An account of the occurrences in Manila on the occasion of
the arrival of the [royal] visitor, Don Francisco Campos
de Valdivia.
The said gentleman arrived in this city, [161] and on the same
day he arrested the fiscal, Don Esteban de la Puente y Alanis,
seizing his goods. He did the same with the notaries who had
aided [the proceedings] against the church, and with the military
leaders--beginning with Don Juan de Vargas, whom he left with guards
in his own house. He made inquiries into many facts which had gone
forth on the part of the archbishop, and many lies on the part of the
Audiencia; many false statements in the acts, and many other things
by which people in Manila have been undeceived regarding the just
acts of the archbishop--who is lauded by that visitor as upright,
just, and holy; and who told all who entered his house what was going
on. He sent for the auditor Bolivar, the only one of the four who
was yet alive, who had been for another reason banished to Cagayan;
he was very repentant, according to report, and was absolved with
his solemn declarations--which were published, by command of the
archbishop, in all the pulpits of Manila--expressing detestation of
all his actions against the church, in detail, up to his neglect to
give aid for seizing the two hundred or more bales belonging to the
Society. He came with the intention of dying, if it were necessary,
in professing what he had detested; but in Ylocos he died suddenly and
without the sacraments, while still near Pangasinan. Of his property
and of that of Viga, little or nothing has appeared.
The archbishop, seeing that all that he had done had pleased the
Council at Madrid and that at Roma, proceeded to lay aside his
scruples, by imposing and declaring an interdict against the church
of the Society, because the body of Auditor Grimaldos [162] reposed
therein; and it was kept closed from the eve of St. Ignatius's day
for the space of two months, until the conclusion of the lawsuit
which the widow of the said Grimaldos undertook to defend. They went
to bring out the bones for sentence, and these were so intermingled
with others--they say, it was done purposely or by artifice--that,
in order not to deprive of asylum those of the just, the bones of
Grimaldos were left in the church. It was blessed by the provisor
with much solemnity, and the doors were opened with a peal of bells
and the universal joy. Seeing this obstacle removed, on account of
which that order were not entering that church, the Catholic visitor
spoke in reconciliation of the two orders. At the first movement
for peace, our order [i.e., the Dominican] declared that we desired
it; and an agreement was reached, all the Society repairing to our
convent on the octave of the naval feast. Our provincial preached,
the archbishop and the Audiencia being present, and, I think, all
Manila; for never was seen such a crowd of people. In a few days, I
think in that same week, the feast of St. Ignatius was celebrated at
the house of the Society; it had not been done [at the proper time],
since on the eve of that day the church of the Society was placed
under interdict. They had the same large attendance; Father Cani
[163] preached, delivering a very spiritual and appropriate sermon.
The archbishop, seeing that God was on his side, concluded to give
a public atonement to the church. In the courtyard of our church
was erected a stage, on which sat his illustrious Lordship and his
cabildo; one day at twelve o'clock he laid an interdict throughout
the city, and on the following day were present all the culprits who
had concurred in violating the sacred persons and places--in a body,
without swords. They were absolved, with scourges [varillas] and
miserere, and afterward his illustrious Lordship restored them to
the church. Then the next day a procession was formed, accompanied
by our Lady of the Rosary. For the morrow there was a sermon, at
which the governor and the city were present; and in the afternoon,
for the procession, all the Audiencia, and the archbishop, etc.
The visitor sent Don Juan de Vargas to Pangasinan, as excommunicated,
since he had refused to submit to the sentence of his illustrious
Lordship; he is still there, and will remain there. He is not going
to Espana, as he has not paid the amount to which he was sentenced,
which the visitor imposed upon him on account of the residencia, in
either silver or jewels; nor has he provided securities for it. As
for what concerns the residencia, the sum will be about one hundred
thousand pesos; in this decision the judge has, in the opinion of all,
proceeded most mercifully. The king's fiscal has been banished to the
island of Mariveles until the ship sails. The dean, Don Miguel Ortiz
de Cobarrubias, was involved in the libels that were current last
year, and in other matters against the archbishop, in contravention
of what he had decreed--as he said under oath when they absolved him;
accordingly he was arrested, and came out of prison deprived of all
ecclesiastical benefice. Our Fray Raimundo Bertist [i.e., Berart]
also is going to Espana. The schoolmaster, Don Francisco Briceno, was
also deprived of all benefice on account of his talk, and sentenced
to perpetual seclusion in a convent, from which he will not emerge
unless he takes the vows; they say that he is going into [the convent
of] San Agustin. Very recently occurred the fall of another member
of the usurping cabildo, who in my opinion was the worst of them;
but he has escaped, through his crafty devices. This is Don Jose de
Nava y Albiz, a racionero. They discovered that some sessions of the
cabildo had been held without informing the new dean and canons, in
opposition to his illustrious Lordship; also they found a libel against
the archbishop and our religious order. The treasurer Valencia is also
entangled in this matter. I do not know how the affair will end; they
will find themselves in bad health if God preserves the archbishop.
Of the four dignitaries who came with the visitor, the two auditors
and the fiscal ranged themselves on the side of the governor, Don
Juan de Vargas; and when excommunication was laid on those who should
have intercourse with him, these persons went in and out, entirely
disregarding this, and causing great scandal. On this account the
visitor challenged them in a suit which the party of Vargas carried to
the Audiencia; and for the same reason the archbishop kept challenging
them in regard to ecclesiastical affairs. The fiscal married the
widow of the auditor Grimaldos. The other of those auditors--who is
the senior, and who is now governing--has much fear of God; and he is
all the more discreet and experienced for having been judge in Burgos.
Among other calamities which this community has suffered, not the
least is the death of the governor, Don Gabriel de Curuzalegui, who
died April 27; for the political government depends on so many heads
that, as there is little concord among them and they are young men,
much trouble is feared.
In this year, toward the end of January, God sent us an epidemic of
influenza, very malignant, from which many children and old persons
died throughout the islands. The prominent persons who have died
in this city are: Don Francisco Beza, archdeacon of the cathedral;
Gallardo, who died suddenly in prison; Master Don Pablo de Aduna, Don
Francisco de Ocampo, and others. The governor died poor, and with many
debts--a proof of his upright conduct. All feel that these islands have
not had [in that post] a man who was more disinterested, or who took
better care of the royal exchequer and the credit of the church. God
repaid him for this, since our king sent him several letters of thanks
for what he had accomplished--especially for having brought back the
archbishop to his see, and secured the removal of that monster, the
usurping government of the cabildo. The supreme pontiff wrote letters
to the archbishop, thanking him for what he had done and suffered,
and encouraging him for what was before him--saying that he himself
is imitating him, and using very affectionate terms.