The intermediate chapter, and the death of father Fray Juan de Leyva
In the year of our Lord 1619 the intermediate chapter in the term of
father Fray Melchior de Mançano was held, on the twentieth of April,
in the convent of our father St. Dominic at Nueva Segovia. In it
many important ordinances were passed, which were of assistance in
supporting the observance of the rules and in making illustrious our
order. This was the first provincial chapter held in that province
[i.e., of Nueva Segovia], and it was accordingly conducted with
much dignity and was attended by many of the religious of this
province. Their number was great, but greater was the divine Providence
and the paternal affection with which the Lord sustained them, showing
forth His greatness so plainly that it was obvious to all that He
it was who provided the religious with their daily food. [During the
session of the chapter, there was a wonderful catch of excellent fish
called taraquitos. [22] On this occasion they were so large that they
weighed ninety libras, and so abundant that they sufficed not only
for the whole chapter, but for all the Spaniards. All that beheld
this were amazed, because the fish of this kind which had hitherto
been caught there were but few and small, never weighing more than
four libras. No fish so large, and no such numbers of these fish,
had been seen before, or were seen afterwards. The very Chinese
fishermen who were heathen were the most amazed; for being desirous
of continuing the fishery for gain after the close of the chapter,
they did not catch a single fish of this kind.]
In this provincial chapter was received and incorporated into the
province the college of Sancto Thomas at Manila, which had been
in process of erection for some years, and was now ready to be
occupied. The first man to plan this great work was the archbishop
of Manila, Don Fray Miguel de Benavides. Being a learned and a
holy man, he was grieved that there was in his province no fixed
and regular school of learning--as there was not at that time, the
fathers contenting themselves with carrying on instruction when there
was need of it. This was only when among the religious who came from
España there were some who had not finished their studies; and in such
cases they were given to masters to teach them. The places of masters
were filled with as much system as in the schools in España, by the
fathers Fray Juan Cobo, Fray Juan de San Pedro Martyr, Fray Francisco
de Morales, and others. When the religious had completed their courses,
the schools were brought to an end; and the masters with their pupils,
who were now sufficiently instructed, went to preach the gospel to
these peoples. This was the end for which schools were established,
and for which both pupils and teachers had come from España, many of
them leaving behind them the chairs from which they lectured--coming
here not to lecture, but to convert souls. All this did not satisfy
the great mind and the charitable heart of the archbishop. He declared
that lecturing and teaching were matters of great importance in the
Order of St. Dominic, and were ordained to a lofty end; and that they
had as their purpose not only ministering and preaching the gospel,
but also the creation of ministers and preachers, which is a superior
and creative work, as the degree of the bishops is superior to that
of the priests. Therefore, though the priests have the lofty duty
of consecrating and offering the most sacred body of Christ, the
bishops are those who make these priests. Likewise the lecturers and
masters of theology in this land surpass the ministers and preachers
of the gospel, since with their teaching they make them fit for this
very office. On this account lecturers might well come from España to
lecture in this country, to their own great advantage; since in España
they make preachers for that kingdom, where there is not so great a
need of persons to preach, and where the effect of their sermons is
not so great or so certain as here. Further--and this he repeated many
times--our constitutions, made after consideration and reflection upon
this matter, require that there should be no convent of ours in which
there is not a doctor or master who is actually engaged in teaching;
they require that in the provinces there shall be organized, settled,
and permanent schools of higher learning. Hence, as our province lays
so great stress upon the observance of our sacred constitutions, it
ought not to regard itself as released from the obligation to carry
out this one. This requirement, as is evident from the constitutions
themselves, is one of the most important and one for which a very
special observance and regard is commanded. With this argument
he convinced the minds of the religious, and they began to try to
establish the schools. The death of the archbishop soon occurred,
after he had held his office for only two years. He did what he could
by leaving to this work his library and all that he had, the whole
of which, as befitted one vowed to poverty, came to only two thousand
pesos. However, it did much toward making a beginning to this holy and
necessary work. This institution was so beneficial to his archbishopric
that it may be said that since it was established there are competitors
for benefices, who have studied so that they may be able to hold them;
while previously there were no such persons, and even no persons who
desired to study--because, since no one had studied, it was necessary
to appoint men to benefices, even if they had not learning. On this
account they did not understand the obligation which rested upon them
if they received the benefices, and were unwilling to spend time or
labor upon study when they could obtain benefices without. Since the
establishment of this college there are competitors for benefices who
have studied; and hence those who come into competition with them are
obliged to study--being certain that a benefice will not be taken away
from a good student to give it to one who has no knowledge. After this
good beginning made by the archbishop, the province entrusted to the
holy Fray Bernardo de Sancta Catalina the care of this work. Since
he was beloved and esteemed by all, there were many to aid him with
great benefactions. Everything that was given was bestowed without
any conditions, though the college keeps these benefactions in
memory--feeling obliged to commend the benefactors to God all the
more carefully, on account of the confidence in the religious which
they showed. This was so great that they asked for no more security
than their own knowledge that the religious would do this for them,
which was without doubt a better security than any other that they
could ask in return for their benefactions. The building was begun
and the college was founded during the term of the father provincial
Fray Baltasar Fort. The title of founder was given to him who was
the cause of the foundation and who gave the first gift for that
purpose. This was, as has been said, the archbishop Don Fray Miguel de
Venavides, as appears from the document of foundation which is in the
same college. Some years later the bishop of Nueva Segovia, Don Fray
Diego de Soria, being near to death, left to the college his library,
and three thousand eight hundred pesos which he possessed. With this
sum the building was continued, and in this year [i.e., 1619] on the
day of the Assumption of our Lady, twelve lay collegians entered on
residence. Father Fray Balthasar Fort was appointed as rector, with
two lecturers in theology, one in arts, and one in grammar; and the
college was opened with great formality, and with the same care and
attention as in the best institutions in España. The lecturers and
the rector had all been trained in distinguished schools belonging to
our religious order; and they carried on their lectures, conferences,
and other academic exercises in the same manner in which they had
followed the courses in España. The same system has been persevered
in and carried further. Afterward, to encourage the students, the
sanction of his Majesty and a brief from the supreme pontiff were
obtained, granting this college authority to give all the degrees
which are given in other universities, with all the privileges which
the graduates of those universities have throughout the Indias. The
students have performed their exercises for graduation as brilliantly
as they could be performed in the best conducted universities in
España; and the examination is regarded as even more rigorous, in the
judgment of many persons of authority who have seen both of them. The
income of the college has increased steadily with the course of time,
in proportion to the number of collegians, of whom there are now
usually about thirty; and in buildings, income, and instruction,
the college may compete with the finest in España.
