During all the three years' term of the provincial Fray Diego de Jesús
this province enjoyed great tranquillity, and made great progress
in strict observance, and in care and watchfulness in the mission
villages in our charge. All regarded the provincial as a mirror,
and seeing him they corrected their own negligence, on account of the
great virtues that shone in him. His poverty and disregard of earthly
things was of heroic degree. Of many of his surpassing virtues I can
be a witness, for I had much to do with him during this triennium,
on account of having duties near his person. It cost much urging to
make him lay aside a habit, very old and worn, which he had used many
years; and to induce him to change a hat which was so old that it
appeared unsuitable and ludicrous. On many occasions he had no water
even in his cell; and when he needed it, for visitors or for himself,
he asked for it from others. [92] So close was his attendance in
the choir that it seemed as if he had no other occupation. He never
handled money during his term as provincial, to which I can testify,
since I was his depositary and almoner (for he possessed the virtue
of charity in a very high degree). He was frequent in prayer, and
so severely did he mortify the flesh that after death there were
found on him the marks of the cilices [93] of copper, even to the
soles of his feet; a little before he died, these had been taken
from him by father Fray José de Orense, of the Order of St. Francis,
a religious of great ardor, to whom Fray Diego had communicated his
own. Although I have not reached the time at which his holy death
occurred, I am not willing to pass over in silence what happened on
that occasion to this noble religious Fray José de Orense. The death
of our father Fray Diego de Jesús was hastened by his infirmities,
and by his age, which was seventy-four years. They rang the bell
for giving him the holy sacraments, and at the same time father Fray
José de Orense came in at the convent door. They told him that his
dear friend was in danger of death, and he replied with a serene
face that he already knew this, and had come to the convent on that
account; for the two had agreed that, whoever should die first, the
other would assist him at death. The wonderful thing is, that the
brethren had not informed Fray José of it, nor had there been time
for that. He remained with our father Fray Diego until the latter
expired in his arms. Our father had completed his term as provincial,
to the great regret of all, and then retired to a cell, which, during
the thirteen years while he lived, he did not leave except for the
choir-services; nor did he go outside [the convent] except with the
body of religious. In no chapter-meeting which followed would he vote,
although he was past provincial; and in order to carry this out better
he endeavored to secure that his brother, Fray Buenaventura de Béjar,
should obtain the function of voting. If in the year 1686 he presided
in the chapter-meeting, it was by commission of our very reverend
father general, and because some persons had magnified it as a charge
on his conscience that it was important for him to accept that post;
and therefore he did so, although with evident reluctance. They
desired to elect him provincial for six years before [his death],
but they never were able to attain this.
The chapter-session was held in the convent at Manila on May 8,
1683; and it was presided over by father Fray Juan Ponce, the first
definitor for the past triennium, as we had not a special appointment
for that duty from our very reverend father, the general of the whole
order. The election for provincial fell on our father Fray José Duque,
for the second time, with the unanimous consent of all the voting
fathers and the general satisfaction of the whole province--who
knew from long experience his great talent for governing, and his
great devoutness and prudence; on account of these qualifications
he was afterward commissary of the Holy Office. As definitors were
elected our father Fray Juan de Jérez, the father reader Fray Juan
Bautista Bover, and fathers Fray Alonso de Escos and Fray Francisco de
Zamora. The visitors for the past triennium were present, the father
reader Fray Miguel Rubio and father Fray Juan Guedeja; and the new
visitors appointed for this triennium were fathers Fray José de la
Cruz and Fray Alonso de Arnillas. The mandates and statutes of this
chapter-session, although not many, were exceedingly useful for the
proper government of the province.
Strong recommendations were made that they should send to the
mission of China religious who might aid fathers Fray Álvaro de
Benavente and Fray Juan de Rivera; and for this holy employ, after
a few months, the father reader Fray Miguel Rubio offered himself,
and, renouncing the office of prior of the convent of Cebú and the
responsibility of vicar-provincial for that island, he embarked for
China; and afterward he was followed by fathers Fray José Gil and
Fray Francisco Patiño, who rendered excellent service for several
years in those missions--although finally they withdrew on account
of impaired health, and returned to these islands.
