38th. On finishing the present despatch, I shall do what your Majesty orders me to do, together with the archbishop, both of us summoning the provincials of the orders who reside here, and charging them with the reformation of the matters contained in the section that treats of this.
He who made such a relation to your Majesty might have made it more complete by saying what is so true, that there are in these orders (in which also there are those of every sort, as in all countries), religious so virtuous and exemplary that if laymen did not divert and engage them in their affairs, they would, I believe, work miracles. But they are so importuned that many cannot stay in their cells; nor do those who go to their cells to disturb them leave them until they negotiate with them what they desire. It might easily happen that any one who had received an unmerited favor from their hand, gave pay for it by such a relation, which is the one practiced here. The relation that I can make for your Majesty is, that there are among them men very pentitent and of most exemplary life, and of great utility for souls; and also others who render vain any merits in one who does not fulfil their command and will. If it has been said that they distress the Indians, this is not to be believed of all of them, for most of them at most times respond with great charity and love to the defense of the natives of their districts, even when the latter are of such a nature that almost all do not care to have this protection.
In what pertains to your Majesty’s service, according to what I have experienced, I can say that thus far all the orders—each one in what concerns it generally—have often responded well, for which I render them many thanks. The fact is, that since that does not keep them satisfied in all matters (for that is impossible), I have found the secret for this particular, namely, to refer everything to the religious of the district where such [i.e., personal, by the Indians] service is rendered to your Majesty, making them masters and intermediaries in the pay, which takes precedence of all else, as I have done. Everything is executed in a wonderful and perfect manner; but without this expedient, there is nothing to hope, but rather the reverse. For anything that the religious do not wish cannot be done, by any means or method; for no one has any influence without them, except themselves. In my opinion, and that of many, they are lords in the temporal and spiritual affairs of the Indians, both men and women, and even of the Spaniards. There is no one who can oppose or who does oppose them, for there is no one from whom to obtain redress, not only in such things, but in regard to the complaints of Indians. For the provincials and superiors have before their eyes the end of their offices, and the necessity of their returning to be inferiors. Consequently, so long as your Majesty furnishes no remedy—either by your order that some superior should be sent who would not have to remain here afterward without acting as superior; or by giving authority to the bishops of those districts over the ministers of the missions—it must continue forever as hitherto. Well might Maestro Don Fray Diego de Guevara tell the little rigor that the provincial of St. Francis displayed toward certain friars who lost respect for him—among whom was one who went for the bishop with a sword and dagger, as if the right of each one was to lie in such armor. I have heard that he drew up a testimony in order to give your Majesty an account of it, and also of what little need there is for a bishop in his bishopric.
I can also tell what happened to me with this same provincial, when, on the arrival of the morning of holy Thursday, I freed Pedro Alvarez, government notary—who is said to be some relative of his, and who was arrested on the charge of that desertion of which I have already written your Majesty in the present letters, telling you that I would have recourse to the judge who tried his cause. He succeeded in making the provincial resolve, and decide obstinately as to what he had to do for him, or had to preach of me, just as he pleased. He fulfilled it, as a man of his word. Although it was not much, it was so uncertain, that his conscience obliged him, according to what the other religious say, to retract it publicly in another sermon. This is Fray Pedro de Sant Pablo, one of those considered here as a most holy man. I think that he must be one.
As appears, by his protection and by that of Fray Joan Baptista of the same Order of St. Francis, Pedro Alvarez resolved to have me told that, unless I determined to give to his office the distribution of the Sangley licenses, he would write [information] against me. That threat did not give me any anxiety, but such audacity made me angry, as did the fact that those fathers had given hospitality in their house for it, if not for my being a magistrate, at least for what I represent, and since this is the royal patronage. But the latter is here regarded by them as nothing. Then they draw copies of what my predecessors in this government thought.
[Marginal note: “Ecclesiastical council. In regard to this matter of the religious, in another section what has been written you is the order that you must observe; and to the Audiencia, so that they may order that in no case shall religious be admitted as witnesses, except in the manner ordered. The same has been said in regard to the insertions, so that like things or matters may be embarrassed in no manner. Thus shall you fulfil the order. In accordance with this, general letters are being written to the provincials of the orders, which will be given them by your hand. In regard to what you say here of the sermons, and that the religious reserve approbation or reproof, with censure or gratefulness, for the persons whom they wish, this is prohibited by different general laws, councils, orders, etc. In some of their own special rules, a penalty is assigned them, among others, of reserved excommunication[9] to the [MS. holed]lation. Thus shall you be advised of this, so that you may govern yourself according to the matters that arise; and you shall inform those fathers. You shall endeavor to avoid the trouble caused you by what you say in this section, and shall reduce matters to plain and open terms, so that what you say at the last shall not contradict what you say in the beginning. Have general letters written to all the provincials of the orders, who already know that it is forbidden under the most severe penalties by divers councils, canonical rules, orders, laws, etc., and by our decrees, for preachers to censure the government in the sermons that they give to the people or in conversation with private persons, or to speak evil of their ecclesiastical or secular superiors, by censuring their management or action, in order that the people or private persons may not cast discredit on their superiors and be scandalized. Neither shall they meddle or interfere in secular affairs; but shall continue in their seclusion, and in the observance of their vows, as they are obliged. Inasmuch as it has been learned that, contrary to the tenor of all this, and to the serious harm of the administration of justice, many religious and preachers, and others who hold special offices transgress against the above rules, from which results odium cast on the religious, factions, the intimidation of justice, the reduction of affairs to their way of thinking and to their will, and other great annoyances, which they cause continually under pretext of insertions, importunities, and impositions hidden under the name of charity: I charge and warn you to take particular care that the religious of your order and you, in what concerns you, observe the aforesaid, and they likewise. They shall not transgress in proceedings of that sort, for such things being so, it will be necessary to use other and more special remedies, as has already been called to your attention by the said decrees despatched to the viceroys, audiencias, and governors of their districts. I expect from your devotion, and from your obligation for the continued kindness that is shown you, that you will endeavor to inculcate the reform and proper method of procedure in this that is required for the good government of those islands, and the preservation of the public peace.”]
