever bemoan. Therefore they say there:
"In truth thou art welcome, Misfortune, when thou comest alone." [46]
Manila had had a loss as great as that of the governor, Don Juan
de Silva; and now that was followed by the loss of the galleons,
with so many souls. I know, not how a babe at the breast was saved
on the deck of a galleon, or rather in its hatchway. She was found
by Admiral Heredia (who was going to the Pintados), on a beach,
and he reared her as his own daughter. It was the mercy of God, and
when it pleases Him to employ that mercy toward any of His creatures,
there is no power to contradict it, nor any danger from which it does
not issue safe and sound.
The little boat which the father vicar-provincial, Fray Juan
de Lecea, captured from the Camucon enemy was useful to him. He
embarked in it alone, and coasted along that island as far as Baco,
a distance of more than twenty leguas. Thence he crossed to Manila,
after having bargained with a champan of Baco to go for father Fray
Francisco Bonifacio. But this diligence was not sufficient for him
to arrive in time for the election, because of the weather. The
Indians suffered more, for they returned to their villages singly,
and some of them even were lost, as they did not know the way. The
father prior of Aclán sought shelter in a port of the island of Hambil
during the storm; and although he did his utmost to arrive in time,
he was unable. But he arrived just after the chapter was concluded,
and served for nothing else than to give it obedience and to return
with the others. However, father Fray Francisco Bonifacio remained
as prior of Tondo; although he had wished to go to Bisayas, the sea
so frightened him that he was very fortunate to remain.