When the father reader Fray Miguel Rubio arrived at Cantón, it was but
a short time after the entrance into China, by way of Hermosa Island,
of the bishop of Heliopolis, Don Francisco Palú, on a journey from
Roma; he resided in the city of Moyang, from which place he sent to the
regulars who were ministers notifications of the decrees of the holy
Congregation of the Propaganda upon the subjection of the regulars to
the apostolic vicars. This occasioned great disquiet, and hindered the
preaching of the gospel; and from it originated bitter controversies,
which began in that time, and are not ended up to the present; may
it please God to bring them to an end in future days. Nevertheless,
at the visit to Roma of father Fray Alvaro de Benavente some relief
was given by the decree which he obtained from the holy Congregation
of the Propaganda, which suspended the subjection, and left only the
visitation of the vicars-apostolic and some other and lesser duties
of obedience, in other matters leaving the regulars subject to their
own regular superiors--which is the same as to leave them subject
to two masters. But this is impossible, by the saying of Christ
our Lord, according to chap. xvii of St. Luke: Nemo potest duobus
Dominis servire [94]--which is what was attempted in Filipinas
by the archbishop Don Diego Camacho y Avila. [95] Bishop Palú,
who styled himself vicar apostolic for the entire empire of China,
sent to Cantón a notification of the bull of his Holiness Clement X
and the subjection of the regulars, to a French priest named Filibert
Leblanc--who is still living, a very old man, and is vicar apostolic
of a province. His coming occasioned much grief to the fathers of
St. Francis, and to father Fray Miguel Rubio, who made such answer
as at that time seemed expedient. The bishop of Heliopolis lived but
a short time in China, dying in the city of Moyang.
This year the governor despatched to Nueva España two galleons, with
a considerable interval between, thus providing a remedy against
the returns to port which had been experienced in preceding years;
for it was very possible that, in case one ship were driven back,
the other could make its voyage--which had been known to occur
many times, since they could not keep together in that dangerous
navigation, and might follow very different courses; and one will
suffer from a storm, and the tempest not reach the region where the
other vessel is sailing. Accordingly, he sent the galleon "Santa Rosa"
as flagship, in charge of General Antonio Nieto; and as almiranta the
galleon "San Telmo," under his follower Admiral Don Francisco Fabra,
a very sagacious and active man. These two galleons made a prosperous
voyage and reached the port of Acapulco, where General Antonio Nieto
remained as castellan of the castle there (until his Majesty should
give him a proprietary appointment), because he who held this office
was dead, and the viceroy of Nueva España, Marqués de Laguna and
Conde de Paredes de Nava, [96] appointed ad interim General Antonio
Nieto. [This resulted] to the great improvement of that fort, for he
strengthened and repaired it, and provided it with military supplies,
in which it was very deficient--most of this at his own cost, because
he had a generous disposition.
Governor Don Juan de Vargas also placed on the stocks, at the port of
Cavite, a galleon to which he gave the name "Santo Niño Jesús de Cebú,"
one of the largest ships ever built in these islands; its builder was
Juan Sánchez, a man well skilled in the art of such construction,
on account of having practiced it many years in Yucatán. So much
diligence was used in constructing the ship that it made a voyage to
Acapulco in the year 1684, as we shall relate in its place.
In this year of 1683 there came to Don Juan de Vargas an envoy
extraordinary from the king of Siám, and from his barcalón (or prime
minister in all the kingdom), who was a Greek and very Catholic,
named Constantius Falcón. The envoy was a religious of the order of
our father St. Augustine, a native of Lisboa, named Fray Estebán
Sousa; [he was formerly] a lecturer on theology in the convent of
Évora, and had been rector at Goa and visitor for Macán, and was a
religious of great learning and greater virtue. It seems that one
of the things solicited by the barcalón Constantius Falcón was,
to retire to Manila with his family and all his wealth, which was
great, on account of his being the royal favorite and having great
influence with the king of Siám--who, although a barbarian and very
superstitious, as are all that people, had a very amiable disposition
and much esteem for Europeans. Sargento-mayor Don Francisco de Moya,
with whom Constantius was on very intimate terms, dissuaded him from
this purpose; and certainly the arguments which he brought forward
were reasonable, based on the extreme and incredible power of the
governors of Manila, which is very unfriendly to the possessor of
much wealth, as has been confirmed by experience. I could set down
here many instances of this which have occurred in my own time;
but I omit this, as being a matter that is both delicate and offensive.
