[1] Referring to the _Historia natural y moral de las Indias_
(Sevilla, 1590) of Joseph de Acosta (1540-1600), a noted Jesuit
writer. Markham's translation of this interesting work forms nos. 60
and 61 of the Hakluyt Society's publications (London, 1880).
[2] Evidently a reference to the convent of the Augustinians.
[3] Spanish _obispo de anillo_, literally, "bishop with a ring;"
the same as a bishop _in partibus infidelium_. This means a titular
bishop of the Roman Catholic church whose territory is occupied by
infidels, so that he cannot reside there.
[4] Spanish _viñas_; here used metaphorically, since the natives
then obtained their wine from the palm-tree, and from rice, etc. See
_Vol_. III, p. 202; iv, p. 67; and V, p. 169. Cf. U.S. Philippine
Commission's _Report_ (1900), iii, pp. 264-266.
[5] The allusion to this document which appears in section 8 of
Dasmariñas's letter to the king of June 20, 1591, which immediately
follows this, shows that it was prepared by his order, to accompany
the letter.
[6] Spanish _puente_, in Retana's text; apparently an error for some
other word referring to the priest at Tabuco.
[7] Evidently referring to the petition which appears in _Vol_. VII,
p. 301.
[8] The university of Salamanca was founded in the twelfth or
thirteenth century. The city of Salamanca, although it contains
beautiful churches, owes its fame chiefly to the university. The
studies were divided into the greater schools, or university proper,
and the lesser schools, or colleges. In 1569 it had the following
chairs: canonical law, ten; theology, seven; medicine, seven; logic and
philosophy, eleven; astronomy, one; music, one; Hebrew and Chaldean,
two; Greek, four; rhetoric and grammar, seventeen. It was among the
very first universities to teach the sciences.
The university of Alcalá was founded by Cardinal Cisneros, July 26,
1508, under the name of Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso. It was removed
to Madrid in 1836. The building occupied by the university combined
in itself several forms of architecture, not adhering to any one.
[9] _Regimiento_: the body of regidors, who never exceeded twelve,
forming a part of the municipal council, or _ayuntamiento_, in every
capital of a jurisdiction. See Bouvier's _Law Dictionary_ (Rawle's
rev. ed., Boston, 1897), p. 860.
[10] The quotation from St. Augustine is cited in Gratian's "Decretum,"
in _Corpus juris canonici_; it reads thus, in English: "The natural
order, fitted to promote peace among mortals, demands that the power to
wage war, and the direction of it, rest in the sovereign." The other
citation is from St. Thomas Aquinas's _Summa theologica_, part ii,
div. ii, qu. 40, art. i.--_Joseph Fitzgerald_.
[11] "One may repel force with force."
[12] "Just wars are defined to be those which avenge wrongs; if a
nation or a state is to be punished either for neglect to punish the
evil deeds of their people, or to make restitution of what has been
taken wrongfully."
[13] "He concedes all who refuses what is just."
[14] This reference is to St. Augustine's "Questions on (the book of)
Numbers." The citation _Ut legitimum_ is to a chapter in Gratian's
_Decretum_, of which these are the opening words.--_Joseph Fitzgerald_.
[15] "It is to be observed in what manner just wars were waged by
the children of Israel against the Amorites; for inoffensive transit
was denied to them, although by the most equitable laws of human
fellowship it should be open."
[16] "Though it be not lawful to cross over the lands of others, still,
as this transit was necessary and harmless, they [the Amorites] ought
not to have forbidden it--and, further, because it was a public route,
and no one is forbidden to use a public route."
[17] _In continente_, "on the spot;" that is, at the actual time of
the assault or other wrong. _Nec sua repetere_, "nor recover his own"
(by force or violence is implied). Silvester is cited in the _Theologia
moralis_ of Alphonso Maria de Liguori.--_Joseph Fitzgerald_.
[18] "Beyond the due limits of [lawful self-]defense."
[19] "The Spanish writer cites "II Kings." But the books designated
"I and II Kings" in the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Catholic
canon are called in the English Bible "I and II Samuel."--_Joseph
Fitzgerald_.
[20] "Whether at command of God or that of some legitimate ruler,
wars are undertaken even by good men, to be waged against the violence
of rebels, when civil order itself justly constrains them either to
command such action or to obey [_i.e._, to serve in the army]."
_Quid culpatur_ is the opening of a chapter in Gratian's _Decretum_,
a section of the canon law, and serves as the title of the
chapter.--_Joseph Fitzgerald_.
