On May 8 of this same year, 669, the college of San Juan de Letran
was moved to the site on which it is even yet located. It had
its first beginning in the house of a pious Spaniard, called Juan
Geronimo Guerrero, who had dedicated himself, with Christian piety,
to gathering orphan boys in his house, where he raised, clothed,
and sustained them, and taught them to read and to write, and much
more, to live in the fear of God. [100] His piety was aided by many
citizens, who offered him abundant alms. Especially was the governor,
Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, earnest in aiding him and helping
him by giving him, in the name of the king our sovereign, some portion
of the cost for so holy a work. Among other things, he gave him an
encomienda, [101] in order to sustain the orphans with its products;
and a bit of homestead or arable land, one hundred brazas long and
fifty wide in the alcaycería or Parián of the Sangleys, in order
that they might erect shops therein without paying any land tax to
the city. Both concessions were afterwards confirmed by the king our
sovereign and his royal Council. [102]
While that good man was employing himself in so holy a work, a
lay-brother religious, a porter of our convent of Manila, called
Fray Diego de Santa Maria, a man of example, virtue, and perfection,
was doing the same also. He gathered orphan and abandoned boys in
the said porter's lodge of the convent, and reared them in holy and
praiseworthy customs. He clothed and sustained them with alms, which
some devout persons gave him, and taught them their first letters;
and, if any were inclined to study grammar, he sent them to our
college of Santo Thomas which is very near the said convent. So many
were the boys who were gathered that a congregation was formed of
them. The said lay-brother religious gave that congregation the name
of San Pedro y San Pablo; for all were clothed in one single manner,
and all kept one form of life, with so great example to all the city
that the admiration of all its citizens was won. And this is not much,
since that work of charity was so agreeable to the eyes of God, who,
in order that one of His servants might see and wonder at it, worked
a prodigious miracle. It happened that a citizen of Manila made a
journey to the city of Lima, where resided the venerable brother,
Martin de Porres, in our convent of El Rosario; and as that servant
of God was so charitable, he was very much pleased to have others
so. That citizen of Manila, by name Francisco Ortiz, told him that he
knew a lay-brother religious, a laborer of this place of Manila, a man
of most holy life, who supported with alms twenty-four orphan boys,
whom he had gathered, and was teaching them to read and write. And
the most especial thing which was admired in him was that he never
went forth from the convent in search of those alms, but that our
Lord directed them to him in order that he might carry forward the
work of charity, which he was doing with the said poor boys. The
servant of God hearing that gave him to understand that he desired
greatly to know and to treat with that holy lay-brother, who lived in
this city of Manila at a distance of three thousand leguas from the
city of Lima. After three days, Francisco Ortiz returned to visit
the servant of God, whom he found very cheerful and happy. Smiling
the latter gave him to understand that he had already seen and talked
with the said lay-brother religious of Manila, and had encouraged him
to proceed in so pious a work. What most astonished Francisco Ortiz
was to hear the servant of God talk the Chinese language, which the
Sangleys of this country used, as will be related more in detail in
the life of the servant of God, Martin de Porres.
The pious Juan Geronimo Guerrero, founder of the college of San Juan de
Letran, reached old age, and even a decrepit old age. Consequently,
he became incapable of governing the orphan boys whom he had
gathered. For, lacking and fearing but little the punishment which
youth demands for its better direction, they took it upon themselves
to leave the house whenever they wished, and to run away, contrary
to the pleasure of their patron. Consequently, he was left finally
with only three, who either from love to their master, or because of
a better natural disposition, did not follow the others. In order that
they might not be lost, he entrusted them to our brother, Fray Diego de
Santa Maria, with whom he had a very close familiarity, inasmuch as he
saw him engaged in his same employment. In order that the brother might
take care of them, and of his own children, he gave him an allowance
and gift in the form of the concessions which the king, our sovereign,
had conceded to him. That cession was accepted by the governor of the
islands, and afterward confirmed by the king our sovereign. The same
favors were conceded to our order so that it might take charge of the
rearing of those orphan and abandoned boys. Juan Geronimo Guerrero,
finding himself free now and exempt from that occupation, thought
only of preparing himself for a good death, and accordingly begged
the father prior of our convent to receive him, and to take care of
him in his infirmary. Not only was that conceded to him, but, seeing
him with the desire to adopt the habit of our order, gave it to him
as lay-brother, and he died as a professed religious of our order.
