The decree in which your Majesty lays down the order that must be observed in the changing of missions and in the appointment of the ministers thereof on account of the death of their predecessors, was obeyed, and notice of it given to the bishops and to the superiors of the orders. The latter oppose it stoutly, and say that in no event can they be ruled by it without the order of their generals, and that they will abandon their missions first. In the year of 29 I wrote to your Majesty at length upon this matter, in regard to which no particular answer was given to me besides the sending of this decree—which, as I judge, is general for all the Yndias. The point is very serious, and is one of peculiar difficulty in these islands. Although we here are sufficiently ministers of your Majesty to be able to decide it in case that the religious leave their missions, yet we desire to have some clearer light on the matter from there, in order that we may better succeed in your Majesty’s service. [In the margin: “File it with, the letter of the bishop of Zibu, who writes concerning this matter, which is submitted to the fiscal.”]
For many years the bishopric of Camarines has had no prelate; for, although your Majesty has appointed many, no one comes here. That must be because they hear how wretched a post it is. Your Majesty could abolish that bishopric by adding the half of it to that of Cebu, which is very conveniently located for this purpose, and the other half to this archbishopric of Manila, which does not have too great a district; and by that means would save that salary, and avoid many animosities that he who shall arrive from España to occupy that bishopric must surely encounter. [In the margin: “To be considered by all the Council, together with what the viceroy wrote.” “A bishop has already gone to Camarines.”]
The religious orders are at peace, and are attending to the welfare of the natives and your Majesty’s service. Three of them held chapter-meetings this year, and all quietly. That of St. Francis, and that of the Augustinian Recollects were exemplary, and they made their elections immediately. The calced Augustinians also made their elections—but not so quickly that we could avoid sending to them to remind them not to allow the disturbances of other times to occur in their chapter—by having made them beforehand through their devotion to the outgoing provincial, who managed the succession for another as worthy as he.[3] May God grant that the elections be canonical.
A procurator is sent to ask your Majesty for more religious. On other occasions, your Majesty has been informed of the existing need for exemplary religious who may assist in the reformation of the province. As for him who is not so, it were better that he do not come. I cannot hide these things, nor hesitate to tell the truth about them when opportunity offers. For that reason I am not liked; and I have heard that reports against me have gone to that court from several of the orders. I am very sure that your Majesty will not give them ear without reserving another ear for me. The religious in this country wish to govern; and, if the governor does not allow them to do so, they regard him as an evil-conditioned man, and easily lend ear to the malcontents. May God preserve the Catholic and royal person of your Majesty, as is necessary to Christendom. Manila, July 8, 1632. Sire, your Majesty’s humble vassal,
[1] Apparently a reference to the capture of the Japanese junk by Spaniards, frequently referred to in previous documents.
[2] The Oriental commerce of Denmark began with the despatch of an expedition in 1618 to open trade with Ceylon. Being unfavorably received there, the Danes went to the Coromandel coast of India, and founded a trading-post at Tranquebar, one hundred and forty miles southwest of Madras, defended by the fortress of Dansbourg. For some time this post and its trade had considerable prosperity, but European wars prevented its fitting support and the commercial company was unable to maintain it. In 1670 a new company resumed this enterprise, but was even more unfortunate than the other, and finally expired in 1730. Two years later a third company was formed, which was liberally endowed with privileges and subsidies, and was highly successful. Tranquebar remained in possession of Denmark until 1846, when it was purchased by England.
See account of this colony and the Danish trade in the East, in Establecimientos ultramarinos de las naciones Europeas, by Malo de Luque (Madrid, 1784–90), iv, pp. 9–31. See map of “District of Tranquebar,” in Bellin’s Atlas maritime, iii, fol. 36.
[3] This was Father Jerónimo Medrano; he was again elected to the dignity of provincial in 1641 and in 1650.