39th. In order that your Majesty may know what this Pedro Alvarez demands, I shall relate it here as briefly as possible, referring you to the report made concerning it (which is enclosed with the licenses of the Sangleys), since these licenses have been given in writing here, many years since[10] the imposition or tax of the eight pesos, for distribution by different persons to whom the governor committed it, or whom he appointed. Of these the Sangleys paid two reals for the cost of the document, whether printed or written. The notary, judge, interpreter, and other agents who made this distribution, according to the order of the judge himself or of the governor, were ordered to distribute them. In this the government notary never had any hand, share, or participation. Many years after the payment of the eight pesos which were collected for it, and slightly before the death of Don Juan de Silva, Gaspar Alvarez, then government notary, petitioned the governor to allow him to countersign them after the former had signed them, in order to get hold of it. This is the same thing that his nephew demands now. Don Juan, who was under many obligations to him, and was by nature very liberal, did not hesitate to concede it to him. Consequently, Gaspar Alvarez countersigned the licenses by declaring that he did so. I do not know why so special a commission as this should belong to the government notary—especially when, because he may be busy or for just reasons, the governor does not sign them, and entrusts them to a trustworthy and qualified person who signs them. For if this had to be given to the charge of the government notary, although from the division of the two reals he would get only the third, which would amount to five hundred pesos, besides another four hundred that he demands annually from the royal treasury, by arguments that moved them at a meeting of the treasury to concede them to him—but which I abrogated because it did not seem proper, as I have advised your Majesty before now, from which has resulted that anger of his—the whole would amount to nine hundred pesos of sure income, which means a principal of eighteen thousand pesos, although it only cost seventeen thousand, for which your Majesty sold the office to him. The office yielded [MS. holed: last?] year, without counting these nine hundred pesos, more than two thousand five hundred. In other matters pertaining to this, I refer to the report that, as above stated, in enclosed herewith.
[Marginal note: “It is well. Have the fiscal examine this section.” In another hand: “It was taken to the fiscal.”]
40th. I had already made a beginning in what your Majesty orders to be done in the opening and working of gold mines, as I was desirous of obtaining such an order by authority, with excellent news. What I can impart of it is the news written me by Captain Garcia de Aldana, to whom I entrusted it.[11] Consequently, I am sending his letter and a copy with this, and his duplicate, in which he adds that they have greater hopes than those that we promised ourselves from the mines, since we had to continue the entrance into those provinces, and endeavor to enjoy the fruits of our labor, with the pacification and reduction of so many people to the service of your Majesty, and their souls to the service of God (which is the thing of chief importance). If all cannot be obtained at once, it is well to have already made a beginning, and that it shall continue to advance. Touching the gold, it cannot be little, since those Indians who are called Ygolotes do not extract more than what they need for trade and barter—for cattle, salt, and iron—with our peaceful Indians with whom they trade. One year ago, from that province alone, according to the report here, the latter brought for sale to this city about twenty thousand taes, each of which is equivalent to a peso of ten reals. When we secure efficient management of these mines and the duties from them, it may be that they will help in many expenses. That I shall do this with as great energy and force as possible, there is no doubt. The fathers of the Order of St. Dominic have assisted me greatly in this; and those of St. Augustine, in this and in whatever has offered in the service of your Majesty. For what I owe in all this, and in order to declare the truth in all things, I certify this to your Majesty.
Although the fathers of the Society have no missions in those provinces near there, they supported very well by writing and speech the reasons and just rights that we had for making this entrance, so that no one doubted them—not even the members of the Audiencia, as I have written to your Majesty in this letter. What I can say of the Jesuits and their devotion, system, procedure, and prudence, and their gain of souls, is that they differ in no wise from what they are and do in those kingdoms [i.e., España and Portugal], and in those where they exert themselves in the conversion of new Christianities. For that reason, and because they do not return [to Europe] daily, as do others, it will be a good thing for your Majesty to grant them the religious that they request.