The King. To Don Diego Faxardo, whom I have appointed as my governor
and captain-general of the Filipinas Islands, and president of my
royal Audiencia therein. It has been reported in my royal Council
of the Yndias that the religious of the Order of St. Augustine are
trading in merchandise with whomever they please; and that they make
use of the natives of the regions and districts wherever they are and
reside, for whatever they need, without paying the poor men who work
in their service, or giving them anything else (employing violence
for this), and thus obtain great wealth for [their houses in] these
my kingdoms. This is all considered to merit severe correction, both
because of the traffic and trading that they openly engage in, and
because of the oppression that many of the said natives receive. I have
thought best to tell you to be very careful in this, and to provide,
by the most gentle and prudent measures, all that may be necessary for
the correction of those transgressions. You shall regulate yourself
by the decrees and orders that have been issued in this regard; and
you shall cause those decrees and orders to be observed according to
their tenor. Madrid, June 2, 1639.