It would have been very prudent on the part of Constantius to have
retired from Siám; for within a few years the king died, and his
successor was not so kind and well-intentioned. This king inflicted on
Constantius a most cruel death, and appropriated his enormous wealth,
which, according to report, was counted by millions. It is true that
Constantius was very guilty, for he had formed an alliance with the
French, and was planning to surrender to them the kingdom of Siám;
and for this purpose he had corresponded with the king of France,
who sent many Frenchmen for this enterprise--which ended very badly,
and cost most of them their lives; and the missionary bishops suffered
very great privations. The intention of Constantius was a good one;
it was, to establish the Catholic faith in Siám, for which he had
built some churches. For the adornment of these, he sent [orders]
through the said Don Francisco de Moya for many chalices, monstrances,
and vessels of silver covered with gold, to be wrought in Nueva España;
on account of his death, these were sold in Manila, and now they are
in many churches of these islands. Only his wife escaped--a Japanese
woman, a very good Christian--and a son of his, who went to Francia,
where the most Christian king conferred honors on him, and gave him
an income and the title of count.
Father Fray Estebán de Sousa, having concluded the business which
he had to transact in Manila, returned to Siám; and the king of that
country sent him as his ambassador to the king of Portugal, accompanied
by two Siamese nobles [mandarines] who carried a rich present. With
them he went to Goa, where the viceroy of India sent him on his way
to Lisboa with the best ship that he had. But when they arrived at
the Cape of Good Hope the ship was dashed to pieces, at the place
which is called "the false cape," and most of its people perished,
including one of the Siamese nobles. Father Fray Estebán and another
religious of Ours--a Portuguese named Fray José de Gracia, who had
spent several years in Filipinas--with a very few others, saved their
lives. They traveled by land more than forty leguas, through those
desert shores of Africa, where they encountered only lions of fearful
size; they saved themselves from the lions at night by surrounding
themselves with fires, on account of the antipathy which those fierce
beasts have for fire. They ate some herbs of the field, and, weakened
by hunger and fatigue, they fell dead along the way; more than forty
Portuguese perished, among them two religious of the Society of Jesus,
for they were old men and unable to travel so far, or to suffer such
privations. After many days, having endured incredible sufferings,
they reached a city which the Dutch have at the Cape of Good Hope,
called Santa Elena; they were received there with much kindness, and
the Dutch treated them very well, and relieved their many necessities.
Father Fray Estebán returned to Goa, and by order of his provincial
went back to Siám, where in the Bandel [97] of the Portuguese he
made a hermitage; and there, allowing his beard to grow, he devoted
himself wholly to prayer and mortification, being an example for
all the Europeans in that kingdom. He had his grave always open,
in which he often placed himself, and there meditated on the end of
the glories of this world. In the year 1698 he returned to Manila,
in order to procure a bell for his hermitage and some other articles
for its adornment, and to collect some alms. In the following year
he went back to Siám, to continue that mode of life, [which he did]
until the year 1709, when they found him dead in his hermitage, on his
knees; they buried him in the grave which he had always kept open. The
spirit of this religious was approved in Manila by men consummate
in virtue--especially by fathers Fray Francisco de la Concepción
and Fray José Orense, Franciscans, who were very spiritual men,
and well qualified to decide on souls truly mystical. He practiced
great mortification in his food, for he never ate flesh or fish,
but only fruits (and those without any additional relish), roasted
sweet potatoes and bananas, and a little boiled rice.
In a vessel from the Coromandel coast came Juan Antúnez de Portugal,
a knight of the Order of Christ, and a son of the celebrated Portuguese
jurist Domingo de Antúnez de Portugal (of the same order), who wrote
the very learned book, De regalibus. He came with an appointment from
his king as governor of the islands of Timor and Solor, and, having
fallen dangerously ill at Malaca, he feared, as a good Catholic,
to die among those Calvinistic heretics; and therefore embarked in a
coasting vessel which was coming to Manila with merchandise. He was
received by Governor Don Juan de Vargas with the hospitality which
his person and noble rank merited, and medical treatment was provided
for him with great care. As soon as he became well and was ready to
continue his voyage to Timor, the governor sent him, well provided,
in a very good vessel belonging to some Portuguese traders, and gave
him some Spaniards to accompany him.
