The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 17 of 55 / 1609-1616 / Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

by Unknown

[2] Thomas Aquinas, born in 1227, belonged to a noble family, descended from the kings of Aragón and Sicily. Entering the ecclesiastical life, he soon became noted as a scholar and divine. He was professor of divinity in several universities, and author of numerous theological works. He died on March 7, 1274, and was canonized in 1323. Various epithets have been bestowed upon him: “the Angelic Doctor,” “the Universal Doctor,” “the Dumb Ox” (alluding to his taciturnity), “The Angel of the School,” and “the Eagle of Theologians.” “It was in defense of Thomas Aquinas that Henry VIII [of England] composed the book which procured him from the pope the title of Defender of the Faith” (Blake’s Biographical Dictionary, p. 66).

[3] Argensola says mistakenly that this father was killed by the Chinese in the insurrection of 1603.

For sketch of his life see Vol. XIII, note 43.

[4] Domingo de Nieva was a native of one of the three towns of Villoria in Castilla, and professed in the Dominican convent of San Pablo at Valladolid. On going to the Philippines he was sent first to the mission of Bataan, where his labors were uninterrupted and severe. He became fluent in the Tagil language, after Which he was assigned to the Chinese mission near Manila; and he composed and published several devotional treatises in both those languages. He was elected prior of Manila, but before his three years in that office were finished, he was sent as procurator to Madrid. He died at sea, at the end of 1606 or the beginning of 1607, after having spent nineteen years in the Philippines. See Reseña biográfica, part i, pp. 108–110.

[5] That is “by my priestly word.”

The Hospital at Nueva Caceres

Sire:

In the city of Cáceres there is a hospital where the religious of St. Francis attend with much charity to the treatment of the sick, Spaniards as well as natives. It is very poor, and on the verge of ruin. May your Majesty be pleased to extend to it some alms, to erect another building for it, and provide it with some income, that it may aid in the maintenance of the sick who are being treated in it, particularly the natives, who suffer great want on account of having no income. The city furnishes very little to the aid of the said hospital, because the citizens are few and poor. Accordingly, I know of no other remedy but to have recourse to your Majesty, that, as you are so Catholic a king and a patron of all the churches and hospitals of these islands, you may supply this need, and give them the aid which may appear most fitting to your Majesty, particularly in the case of this hospital, which suffers such dire need. Although I am desirous of alleviating this, I cannot, as I also am poor. Accordingly I beg and beseech your Majesty to have pity upon it and aid it, and give it what your Majesty may judge sufficient. It seems to me that your Majesty might order the governor of these islands to assign some of the Indians from vacant encomiendas, to apply to this purpose, and give to this hospital to aid it. In this your Majesty will do a great service to our Lord, and a very gracious favor and good to the said hospital, and to me who am seeking this in its name. As it is a work of such piety and service for our Lord, I have dared to make this request. May He protect your Majesty many happy years, for the good of His church. Manila, the twentieth of July, of the year one thousand six hundred and eleven.

Fray Pedro Arce, bishop-elect of Nueva Cáceres.