[21] "What is condemned in war? Is it that men who at some time
must die, die in war? It is for cowards to fault this, not religious
men. The desire to do injury, the cruelty of revenge, unappeased and
implacable hate, the wild passions of rebellion, lust of power and
the like--such are the things which are justly condemned in wars."
[22] "With God's true worshipers even wars are not sinful if they are
waged, not through greed or with cruelty, but for the sake of peace,
that the wicked may be repressed and the good sustained."
[23] "We wage war that we may live in peace."
[24] "Peace is not sought that war may be waged, but war is waged
that peace may be won."
[25] "He hangs him out of hatred."
[26] "When from dissensions and factions results, not peril to this
one or that, but slaughter of whole populations, then severity must
be relaxed somewhat, that sweet charity may intervene for the healing
of those greater ills."
[27] "Whenever evil is done by whole populations or by a multitude,
then, because it is not possible to punish them all, on account of
their great number, the matter usually passes by unpunished."
[28] "The multitude should be spared."
[29] "For when there are so many who fall that they defend their
former iniquity by authority, and who make, as it were, a business
of sinning, that hope itself must be cut off."
[30] "As war is lawful, it is lawful to use the means needful to
attain the end, which is victory."
[31] "Plunder is no longer allowable."
[32] Juan de Valderrama was the head of the Augustinian missionaries
sent to the Philippines in 1582. He had much executive ability, and,
besides conducting one or more churches in the villages near Manila,
held successively important posts in his order (prior provincial,
from 1590). He died in 1618. Alonso de Castro came to the islands in
1577, and was missionary in several villages, both Tagalo and Bisayan,
as he had mastered both languages. Gifted as a theologian and orator,
he was designated by Felipe II as bishop of Nueva Cáceres, but died
(1597) before he could exercise that office.
Lorenso de León came in 1582, and held many high positions in his order
there. In 1606 he returned to Mexico, where he died in 1623. Juan
Vega Tamayo who arrived in the same year, remained until his death
(in 1603), most of his time being occupied in official duties at
Manila. Of Antonio Serrano it is only known that he occupied various
official positions in the Manila convent from 1590 to 1596. Diego
Gutierrez was a missionary in Luzon from 1578 until his death in 1613.
Diego Muñoz came in 1578, and was professor of theology in the
Manila convent, missionary to the Chinese at Tondo in 1581, the first
commissary of the Inquisition in the islands (see his instructions,
_Vol_. V, pp. 256-273), and prior provincial from 1587. He died at
Manila in 1594. Diego Alvarez was in the islands from 1578 until his
death (1601) mainly engaged in official duties. Alonso de Montalban
came in 1590, and died in 1604. Matías Manrique came in 1586, and
died in 1593. Alonso Paz is known to have been in Luzon during 1591-93.
The above information is obtained from Perez's _Catálogo_.
[33] This was doubtless St. Pedro Bautista Blazquez y Blazquez
Villacastin, born June 29, 1542, of a noble Spanish family. He made
his religious profession in the Franciscan order, in 1567. After
some time spent in Mexico, he came to the Philippines, where his
first task was the instruction of Tagals in music. In 1586 he was
chosen as custodian of the Franciscan communities there, which
office he held until 1591; he was then appointed guardian of the
Manila convent. He was very active in mission work in the islands,
and founded several convents and villages. In 1593 he was sent by
Governor Dasmariñas as ambassador to Japan; was afterward placed in
charge of the Franciscan missions in Japan; and founded a hospital
for lepers and a convent in the city of Miaco. On February 5, 1597,
Father Bautista with five of his brethren, and a number of Japanese
converts, were martyred at Nagasaki. He was beatified in 1627, and
canonized by Pius IX in 1862. See Gomez Platero's _Catálogo biográfico_
(Manila, 1880); and Santa Inés's _Crónica_, i, pp. 452-466.
[34] The document here mentioned is an official report of certain
conversations between Dasmariñas and Rojas; it is not presented here,
because it is of little importance or interest.
[35] Contract for disposing of goods by wholesale.
[36] An extensive synopsis made by some government clerk is written
on the back of this letter.
[37] An extensive synopsis of the letter was made by one of the
government clerks.
[38] The conquest of Korea was not accomplished until 1592, although
the preceding year had been spent in vigorous preparations for
the campaign. Hideyoshi evidently made this statement in boastful
anticipation of success. His design was to conquer, at one blow,
both Korea and China.
[39] The device of Hideyoshi was a bundle of gourds.