The islands of Timor and Solor are the last of which we have knowledge
toward the south beyond the island of Jacatra, where the Dutch have
founded the city of Nueva Batavia, the capital of all the colonies
and factories that they possess in Eastern India from the Cape of
Good Hope, which are numerous and rich. The islands of Timor and
Solor abound with gold, and in them alone grows the sandalwood,
a very fragrant and esteemed wood, and a great article of trade
for China--although the transportation of it is very unbecoming for
Christians, because it is the incense and timiama which the Chinese use
most in the sacrifices to their idols; and therefore the Portuguese
have found by experience that wealth gained by this wretched traffic
never is profitable. These islands are under the Portuguese dominion
and are relics of its ancient colonies, although they are but little
subject to it on account of being more than twelve hundred leguas
from Goa. At that time the rule over them had been usurped by a
Dutch mestizo (although he feigned to be a Catholic), named Antonio
de Ornay, a very sagacious man and an able politician, who governed
them more as a king than as a vassal (as he said he was) of the king
of Portugal--whom he recognized so far as it seemed good to him, and
made contributions to his revenues with part of the great and almost
incredible riches which it was said he possessed, especially in gold;
but most of his wealth was hidden and buried in the ground. The king
of Portugal and the viceroy of India, knowing that they could do no
more, allowed him to remain in that power, and sent him [the insignia
of] the Order of Christ, and other titles of honor. It seems that
the cabinet at Lisboa were displeased at the limited power that the
Portuguese crown possessed in Timor, and decided to send Juan Antúnez
to replace Antonio de Ornay, but armed and escorted only by the royal
warrant, which is more than enough for Portuguese loyalty. Juan Antúnez
arrived at the principal port of Timor, and found it in hostile array
and garrisoned by soldiers of all nations, sent by Antonio de Ornay,
who already had information (by way of Batavia) of his new successor;
these soldiers had orders from him not to allow Juan Antúnez or any
other person to land from the vessel, and not to accept from him any
despatch or letter. The new governor spent many days there, waiting to
see if he could at least write a letter to Antonio de Ornay; but seeing
that he had no remedy except to return to Manila, he did so, with much
difficulty and lack of provisions. From Manila he set out for India,
where he was afterward governor of Mozambique and other places in
Africa. Antonio de Ornay remained absolute master of Timor and Solor,
until he died suddenly, of old age; and without the assistance of
a priest, because the influence [aires] of the neighboring Batavia
had so weakened his scruples. At his death was present a citizen
of Macán, Antonio de Vasconcelos, of the same Order of Christ, who
told us in these islands that all the wealth of Antonio de Ornay, a
great quantity of gold, had been lost; for, as he had buried all his
treasures and died suddenly, they remained for the court of Pluto,
the imaginary god of riches and also of hell.
About the end of the year, Auditor Doctor Don Cristóbal Herrera
Grimaldos died, aged more than seventy years. The cause of his
death--which came rapidly, in an illness of a few weeks--was that
a running sore that he had in his right arm became cancerous. It
is said that it was this arm that he stretched out to seize the
archbishop when he ordered [the soldiers] to carry out the prelate
in the chair on which he was sitting; such is the story, but it
is not confirmed.... What is certainly known is, that he made no
effort to secure absolution from the excommunication. He publicly
received the holy viaticum, which was administered to him by the
dean, Don Miguel Ortiz de Covarrubias; and they buried him in the
church of the Society of Jesus at Manila. Afterward the archbishop,
having returned from his exile (as we shall soon relate), by sentence
and demand from his attorney-general ordered that the auditor's body
be disinterred; but this proved ineffectual, because it was alleged
that the body had been buried in a general sepulchre, in which were
the bones of others of the faithful, and those of the auditor could
not be recognized. At this, the ecclesiastical officials desisted
from their attempt; but there was no other declaration to the contrary.
