THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
I
ERECTION INTO A UNIVERSITY
[The first portion of this division of the appendix is a translation of chapter xxxvi, of book i of Santa Cruz’s Historia, where it occupies pp. 168–172.][1]
Of the honorable apostolic and royal erection of the University of Santo Tomás of Manila
Another and very serious matter was transacted by that religious father, namely, the erection into a university of the college of Santo Tomás of Manila. That event is as follows. While that venerable father, Fray Juan Bautista de Morales, was in Roma during the years 1643 and 1644, negotiating matters touching the province, as its procurator, and the matters of China, father Fray Mateo de la Villa, who was also procurator of the province in that capital, wrote him from Madrid asking him to petition from his Holiness, Urban Eighth, who was then head of the Church, for the erection and foundation as a university in said college of Santo Tomás of Manila. He had gained for that purpose a favorable letter from his Majesty, Filipo Fourth the Great, our king and sovereign, in which his Holiness was asked to deign to concede his apostolic bull for that purpose. Father Fray Juan made his efforts, but by reason of all the matters and accidents which happened at that time, it was not accomplished. Consequently, he went to España without negotiating it that said year of 44. In that year, on the last day of July, the pontiff Urban Eighth, passed to the better life. Innocent Tenth having been elected September 15 of the same year, another letter was obtained from the king, our sovereign Filipo Fourth, for his Holiness. Since father Fray Victorio Riccio, a Florentine who had come [to España] in order to go to this province, was in Madrid, and was a very suitable person since he was an Italian, to be entrusted with that and other matters which were left pending in Roma by father Fray Juan, it was thought best to send him thither. He accomplished that as well as the other things, which have been continued in the service of the order and of this province. He is a great missionary of China, of whom this history will tell at the proper time the many things that there are to tell, for at present he is prior of the convent of Santo Domingo in Manila. The letter of his Majesty to the supreme pontiff Innocent is as follows:
Chart of the stockfarm of Biñán, belonging to the College of Santo Tomás, of Manila, 1745; by the land-surveyor Francisco Alegre
[Photographic facsimile from original MS. in Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla]