In regard to the cattle-farm which has been bought for the hospital of Manila with the money from the gifts, see whether the royal officials or any other persons write of this; and, if they do not write, have him told that if it is money donated as a gift to his Majesty, that expenditure is not approved; for he was not authorized to make it, and has rather exceeded his authority, and it will be necessary to restore the money to his Majesty. But if it is a gift made as an alms by citizens, that will be well; and it is expected that he will have it administered as is advisable.
Let information be asked separately on all the points of this letter from the archbishop, Audiencia, royal officials, and the superior of the Order of St. Francis.
Write to the governor not to make any innovation.
Governor’s act regarding convalescent ward
Don Sebastian Urtado de Corcuera, knight of the Habit of Alcantara, governor and captain-general of these Philipinas Islands and president of the royal Audiencia herein, etc. Inasmuch as by a clause of a letter from his Majesty dated San Martin de la Vega, April twenty-nine, one thousand five hundred and seventy-seven, directed to the governor of these islands, it is ordered that, as it is so fitting and necessary, as he has been informed, a convalescent ward be established where the poor soldiers who served in these islands may be cared for and entertained when convalescing after having left their treatment in the hospital; and that he shall maintain and supply it by assigning one thousand Indians as an aid to the support of the hospital, or as shall seem best to him. That, as is well known, has not been done; and no effort has been made to fulfil the royal will in so many years, although this enterprise is so useful to the community. On the contrary, it has been the cause of many wrongs, as experience demonstrates; for, by not having had the said convalescent ward, so many soldiers, sailors, and other poor wretches have died by reason of lacking care and comfort when they recover from their illness. And great disorders have been and are caused with such sick when they leave the said hospital with little health and strength—some returning to their own houses, and some to those of others, where because of the little or no comfort, and the poor and injurious food, with wine, tobacco, buyo, and other similar things, and the continual temptations to associate with women of evil life, they relapse, so that their sickness has no cure. These having been examined by me and certified to me, in order to check these evils, and to comply with what his Majesty ordered so many years ago but which has not been done, and as it is so pious a work in itself, and for the service of our Lord and the good of the community: I have resolved to establish a convalescent ward near the royal hospital for the Spaniards of this city of Manila. And [it shall be] incorporated with the same [hospital] because there is no other place where it can be established—so that in it may be treated, entertained, and entirely cured, the sick of the hospital. These, without leaving the hospital, may pass from the sick wards to the convalescent ward, where they will be treated and entertained as well as possible from the proceeds of one thousand two hundred tributes of encomienda, which I have assigned and given to the said ward in his Majesty’s name in the province of Pampanga, in the encomienda of Macabebe, which became vacant because of the end and death of Don Nicolas de Rivera, who possessed it for the last generation. The building of the said room and ward has been begun for more than two months; and the foundations are laid in some parts by order of Captain Santiago de Gastelu, citizen and regidor of this city. I entrust its work to him, as he is a competent person. He has represented to me that, in order that he may continue the work to the completion that is required, and with the divisions and pantries that are necessary for its service, it is advisable that he tear down a small old house, with some cells, that are built close to the said work in the said hospital. There live the discalced fathers of St. Francis, who have attended and attend to the hospital. The men cannot continue further with the work because the said old work is in the way, and because it is necessary to make the foundations alike all over. As the said religious are there, he could not begin to tear it down; while there was no place where the said religious could be accommodated in the said hospital because of its small capacity; nor was there room for the physician, surgeon, barber, steward, and apothecary, who are the persons who must live within. And likewise the house where the apothecary-shop is located, and where the apothecary and steward live, he must tear down in order to proceed with the said work. Likewise he must do the same and tear down the church of the hospital in order to make there a low living-room and an infirmary, where the soldiers of the Pampanga nation who fall sick in this camp of Manila may be treated and cared for, as they have no other place for it. A church is not necessary in the said hospital, because another one for the infantry is being built, as quickly as possible, next to the royal palace in the Plaza de Armas, where all those who die in the said hospital will be carried for burial. To say mass, confess, and console the sick in the hospital, they will be attended by the regimental chaplain, to whom it properly belongs. His Majesty has assigned a special pay for that here. Consequently, the said religious can be dispensed with and are not necessary, since they neither confess those who go there, nor attend to anything else that is important. Therefore, the father-provincial of the Order of St. Francis shall withdraw the religious (both priests and lay-brothers) who are in the said hospital; and shall take them to his convent, since it is within the walls of the city, and is capacious enough for them and for many others. There they will live with all comfort, care, and shelter, as is fitting, as it is advisable for the service of God and the welfare of the community that the work and quarters be continued where the said convalescents and soldiers of the Pampanga nation may be treated. By this act he ordered the said Captain Santiago de Gastelu that the work be immediately proceeded with, tearing down the said room and church and all else that seemed necessary for the said purpose, as quickly as possible, since he has been given money for the said work and building. In order that the aforesaid might be done, the said captain Santiago de Gastelu shall be notified. By this act, accordingly, he issued this command, and signed it. The government secretary, or another public or royal notary, will notify the aforesaid, and the said father provincial, so that what is ordered by this act may be fulfilled. Manila, March five, one thousand six hundred and thirty-six.
Sevastian Hurtado de Corcuera
Francisco de Ortega
Notification. In the city of Manila, on the eighth day of the month of March, one thousand six hundred and thirty-six, I, the notary, read and notified the order and act of this paper, as is contained therein, to Captain Santiago de Gastelu, regidor of this city, in his own person. He said that he heard it; and I attest the same.
Alonso Mendez de Almada,
royal notary of mines and registers.
Notification. In the town of San Palo, on the tenth of March, one thousand six hundred and thirty-six, I, the notary, read and notified the said act and order of this paper, as is contained therein, to father Fray Jeronimo del Espiritu Santo, provincial of the order of the discalced religious of St. Francis of these islands. He said that he heard it, and that he would talk with the said governor concerning the matter. I attest the same, witnesses being Alférez Diego Salgado Colmenero and Matheo Mexia.
Alonso Men[d]ez de Almada,
royal notary of mines and registers.