[40] As explained in the letter of Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, of June 11,
1592. (_q.v._ p. 256, _ante_), two copies of the translation of this
letter into Spanish were sent to Spain. The above, which is the second
in the document we follow, bears title "The same letter translated by
the ambassador, through an interpreter." The other copy was the one
made by order of the governor in Manila. As the governor states in his
letter, they are alike in essentials. The first letter is dated "The
year nineteen of Tienche, in the ninth month, and on the nineteenth
day of the month. The Quanpec of the kingdom of Japon." See another
version (in Spanish) of the second letter, with still other variations,
in Santa Inés's _Crónica_, ii, pp. 545-547; the editor of that work
states that the date of the letter--which, however, is there given as
"the 13th year of Tenjo, 11th month"--corresponds to the year 1591.
[41] This letter, as found in the archives, is written on a separate
sheet and is inserted in the fold of the following letter.
[42] "A corruption of Kuwambaku, the Japanese designation of
a regent appointed by the Mikado. The holder of this office at
the time here referred to was Hideyoshi, one of the most notable
rulers of Japan. Born in 1536, he entered the army when a youth,
and rapidly rose to its head. He was appointed regent in 1586, but
in 1591 abdicated in favor of his adopted son, Hidetsugu--retaining,
however, actual authority until his death in 1598. This embassy to
the Spaniards in the Philippines was but one evidence of Hideyoshi's
insatiate arrogance and ambition; for he planned to subjugate China
and all the other countries within his reach. For the history of
his reign, see J.J. Rein's _Japan_ (London, 1884), pp. 277-294;
David Murray's _Story of Japan_ (N.Y., 1894), pp. 184, 190-226; and
W.E. Griffis's _Mikado's Empire_ (5th ed., N.Y., 1887), pp. 236-243.
[43] The Japanese calendar was based upon the lunar year; and the years
were divided into cycles of sixty years each. Besides this division,
there is another and more arbitrary one, into periods between important
historical events, which divisions are named from a list of Chinese
words specially set aside for this purpose. The name used in this
document, Tienchen, is that of one of these historical periods; it is
written "Tensho" by Griffis, and its dates given as 1573-92. See Rein's
_Japan_, pp. 434-437; and Griffis's _Mikado's Empire_, pp. 623-626.
The place from which the letter was written was probably the town of
Shiuri, the chief port of the Riu Kiu (or Loo Choo) Islands, known to
the Spaniards as Lequios. See Basil Hall's "Bibliography of Luchu,"
in _Transactions_ of Asiatic Society of Japan, xxiv, pp. 1-11.
[44] A different version of this letter is given by Santa Inés, ii,
pp. 547-549.
[45] La Concepcion states (_Historia_, ii, pp. 217, 218) that Faranda
had come to Manila in 1591, and, having carefully observed the
condition and defenses of that city, returned to Japan and informed
Faxevedono (Hideyoshi) that he could easily conquer the Spanish colony
in the Philippines.
[46] Juan Cobo was a prominent member of the Dominican order in
Manila. He accomplished his errand as envoy to Japan, but on the
return voyage was shipwrecked, presumably on the coast of Formosa;
it is supposed that any who might survive the wreck were slain by
the natives. See La Conception's _Historia_, ii, pp. 223-229.
[47] Span., _yo beso vras Reales manos_, "I kiss your royal hands."
[48] Salazar embarked for Spain in this year of 1592, and after his
arrival there obtained from the king various favors, and a considerable
gratuity for the adornment of the Manila cathedral. The king determined
to relieve Salazar's burdens by erecting new dioceses in the islands,
and creating him archbishop. While preparations for this were being
made, the aged bishop died at Madrid, Dec 4, 1594. See La Concepción's
_Hist. de Philipinas_, ii, pp. 192-194; also biographical sketch in
_Cartas de Indias_, pp. 837, 838, where are mentioned his writings
(one of which was printed).
[49] A court of canon and civil laws, in opposition to the inner court,
or tribunal of conscience. (See vol. vi, p. 260, note 51.)
[50] A synopsis by a government clerk is written on the back of
this letter.
[51] The writer apparently confuses the Dutch with Germans.
[52] The reply here mentioned is not preserved with this document.
[53] On February 9, 1594, Garcia Hurtado de Mendoça, marques of
Cañete, and viceroy of Peru, ordered this decree to be delivered to
the royal officials of Ciudad de los Reyes, who in turn ordered it
to be promulgated in due form by the herald.