Second election as provincial of our father Fray Diego de Ordás;
loss of the galleon "Victoria;" and insurrection in Pampanga.
During all his three years in the government of this province, our
father Fray Alonso de Quijano proved himself a prudent and devout
superior--and such were needed in times so calamitous as were those of
which we are writing; for a great deal of misfortune fell to the lot of
our province, as we were very short of religious to serve in the hard
work of the missions. For as an offset to the small reënforcement that
had come in the year 1654 from Nueva España, twenty had died--among
whom were the former provincial fathers, Fray Jerónimo Medrano
and Fray Andrés Verdugo, who were equivalent to the loss of many,
as they were two firm columns of this province. The procurator who
was sent during the past years, Fray Cristobal Enriquez, had died
in Cáceres, his birthplace, before obtaining a mission, because of
the many difficulties that he had to encounter, and that is the main
cause of his early death. Father Fray Juan de Torres, who had been
despatched after him, died in this Southern Sea while sailing toward
Acapulco. Thus did this afflicted province find itself reduced to so
short a number of religious that they were unable to sustain so great a
weight. That lack of religious was suffered not alone by our province
but by all the other orders, who complained of the same affliction;
for the loss of so many galleons, and the difficulty in securing
despatches in España because of the many war expenses, delayed the
reënforcements necessary for the aid of the missions. The worst was,
that as they were so few and carried the work of many, more of them
died; for they were worn out by the too heavy load which necessity
laid upon them. All those adversities were tempered by the wisdom and
great prudence of our father Fray Alonso Quijano during his afflicted
triennium; for his peaceful countenance quieted the most severe storms,
and gave proofs of the great wealth of prudence and sagacity which
reposed in his breast, so that he left all the province desirous of
again placing him in the foremost place of the command whenever they
had an opportunity of making so wise a choice--as happened in the
year 1665, which will be related in its proper place.
When the term of the three years of his government had expired, the
day assigned by our rules for the celebration of the new provincial
chapter in the Manila convent of San Pablo arrived, namely, May three,
1659. Father Fray Dionisio Suárez, senior definitor of the former
chapter, presided. Our father Fray Diego de Ordás was elected for
the second time as provincial, by universal accord; but with many
objections on his side, for he made as many efforts as possible to
escape the election. But the urging of all the capitulars--or, to
speak more truly, the great prudence and religious zeal with which
he had governed the first time when he was elected, in the year
1647--was opposed to his resistance. This province has always been
very cautious in not handing over the helm of its government to new
pilots, even when it has possessed such, skilled and experienced;
for more often the election results with but little satisfaction
if one trusts to appearances, which are wont to be costly to good
government.... The system and composition of this province is very
different from those of the others in Europa, and needs another kind
of competency than what they demand; and so one learns by the road
of experience, in which there is usually less error. There is no
greater assurance for victory than having already conquered. [Some
further reflections similar to the above follow.] As definitors were
elected fathers Fray Pedro Mejia, Fray Pablo Maldonado, Fray Juan de
Borja, and Fray José Duque. [98] The visitors elected were the father
lecturer Fray Antonio Carrión [99] and Fray Isidro Rodríguez. [100]
They enacted some very useful ordinances for the good government of
the province, and the better prosecution of gospel preaching, to the
observance of which great attention was paid during their triennium.
["All the ten years' term of the government of the prudent and
magnanimous governor, Don Sabiniano Manrique de Lara, were a fatal
period of troubles and disasters, such as these islands had never
suffered, so great and continued were they." A eulogy and partial
sketch of the governor follows. Losses of ships, men, and money,
and the scanty reënforcements sent from Nueva España--only a hundred
soldiers having arrived, while as many have died on the way--are
dwelt on. "In addition to that, four galleons had been wrecked, which
buried more than five hundred men in these seas--a loss which was the
final blow to the prosperity of these islands.... One million pesos
was all the aid that Don Sabiniano received in ten years, although
in years when there were fewer demands on the treasury five hundred
thousand were sent from Nueva España annually. And the least cost of
the construction of a galleon is sixty thousand, and they are very
frequently wrecked because of the turbulence of the seas." The author
mentions a number of disastrous shipwrecks occurring at various times
in the islands, describing especially that of the "Victoria" in 1660,
which had been sent to Zamboanga and Ternate with reënforcements of
men. That wreck occurs while sailing from Iloilo to Zamboanga, and all
hands are lost--among them being three Jesuits, Father Francisco Roa,
[101] the provincial of the Society, Father José Pimentel, [102]
and the lay-brother, Lorenzo de Alba. [103] The chapter closes
with the beginning of the insurrection of the Pampangos in 1660,
"the most warlike and noble people in these islands, and near Manila."]
[That insurrection is continued in chapter xviii, and that chapter and
the two following deal also with the insurrection of the Pangasinans
in 1660-1661. Chapter xxi deals with the raid of the Pangasinans and
Zambals into the province of Ilocos in 1660-61, and the insurrection
of the latter people is continued also in the three following
chapters. All of these insurrections will be dealt with later in
this series.]