Sire:
The Duke de Lerma has written to me, the Conde de Lemos, that your Majesty orders that the enclosed report from the Council of Portugal be examined in this Council, in regard to the order that there should be no passing to Japon by way of the Philipinas, and that your Majesty be advised of what seems best. In this report the principal purpose seems to be that commerce should be prohibited, by your Majesty’s command, in order that the Philipinas may not maintain it with China or Japon. This matter depends very much on what the same Council of Portugal has claimed, and now brings forward as foundation for its claim, which is the prohibition of the entrance of Castilian religious into Japon to preach. At your Majesty’s command, the Council replied, in the past year, to another report from the Council of Portugal, in which it proposed in detail the arguments on which it founds its claim. Therefore it seemed best to return the report to your Majesty, together with a letter written to your Majesty by Francisco Peña, auditor of Rota, from which it is apparent how this matter is considered in Rome, and how much that opinion is in conformity with what this Council has advised your Majesty, adding what we have learned since the aforesaid report was sent, from letters from the governor and Audiencia, and investigations made before the aforesaid Audiencia and the archbishop of Manila, and other trustworthy papers which came from the Philipinas and Japon. The emperor of Japon sent to the governor of the islands, asking him very earnestly to send religious to settle in the land of Quanto; and some were therefore sent, and they were very kindly received. Land was given them for houses and hospitals; so they have founded two residences, where they are making great headway in the conversion of the Japanese, and the religious are very well treated. As the emperor himself has for three years desired and insisted upon the commerce of the Philipinas with his realms, a ship has accordingly been sent each year from the islands to those of Quanto, with merchandise from China, and various articles of which they have more than enough in the aforesaid [Philippine] islands; and it brought back in return much silver (with which the land of Japon abounds), wheaten flour, dried beef, hemp for cordage, iron, steel, powder, and hafted weapons and other things of great value for the provision and preservation of the aforesaid Philipinas Islands. In those islands it appears of the greatest importance that this commerce be introduced and preserved; because, besides the provision of the aforesaid goods, it is well to keep the king of Japon friendly by this means. For if he were not so he would be the greatest enemy that could be feared, on account of the number and size of his realms, and the valor of the people therein, who are, beyond comparison, the bravest in all India—as has been experienced in the aforesaid islands sometimes, with pirates who have overrun those coasts, doing great harm and hindering the commerce of the other nations. Japon is so anxious to assure and facilitate friendly relations with the said islands that, the king having heard that some Japanese were molesting them with their vessels, he ordered them all to be crucified; and he gave chapas, or decrees, to some religious, in order that with these the ships which went from the islands to Japon might be safe.
Also it was understood that when the bishop of Japon (who belongs to the Society) desired to make known to the religious who were in those lands the last brief of his Holiness, in order for them to depart from the country in fulfilment of it, it was represented what great difficulties would result from the publication and execution of it, in order that he might wait for an appeal to be taken to his Holiness. For the orders of St. Francis, St. Dominic, and St. Augustine have nine convents and four hospitals, where they have achieved great results in the conversion; moreover, they were admitted and called thither by the emperor. They find a great number of people disposed to receive the gospel law, and it would be impossible for the fathers of the Society (who are in some kingdoms of Japon) to be sufficient as workmen in so broad and fertile a vineyard. On this account, it would cause great scandal among the converted and those to be converted, to see the opposition of one order to the others, since previously they held them all to be uniform in the purpose of the spreading of the gospel, and the religious to be vassals of one king and subjects of the one and only head of the church. But in spite of the statements of the friars, the bishop ordered the said brief to be published and made known, with its penalties and censures. Councils were held by the orders in the Philipinas and Japon, and they thought that they ought to appeal from the said brief to his Holiness; this was done before the said bishop, in order that his Holiness might understand the state in which affairs were in those lands, and, being better informed, revoke the brief. It seems important, for the decision of this matter, that it be understood, from the description of Japon and from trustworthy accounts, that the preaching of the fathers of the Society, in the more than fifty years since they entered Japon, has not reached to within a hundred miles of the kingdoms of Quanto, where there are some convents of discalced Franciscan friars, nor has the merchandise of the Portuguese done so; but on the contrary the emperor—having a particular fondness for those kingdoms, as being a patrimony of his—at