[In the month of October in the same year, father Fray Juan de Leyva
died in the province of Nueva Segovia. Father Fray Juan was a native
of La Rioja, and was born in a village named Grañon. He lost his
mother when he was a very young child, but had been so carefully
trained in the devotion of our Lady, that he immediately chose her
as his mother. He left his own country while very young, and went to
Madrid, the country of all, being commended to an honorable person
who took him thence to Valencia del Cid. Here by the death of his
benefactor or from some other cause he was left alone, a child of
twelve in a strange country. He determined to make his way back to
Madrid on foot. He reached the convent of our Lady at Atocha, where
he was overcome with fatigue. In response to his prayers, our Lady
opened the way to him to enter the convent of our Lady at Atocha,
by the patronage of a noble person. He was an excellent student, and
as such was sent to our college of Sancto Thomas at Alcala. Here in
the year 1605 he heard the voice that called him to the mission of the
Philippinas, and he was most humble and obedient. After he had begun to
study the language of the Chinese in the mission of Binondoc, he was
called upon to go to Nueva Segovia because of the need of religious
there; and he uncomplainingly obeyed, without giving a thought to the
great amount of labor which he had given to learning the new language
which he now laid aside. He succeeded well with the language of Nueva
Segovia, although on account of his age it was difficult for him to
learn it. He was most devoted to the care of the altars, the adornment
of the church, and the holy sacraments. When he gave extreme unction,
he was accustomed to wash with his own hands the feet of the Indian
who was to receive the sacrament. He never entrusted the lamp of the
most holy sacrament to boys, but himself provided it with oil, raised
the wick, and cleaned the vessel. He was most constant in prayer,
adding an hour to the two hours universally observed in the province;
and he usually made this hour so long that it lasted from one to five,
at which time he went to complines. He was so sparing in eating that
the little which he ate at a meal often lasted him for twenty-four
hours, so that in time his stomach came to be so reduced in size that
any little thing overloaded it. He was prior of the convent of Manila,
and definitor in a provincial chapter. Being elected as procurator,
he was unable to fulfil his office, inasmuch as the vessel in which
he was to go did not sail. He therefore returned to his Indians in
Nueva Segovia. Here by his hand the Lord wrought miraculous works,
granting children to childless parents and healing the sick. He died
a holy death, and was honorably mentioned in the provincial chapter
that followed.]
Toward the end of November in this year, on St. Andrew's day, a
terrible earthquake occurred in these islands. It extended from Manila
to the extreme limits of the province of Nueva Segovia, a distance
of two hundred leguas. This earthquake, which was such as had never
been seen before, did great damage throughout all of this region and
made a great impression. In the province of Ylocos palm-trees were
buried, leaving only their tops above the ground. Some mountains struck
against others, with the great force of the earthquake, overthrowing
many buildings and killing people. Its greatest violence was in Nueva
Segovia, where the mountains opened and new fountains of water were
uncovered. The earth vomited out great masses of sand, and trembled
so that people could not stand on their feet, but sat on the ground;
and were as seasick on land as if they had been in a ship at sea in a
storm. In the high lands of the Indians named Mandayas [23] a mountain
fell and, catching a village below it, overwhelmed it and killed the
inhabitants. One large tract of land near the river which previously
had contained little mountains, as it were, most of it being at a
considerable elevation, sank downward, and is now almost level with the
margin of the water. The movement in the bed of the river was so great
that it raised waves like those at sea, or such as are aroused by the
blasts of a furious wind. The stone buildings suffered the greatest
damage. Our church and convent in the city were totally overthrown,
the very foundations giving way in places, because of the sinking
of the earth. It was no small comfort to be able to find the most
holy sacrament in this most pitiful ruin, with the consecrated loaves
unbroken and unharmed. There were nine religious at that time in the
convent, three of whom were outside of the house--the rest escaping,
not without a special providence of God. Father Fray Ambrosio de la
Madre de Dios was protected in the arch of a window, everything on
all sides of him having fallen. There were persons who declared that
they had seen above the walls of the enclosure a matron in the dress
and mantle which our Lady is accustomed to wear. It was no new thing
for the sovereign princess to come to the protection of her friars in
their great distress; but because of the great disturbance, and the
carelessness ordinarily shown about such things in religious orders,
the verification of these facts was neglected. Only one religious,
named Fray Juan de San Lorenço, [24] who was sick in bed, had his arm
broken by a beam which fell upon it; and only one Indian boy who was
waiting upon him was killed. This religious lived for some years, and
offered a noble example of patience in enduring the cruel miseries and
the terrible pains occasioned by the blow, of which he finally died.