Most Holy Father:
I am writing to my ambassador, in that court, the marques de Castel
Rodrigo, to petition your Holiness in my name to concede a bull, so
that a college of the Order of Preachers in the city of Manila of the
Philipinas Islands, in my Western Yndias, may become a university, with
the qualifications and [right of] perpetuity of the others which that
order possesses in Avila and Pamplona in these my kingdoms, as well
as those of Lima and Megico; and so that, if there be a disposition
to found a separate university in the city of Manila, it may be done,
because there is a distance of three thousand leguas to the other
nearest universities, which are Lima and Megico. I petition your
Holiness to grant him audience, and to give entire credit to what
he shall say about this matter and propose in my name; and that you
order his affair to be despatched with all promptness and with entire
fulfilment [of the petition]. Thereby I shall receive a special favor
from your Holiness, whose very holy person may our Lord preserve,
and may He increase your life for the good and prosperous government
of His universal Church. Madrid, November nine, 1639.
[Endorsed: "College of Santo Tomas of Manila. To his Holiness,
petitioning him to concede a brief so that the college of
Santo Tomas of Manila of the Order of Preachers may become a
university. Duplicate."]