This province finding itself pledged with the prosecution of the
rearing of those orphan boys, assigned for them some low quarters which
were near the porter's lodge of our convent of Santo Domingo. That site
already had the form and name of a college with the title of San Pedro
y San Pablo, which it had had from the beginning. Under this title
the college was confirmed by our most reverend father master general,
Fray Thomas Turco. But inasmuch as the concessions of the king our
sovereign were made under the title and name of the ancient college
of San Juan de Letran, founded by Juan Geronimo Guerrero, and had been
accepted under that title by the king our sovereign, who received it by
various royal decrees under his royal protection, on that account even
yet it has conserved the title of San Juan de Letran. [103] However,
it also recognizes as patrons the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. For
the government and direction of this college, the venerable father,
Fray Sebastian de Oquendo, [104] prior at that time of the convent
of Santo Domingo, who had charge of the college then, made them some
very holy, but very strict statutes, for they were taken quite exactly
from the rule of our father St. Augustine. But, since they were not
obliged to attain so great perfection, and still being but boys,
were not able to show so much, after some years, the said statutes
were revised in a provincial chapter of this province. Thus did that
college maintain itself for some years in the low quarters of our
convent of Santo Domingo of this city. So greatly did the number of
those boys increase that they sometimes surpassed two hundred, and
since there were so many, and they were boys, one can understand the
racket that they must have made, which could not but be an obstacle
to the regularity of a religious convent. Consequently, the province
discussed the question of placing them in a separate house, which
was located opposite the church of the said convent. They arranged in
that house all the necessary rooms for a college, and its church, and
belfry, in order that they might there celebrate the divine offices;
for thus it was conceded expressly in the licenses of the ordinary,
government, and city, which were made for the foundation of that
college. [105]
They lived in it but for a short time, for some great earthquakes
happening in the year 1645, that college was entirely ruined, as well
as many other buildings of this city. The city conceived so great a
horror of those earthquakes that many of its citizens went to live
in the suburbs, where they feared less danger of their ruin. That
same reason was taken account of in the rebuilding of that college,
and it was moved outside the city near the alcaycería or Parián of
the Sangleys. With the alms that some benefactors offered, a college
was built out of wood, with its church also of the same material,
all very poor. At that site outside of the city the college was
maintained for about twenty years, with notable discomfort to the
collegiates, both because of the distance of the university where they
had to go to attend to their studies, and because of the dampness
and unhealthfulness of the land; and because of the nearness of the
Chinese, who were not very good neighbors, both for fear of their
insurrections, which were then very frequent, and because, being
idolaters and heathens, their nearness could, not but be the cause
of much scandal and a poor example to the collegiates. For these
and other like reasons, from the first years that they were there,
our religious began to discuss their removal and shifting. But,
although they called several meetings to discuss the matter, and
several plans were made for that purpose, they were never realized,
for the college was very much in need of funds, for it scarcely
had enough for its maintenance, until the seriousness of the harm,
which was feared from keeping the college outside the city obliged
the piety of this holy province to expend whatever was necessary for
its removal. On the occasion of the death of a lady, named Doña Maria
Ramirez Pinto, who had a new house inside the city back of the garden
of the convent of Santo Domingo, the province determined to buy it,
along with other houses which were near it. It gave those houses as
an alms to the college for that purpose, and arranging in them all
the rooms necessary for a community, with their church, choir, and
belfry; for the licenses which were taken out in the year 1668 for
that removal from the government, city, and ecclesiastical cabildo
expressed such permission. When all the building was arranged in the
form of a college on the above-mentioned day, May 8, of that year 69,
the collegiates were transferred to it, with great pomp and solemnity,
amid the joy and gladness of all the community. [106] For that was
a matter that all desired, as that college had always merited the
general esteem of this city.
And in fact, that college is of great use to this community, not only
as it shelters and rears therein all the orphan and abandoned boys, but
also because any well-raised youth leaves that college, or seminary,
for all walks of life in this community. Some adopt a military life,
others a sea-faring life, and others the ecclesiastical estate, both
monastic and religious, and from them are regularly supplied most of
the curacies of these islands, and other employments more noteworthy,
both in the ecclesiastical and in the political world. Excellent
students leave that college, many of whom graduate not only with
the degree of bachelor, but also with higher degrees. On the date of
this writing, four sons of the college are living with the dignity
of masters and doctors. They are occupied in honorable posts. Others
are also licentiates in the arts. Always in all times the college has
had worthy sons who have honored it, because in general they are very
attentive to study, and observant, of their obligation, and that fact
is well known and believed throughout this city. It is surely a matter
worthy of admiration that they make so great use of their studies,
as they have many other duties and occupations which scarcely allow
them time to study; for, besides some assistancies outside the college,
inside it they have duties and so many employments of devotion, that
one does not know when they study their lessons. In the morning, before
or after mass, they recite a portion of the rosary, and afterward they
go to the university. When they return thence they recite another
portion. Also when they return in the afternoon from the university
they recite the last portion of the rosary with a chanted Salve,
and litany. Later in the evening before supping they also have other
devotional duties. This is the ordinary employment every day. This
seems not only not a little troublesome for a college of students, but
also scarcely suitable for their studies; but this which apparently
would be a hindrance and obstacle to their studies, conduces in
reality to their application, or to the greater clearness with which
they study. For, according to the public understanding and report,
they graduate from that college better prepared than from others; and
although they are lads, they attribute it to the special protection
of the most holy Mary, because they recite to her every day in chorus
their whole rosary. All live under that impression, and accordingly,
although they petition for dispensation from other exercises, they
never ask dispensation from that exercise of the rosary, because they
have understood that that is what maintains them and keeps them in the
progress of their studies. As proof of that I shall relate an event
which was but lately told me by a doctor who was a collegiate of that
college. He says that when he left the college to take up a certain
employment, either with the liberty which is enjoyed outside it,
or because of the duties of his profession, he abandoned the custom,
which he had until then observed, of reciting the whole rosary daily,
contenting himself with reciting only a portion. He entered for the
degree in theology, and for the literary duties annexed to that degree,
applied himself very earnestly to his studies, but with so little fruit
of his application that he could scarcely understand anything that he
studied. "What is this," he said in surprise, "when I was in college
did I not grasp whatever I studied? But what is this that is happening
to me now that I can scarcely understand what I am studying?" Then
he bethought himself of the fact of his error, and he understood the
origin of his lack of intelligence. Consequently, he reformed his past
lukewarmness, and again began to recite the whole rosary daily. By
this diligence alone he found that he could grasp what before he could
not understand. Mary is the most holy mother, not only of the fear and
love of God, but also of learning and knowledge, as she herself says
by the mouth of the Preacher. Consequently, it is not surprising that
she communicates light for intelligence and for progress in their
studies to those who pray to her as her sons and venerate her as a
mother, and praise her in that devotion so pleasing to her. [107]