While the archbishop was enduring his exile in Lingayén--or, to speak
more correctly, his imprisonment, since he had not the liberty that
exiled persons enjoy--in Manila the tempest continued against the
religious of St. Dominic, who, as being his brethren in the order,
had great share in his troubles. The usurping provisor, Dean Don
Miguel de Covarrubias, and the cabildo, successful in maintaining the
vacant see [sede vacante], arrested and harassed all those who, as it
seemed to them, did not agree with their opinion. And as it seemed to
them that all the force in this opposition came from the religious of
St. Dominic--especially from the provincial, Fray Antonio Calderón;
father Fray Cristóbal Pedroche, commissary of the Holy Office and
vicar-provincial; father Fray Bartolomé Marrón, rector of the college
of Santo Tomás; and the two lecturers in theology, father Fray Juan
Ibáñez and Fray Francisco de Vargas--they demanded aid from the
governor, Don Juan de Vargas, to banish those religious. The governor
issued a royal decree, signed only with his own name, directing the
provincial to send the five religious above mentioned to the village of
Lalo, the capital of the bishopric of Nueva Segovia, distant a hundred
leguas from Manila, on the pretext that some of them were preaching,
and others teaching, erroneous doctrines in the community. The said
provincial replied to this that if the errors consisted in saying
that the cabildo and their provisor had usurped the ecclesiastical
jurisdiction, and that the persons who had banished the archbishop
and arrested the ecclesiastics deserved the censures [of the church],
it was himself who had most influence [in forming that opinion in
them], and who with most firmness maintained it; and that as his
subordinates were not to blame in the matter, since they obeyed the
commands laid on them, he could not fulfil the orders given by the
royal decree. The said master-of-camp issued a second decree in the
same form as the first, repeating its commands, and ordering that
the provincial with the five religious be brought to this capital.
To the end that this order might be executed, he gave commission to
Licentiate Don Diego Antonio de Viga, auditor of that Audiencia--who,
accompanied by several companies of arquebusiers and other soldiers
under the command of the said governor, went to the convent of San
Domingo; and, leaving it surrounded with many of the soldiers, with
others he entered it to make known the said royal decree. He actually
notified the provincial and Fray Cristóbal Pedroche, commissary of the
Holy Office and vicar-provincial of Manila; and the soldiers looked
through the entire convent in search for the rector, Fray Bartolomé
Marron. Not finding him, they went on to the college of Santo Tomás,
and, after making the same efforts to find the said rector, but
in vain, notified the two professors of the same decree. They made
substantially the same reply as the provincial--all of them saying
that they could not voluntarily leave their offices and province; but
that they were ready to endure any violence for the sake of God and
His cause. The news of this was sent to the said master-of-camp Don
Juan de Vargas, and he was told how in the convent and the college
all the doors and offices had been opened to the soldiers, without
resistance; he gave orders that the soldiers should remain round
about the convent and college, and should not permit the entrance
of any provision of food or water for the religious until the six
should be surrendered, and should go alone to the places designated
in the said royal decree. This blockade, with this rigor, lasted four
days, and on the last day, which was the day next following Corpus
[Christi], the same auditor went to the convent; and, having made
various protestations and requisitions, ordered the usurping provisor
(who was present) to remove those religious. After some questions
and replies the provisor commanded the soldiers to carry in chairs,
in their arms, to the place of embarkation of the provincial and his
vicar-provincial; this was actually done, carrying them until they
placed the religious in the vessel which had been made ready for this
purpose. This having been accomplished at the convent, they went to
the college of Santo Tomás, and the same thing was done to the two
professors of theology; and, all being placed together in the same
vessel, they were conveyed to the port of Cavite. From that place
the two professors were transported in another vessel to the island
of Mariveles; and the provincial and vicar-provincial were detained
there until the time for the sailing of the ship for Nueva España,
in which they were embarked. The said provincial reached the kingdom
of España, where he died a few months after his arrival.
At the same time, by order of the said master-of-camp, Doctor Don
Diego Calderón went to the convent of the Parián (which is the
village of the heathen Chinese), with the same display of arms
and soldiers, in quest of the said vicar-provincial, and searched
the entire convent--where he could not be found, since he was,
as has been stated, in the convent of Manila, in company with the
provincial. With the same commission Captain Don Luis de Morales
Camacho, alcalde-in-ordinary, went with armed soldiers to a ranch
named Biñán, distant eight leguas from Manila, and belonging to the
said college, to seize the rector, thinking that they would find him
there; and General Antonio Vásquez went, with the same accompaniment
of soldiers, to the convent of Abucay, a ministry for the Indians,
distant eight leguas from Manila by sea, to look for Fray Raimundo
Verart; but, as they could not find those two religious, they could
not in their case put into execution the [sentence for their] removal
from the islands. Strenuous efforts were made in Manila to look for
the father rector, Fray Bartolomé Marron, but they could not find him;
for he was safely hidden in the house of a person who was strongly
attached to the order; so they desisted from their search for him.