Petition. A petition was read from Don Fray Pedro de Arce, bishop of the city of Zibu, and governor of this archbishopric, which was of the following tenor. “Most potent Sire: I, Don Fray Pedro de Arce, bishop of the city of Sanctisimo Nombre de Jesus, and governor of this archbishopric by virtue of a brief of our very holy Father Paul Fifth, and a decree of the royal person of your Highness, declare that, in order to obey the said orders and fulfil my obligations in the common welfare of this archbishopric, I have come to this capital, and have left the comfort of a house that I had built, in the said city of Zebu, and have established myself with greater obligations for expenses in house and servants, in order to sustain some little of the greatness due the honor of the archiepiscopal dignity. I represent, as is well known to your Highness, that the expenses of this capital are excessive, for the rent of a moderate-sized house costs more than three hundred pesos and the ordinary food is very dear. For these reasons and others, well known to your Highness, and because the duties of the ministry are not lessened by the said government, it is in accord with justice that, since I bear the weight and obligations of archbishop, I be granted the salary assigned to his person. Therefore, I beg and petition your Highness to have the said grace conceded to me, in fulfilment of the said will of his Holiness and the royal person of your Highness. I ask for justice.
Fray Pedro, bishop of Sanctisimo Nombre de Jesus.”
Resolution. Having heard and examined the said proposition, and discussed and conferred as to what should be done, all unanimously and in accord, with one determination and sentiment, resolved, in respect to what the said bishop Don Fray Pedro de Arce petitions, that, inasmuch as he must reside in this city and archbishopric, if he fulfil his obligations to govern it, and must have a house and servants, and the other things required by his dignity; and inasmuch as he cannot do this with the salary of five hundred thousand maravedis that he receives in his bishopric: therefore the third part of the salary received and enjoyed by the archbishop Don Diego Vazquez de Mercado shall be assigned to him. He shall enjoy it from the day when he shall show by authentic testimony that he took possession in this city of the government of the said archbishopric. The official judges of the royal treasury shall grant warrants for, and pay to him, the third of the said salary, according to and as it was paid to the said archbishop, during the full time of his governorship of this archbishopric. That shall be received from them and placed on the accounts of the said royal official judges. Licentiate Andres de Alcazar, Licentiate Manuel de Madrid y Luna, Licentiate Don Juan de Alvarado Bracamonte, Pedro de Caldiernos de Mariaca, Juan Saez de Hegoen, and Alonso de Espinosa Saravia affixed their signatures. Before me:
Gaspar Alvares
According as is manifest by the abovesaid and as appears by the said original meeting, which is in the book of minutes and meetings of the treasury, which is in my office, and on leaves one hundred and eighteen and one hundred and nineteen of it, to which I refer, and by petition of his Lordship, the said bishop, I gave the present in Manila, August eleven, one thousand six hundred and sixteen. As witness at its drawing and revision were Christoval Martin Franco and Joan Vazquez de Mercado, citizens of this said city.
Gaspar Alvares
As is manifest and appears from the original testimony, that remained in the possession of the reverend Don Fray Pedro de Arce, with which it was corrected and collated, and is issued actually and really corrected and collated, and on petition of the said reverend person, I gave the present in the city of Manila, on the twenty-fifth day of the month of August, one thousand six hundred and sixteen, witnesses being Christoval de Saavedra, Blas de Rrosales, and Andres Estevan, citizens and residents of Manila.
Therefore I affixed my seal in testimony of right. Gratis.
Pedro de Valdes, notary-public.
We, the undersigned notaries, testify that Pedro de Valdes, by whom this testimony seems to be sealed and signed, is a notary-public of the number[2] of this city of Manila, and that entire credence has been, and is, given, in and out of court, to the writs and acts that have passed, and pass, before him. Given in Manila, August twenty-five, one thousand six hundred and sixteen.