May it please our Lord that this letter shall find your Grace and
Señora Doña Catalina and your children enjoying all the grace of God
and the health and contentment that I wish them, and which I every day
beseech for them in my poor masses and prayers. I cannot write now in
regard to the news which should come this year, because I am far from
Manila, and the ships depart hence for Mexico when those from Mexico
come, and sometimes earlier. I am writing what has occurred here to
the Council, and as one who knows your Grace's zeal, I have no need to
urge the necessity here of having a man come as governor who is known
to fear God. Oh, my lord secretary, if your Grace could see some of
this, and if I could cause the eyes of those lords to perceive the
need of this unfortunate country, and the mighty things which depend
on it, for the glory of God and the faith, and for the honor of the
crown of Castilla! The king cannot settle a matter of such importance
in the Yndias--and certainly I shall not err in expatiating upon
it. There is need here of a man so moderate and disinterested, and
so staunch a friend of the general weal--and in a word, so fearful
of God and His judgment--as is fitting for the government of the
Philipinas. But, as I say, by his discretion in matters concerning
his Majesty, and his zeal for the service of God and the king, there
is one who is qualified for it--that is, Don Luis Perez Das Mariñas;
for it is necessary that the governor of this country be even more
a preacher of the faith of Jesus Christ our Lord, and of His law,
than are the preachers themselves. His life is an example of effort
to conciliate to Christianity, or to keep at a distance the Chinese,
Japanese, Sianese, Cambojans, and numberless other nations whom God
has placed here. I have heard much good of Don Pedro Bravo de Acuña,
formerly governor of Cartagena; and it seems to me that he, too, would
be very fit for this country. Gomez Perez Dasmariñas brought with
him a nephew named Don Fernando de Castro, of as good family as was
his uncle, or even better. I have often conversed with him, and know
much about him that is good. I know that he is a very moderate man,
and has much fear of God; and he is well inclined to take advice when
occasion arises. These islands and the king's exchequer would also
gain much if this man were governor. He likewise has much experience
on these lands and seas, as he has been several times commander on
the voyage to Mexico, and went to China on the occasion of the death
of his uncle, Gomez Perez.
I do not care to write concerning Don Francisco Tello, as when this
arrives another will already have been appointed, and he will go to
his home; may God guide him, and give him good fortune and penitence
for his misdeeds. What I write concerning the great evil of having a
ship go to China from these islands to trade--at any rate near where
the Portuguese are, and even in all parts of China--is at present so
true that, if this evil be not remedied, these islands must be ruined,
and the Portuguese will be destroyed. The Catholic faith must lose
much; and I hold it certain that there will be a war between us and
the Portuguese, for they have sought to take up arms with less cause
than this, or even have taken them up, against the Castilians there
in Macan. In short, they will not allow themselves to be ruined, and
that so evidently for merely the interest of the Castilians; but it
is not for the interest of the Castilians, but that of the governor
and auditors, and their retainers. The Portuguese know well, and so
do we all, that this is not the will of the king nor of the Council.
I write also that it is necessary to correct the freedom, ignorance,
and boldness of certain religious. I am still of the opinion which
we all had at that time, that the brief which Father Alonso Sanchez
secured from Gregory XIV, giving the bishop power to make visitations,
in person or by any clergyman, of the religious and their mission
villages, is certainly a most damaging one. Although no doubt some
superiors of the religious orders deserve to have this put in execution
at times, yet the religious orders are the walls of the church, and it
is not well to treat them thus. But likewise it is necessary that the
pope establish some order in the irregularity which your Grace will see
described in my letter for the Council. Let the bishop keep his place,
and the religious theirs; and let this divine work of preaching the
gospel be continued, which is our greatest desire. If the captain of
infantry tries to take up the duties of the master-of-camp, and the
soldier those of the captain or of the general, it will go ill with
the war. I am sending the Council the letter which I am writing to
the pope--first, because I wish that the Council should see first
what I have to say to the pope, that they should place it before
the pope, and that everything may be done by his order. In this way
everything will be regular, and, God willing, we shall achieve the
desired result. In the second place I have not and do not desire
any agent, because through the mercy of God, I solicit nothing for
my private interests, but only for the service of God and that of my
king. It seems to me sufficient to write what I think, to the Council,
so that those lords may attend to it, since that is their affair;
and they and their consciences will be excellent solicitors for the
adjustment of the matters that I write about, and the zeal of your
Grace will make up for my shortcomings and remedy matters here,
for I promise you there are many.
Concerning myself I may say that I am well, thanks to God. Those
who manage the royal exchequer have treated me according to my
deserts. It is impossible for me to live unless this be remedied,
for in this misery which has been decreed for me, they have through
a whole year accorded me no more than one third, amounting to
six hundred and some odd pesos of eight reals. The expense which
I undergo is excessive, although I brought with me only one boy,
and at most two persons. I have not even anyone to help me at mass,
although in so new and unsettled a country. I am forced to go from one
part to another; and, as there are no beasts of burden and everything
has to be borne on men's shoulders, even if one is only bringing the
articles necessary to say mass, it costs a great deal of money. I am
in such a condition that I have not even a chasuble in which to say
the ordinary mass. I have even worn shoes with holes, which showed
the bare flesh, and perhaps there was nothing with which to buy
others. I do not ask for more income; I only ask that the decree of
his Majesty be obeyed in my behalf--that instruction shall be paid
for in the same place with the tributes from that place. I would be
satisfied if only that which was ordered to be given me were paid
me in my bishopric, from the tributes and the treasury thereof, in
the province of Ilocos; for that of Cagaian has nothing, and there
are no established tributes there. For if the money goes to Manila,
as the governor and auditors and royal officials are there, I too
must go there; and it certainly is an indignity to the position of a
bishop that they should thus treat him. What is done for a lay priest
and a religious is not much to do for a bishop; and as the religious
and the secular clergymen are paid where they labor and where the pay
is needed, the bishop should also be paid where he labors and where
he needs it. Beside this, as he is obliged to go there and return,
he undergoes during the journey (which is on the king's account)
danger from sea and from many enemies on land; and on the return,
which is on my account, there are the same dangers and risks to be run,
and I must pay money to bring it from a great distance, and through
dangerous routes. All this would be obviated if only the said decree
of his Majesty were observed in my case. But, as they say in Castilla,
the gallows was made for the unfortunate.
There is some more money which the royal officials have not collected
from me, which I owed, although they were informed of it by the
bulls. They failed to collect from me other money--that which was lent
me in España in the House of Trade at Sevilla, for my aid and outfit. I
say that concerning this I am writing to the Council, asking them to
remit me this debt, as it is certainly necessary. If those lords should
consent to have this favor done me, well and good; if not, patience.
Although I have equal liking and respect for all the Council, as for
Señor the licentiate Molina de Medrano, he best knows my heart and my
soul, as he has had closer association with me. Although I am writing
to his Grace, yet I do not know whether that letter will be so long;
and accordingly I beg your Grace to communicate this to him. To Señora
Doña Catalina, and to Señors Don Francisco and Don Christoval, and to
Doña Magdalena, and to that other angelic child whose name I do not
recall: may God keep them in life, and grant health to your Grace,
as I, the affectionate chaplain of all your household, desire. Afulu,
May 22, 1599.
_Fray Miguel_, Bishop of Nueba Segobia.
That letter I wrote to the Council, but it was blotted; and accordingly
I send a copy of it, and send that to your Grace, so that you may
show this if perchance the other one should be lost.
[_Endorsed_: "To Joan de Ibarra, knight of the habit of Calatrava,
of the royal Council of the Indias, and secretary of the king our
lord for the Indias."]