[1] Apparently referring to the gate (now Puerta Real) at the southern
end of the city which opens toward Bagumbayan, a district between
Manila and Ermita. Through this gate were made the formal entrances
of governors and archbishops previous to 1762, when the city was
taken by the English; after that time, these entrances were made by
the Puerta del Parian, at the north-eastern part of the wall.
[2] Spanish, _mas boluesele el sueno del perro_; literally, "a dog's
sleep fell on him."
[3] Spanish, _tres tratos de cuerda_; referring to punishment by
suspending the delinquent by his hands, which are tied behind his back.
[4] _i.e._, "gate of the magazines," or royal storehouses. The
northernmost gate of the city, not far east of the fort of Santiago,
and opening toward the Pasig River.
[5] So in the manuscript, probably a transcriber's error; but it
evidently refers to the Dominican Pinelo.
[6] The Editors are indebted to Rev. T. C. Middleton, O.S.A., of
Villanova College, and father Fray Juan but no Mateos, of the same
order, of the Escorial, but now (May, 1905) at Villanova, for valuable
help in the translation of this pasquinade. As much of the subject
matter of the lampoon is local tit-tat, and as many of the meanings
(although they would be perfectly apparent to the Manila populace)
are purposely veiled, assurance cannot be given that the present
interpretation is correct in every detail. There are also evident
plays upon words and phrases, which can only be guessed at. Hence,
the original is given partly for that reason.
The poetical form in which this pasquinade is written dates from an
early period in Castile. Cervantes has a poem of this class in Chapter
xxvii of the first part of Don Quijote; while Lope de Vega has also
employed it. The second, fourth, and sixth lines form a sort of echo
to the first, third, and fifth lines (the six lines being, however,
written as three in the pasquinade). See Clemencin's edition of Don
Quijote (Madrid, 1894), iii, pp. 7-9.
[7] See the book of Esther. This is the Hamah of the King James Bible.
[8] Father Fray Juan Mateos says of this passage: "The author seems
to use the word 'quesos' [cheeses], alluding to 'casos' [cases]
(a practical question of moral theology). I imagine that the text
refers to the accusation made against those fathers of being casuists
or adapters of the moral doctrine to their own convenience. From the
context, one can deduce that 'cera' [wax] is used in the meaning of
'dinero' [money], and the meaning in that case might be, that the
Jesuits were trying to get money by fitting up the consciences of
men with moral doctrines easy of fulfilment."
[9] This is a very obscure stanza, although the allusions were
doubtless well understood in Manila. The second line might be
translated "And who in hanging apples, saw tares;" although the
translation as given above is to be preferred.
[10] There is evidently a play on the word "cura," which may mean
either "cures," or "priests" [_i.e_.,"cures"]. The meaning of the
last line seems to refer to the ecclesiastical term.
[11] This may be another play on words, for "sinzera" may be the
adjective "sincere" or the two words "sin zera," "waxless," and
hence in this last meaning, an allusion to the third line of the
third stanza.
[12] This has been already given in Vol. XXV, pp. 216-219.
[13] See this paper in Vol. XXV, pp. 243-244.
[14] Continuing from this point, the present document resumes. It is
probable that the part omitted in the present document was originally
a portion of it; but, being written on a loose sheet of paper, has
suffered the fate common to many documents and portions of documents
in Spanish archives, and been lost.
[15] One of our two copies of this attestation bears date July 29,
1635, and the other November 19, 1635. We have adopted the date above,
as being more probably the correct one, errors in the transcripts
being due to the poor writing of the original.
[16] See these letters in Vol. XXV, pp. 207-208, 209-210.
[17] See _ante_, p. 61, note 12.
[18] Spanish, _condenatoria_; but the word _comminatoria_ is employed
in a similar expression in the "Letter from a citizen of Manila."
[19] So in our transcript, but evidently an error of the transcriber.
[20] As the reader will observe, this letter from Corcuera is, in part,
almost the same as that preceding; but it contains a considerable
quantity of matter (including several appended documents) which is
not found elsewhere, and is for that reason presented here. It is
probably one of the letters sent, either partly or wholly in duplicate,
by other routes to Spain, so that at least one set of the despatches
might reach the home government.
[21] Here used in a technical sense--the option or right to take action
or enjoy an advantage alternately with others, as in appointments to
ecclesiastical benefices, etc.; the creoles evidently demanding to
share those appointments with the clergy brought over from Spain.
[22] Several of the matters discussed in the above letter are answered
by the following royal decree:
The King. To Don Sevastian Hurtado de Corcuera, knight of the Order of
Alcantara, my governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands,
and president of my royal Audiencia therein. Your letter of June 30,
636, on ecclesiastical matters has been examined in my royal Council of
the Indias, and reply is now made to you. You say that the religious
of the Order of St. Augustine need correction, since they had not
obeyed the bulls of his Holiness nor the decrees which have been
issued in regard to the alternation; and that it was expedient not
to allow them any more religious for eight years. Because they have
many religious, as well as on account of the reasons that you bring
forward for that, it has seemed best to me to charge you that you
shall cause the decree for the alternation to be punctually executed,
without allowing any more religious in each mission than the number
which, conformably to my royal patronage, shall be enough for its
needs; and that the rest of them occupy themselves in missions and
preaching for which they were sent there. As for what you wrote me
about the advanced age of the archbishop of those islands--who is so
old that his hands and head tremble, and that it would be desirable
to give him a coadjutor, and that you would arrange for giving him
two thousand pesos of income besides the four thousand which the said
archbishop receives, without drawing it from my royal treasury or from
my vassals--I charge you to make known to me the measure or means by
which that sum could be obtained without loss to my royal exchequer
or my vassals, so that I may consent to your carrying it out if it be
worthy of acceptance. In order that the religious of St. Dominic and
of the other orders who are laboring in those islands may live with
the concord and good example which is proper, and that they may not
appropriate more Indian villages than those which are allowed them by
my decrees, you shall not permit them to select any new ones beyond
what shall be conformable to my patronage; and you shall, with the
agreement of the archbishop, endeavor to unite some of the villages
to others; and in those which are newly established you shall make
the same effort, by introducing secular priests when you find them
intelligent and competent. Madrid, September 2, 1638.