great cost has caused to be carried by land some of the merchandise which the Portuguese brought from China to Japon. So then, neither is the Society limited in the bounds of its preaching, nor is the crown of Portugal in those of its trade; for even if six ships went there, instead of the single one that now goes from Macao each year, all that they should carry would still easily be consumed in the lands which are more than a hundred leguas distant from those of Quanto. For from the island where Nangaçaqui is, until the ship reaches Quanto, there are more than two hundred and twenty leguas of very thickly settled mainland. Granting the prohibition which your Majesty has made that no merchandise beyond a certain stated amount should go from the Philipinas to Nueva Spaña, on account of the great difficulties which result otherwise, it seems well worthy of consideration that goods bought from China in those islands of your Majesty should be diverted to Japon, from which so much silver is and may be obtained for the benefit of your vassals and the increase of their wealth and of your Majesty’s exchequer—at least making unnecessary in the Philipinas that which is and may be brought from the lands of Piru and Nueva Spaña, with benefit to both those colonies and the islands. For the ships which go from the Philipinas to Nueva Spaña it is of the greatest importance to have a safe harbor in Japon, in which to repair and supply themselves with the necessities for so long and dangerous a voyage—because, for not having had it hitherto, great losses have been suffered; and some, such as that of the galleon “San Phelipe,” amounted to more than a million. It is more fitting for this purpose and for others that our ships should go to Japon than that theirs should come to the Philipinas, because when they come to those islands they buy from the Chinese, who come there to sell, the merchandise which the Castilians would have bought, enhancing the prices of it, and giving the Chinese for it the silver which they would have given to the subjects of your Majesty; nor is there any remedy therefor, although it has been sought.
As for the entrance of religious, the Council persists in the opinion of their last report, a copy of which is subjoined; but in regard to the prohibition of commerce it changes the opinion which it had reached, on account of the new information. It thinks that for the present your Majesty ought to allow one or two ships to go each year from the Philipinas to the kingdoms of Quanto, at the same time warning the governor that he should manage this matter with the care and prudence necessary, so that your Majesty’s purpose may be attained in facilitating and spreading the law of the gospel, and keeping your vassals and realms in peace and quietness, in order that thus they may serve God and your Majesty. Since the Council of Portugal, in its last report, begs your Majesty to discuss this matter jointly with it, that might be done, if it please your Majesty, in order that, the arguments for and against being presented by persons whom your Majesty would choose from both Councils, the decision might be made with greater satisfaction and understanding of the situation, as the magnitude and importance of the matter demand. Your Majesty will command what may serve you best. Madrid, 31st of March, 1607. [Ten signatures follow.]
Report from the Council of State
Sire:
Your Majesty was pleased to order the Council to examine a report from the Council of Yndia resident in Lisboa, dated December 4, 1605, and another from the Council of Portugal, dated January 31, 1606, which treat of the inadvisability of religious going to the kingdoms of Xapon from the Philipinas, for the reasons advanced; and two others dated May 30, 1606, and March 31, 1607, from the Council of the Yndias, which allege the contrary. The Council after examining these, and calling to mind what was advised on the occasion of other reports from the Council of Portugal and of certain briefs of the Pope, which were laid before them, advised your Majesty of its opinion in this matter—namely, to examine the report and what your Majesty was pleased to decide. And inasmuch as the said advice was given November 2, 1604, in Valladolid, and your Majesty was pleased to answer the Council of Portugal in regard to it, and decreed what was resolved thereon; and now since we have come to advise your Majesty: we advise that, in order to express our opinion, as your Majesty orders, it would be advisable to examine what your Majesty resolved then. Accordingly if your Majesty please, you might order the Conde de Salinas to send your Majesty the resolution taken upon the report of that Council of the year 1604, which was accompanied by the briefs of his Holiness, so that after examination in this Council, we may more reasonably advise your Majesty of our opinion. Madrid, September 7, 1607. [Six signatures follow].
[Endorsed: ”+ Officially; September 7, 1607. The Council of State in regard to certain reports from the Councils of Portugal and of the Yndias, of Castilla, as to whether or not religious are to go to Japon by way of the Philipinas.” In a different hand: “The accompanying report from the Council of Portugal will give information on what is asked here. Also other reports from the same Council, and from that of the Yndias, in regard to matters of the Filipinas, and of Macan, are enclosed. They should be examined together in the Council, and the Council should advise me of their opinion regarding the whole matter.”]
[One signature, evidently that of the king, follows].