CHAPTER VIII
In which are shown the alms that were distributed for masses among the sacred religious orders, to the poor of the prisons, the widows, and orphans, in dowries, food, and clothing of the daughters of the brotherhood, etc., from the first years of its foundation until the years of the great earthquakes of 645 and later until that of 60; in which are included other sums which had been paid from the treasury for the expenses of the building of the church and college of Santa Isabel and other pious purposes.
At the time when this venerable brotherhood was founded with the solemnity and attending circumstances that are mentioned in chapter ii, for its better management and government, various chapters of rules were formed. One of them was that all the brothers in the wills that they signed were obliged to leave some alms to the brotherhood. With such a beginning which gave prestige to the works of this house, the brothers tried to have their wills ready before they started for the undertakings or conquests that were undertaken during that period. Hence resulted the foundations of various works, whose capitals were invested in annuities with most secure bonds and from their rent a great part of the alms which this house distributes, thus giving fulfilment to their pious purposes. Besides this, they also ordered in their wills other sums to be distributed at the discretion of the board, and they were applied as a relief for the necessities of the poor, for this brotherhood in the administration of the many works under its charge has not pretended to extract other fruit than that of serving God by relieving and succoring the miseries and hardships of its neighbor, exercising itself continually in the fulfilment of works of charity.
From the first years of foundation until that of 1650, it appears that in the pious assignment of alms for the missions of Japon, in masses which have been said by the sacred orders, in the church of the Santa Misericordia, in alms for the religious communities, in repairs of their convents, in relief for poor widows, in dowries for the girls of the schools and other poor girls of the community, in their food and clothing, and in other things, this venerable brotherhood has distributed and spent 107,125 pesos, 4 tomins, 3 granos, which have been earned and produced by the capitals of the funds invested at interest. I surely believe that this house is one of the precious stones which most beautify the crown of the king, our sovereign. But, in every way, the paragraph which follows is of more value.
In these times and, those extending to the year 660, in which the sums of pesos which entered into this house were very great, due to the liberality of illustrious benefactors (among the least not being those assigned by the governors of these islands, Don Luis Perez das Mariñas, Don Francisco Tello, Don Juan de Silva, Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, and Don Sabiniano Manrrique de Lara), the sum of 356,363 pesos, 3 tomins, which the book of the treasurer for those years gives as data, was reached. In that time there were many wills which were fulfilled by this venerable brotherhood; and there were not few bequests and alms which were given to it, especially by the will of the alguacil-mayor, Don Bartholome Thenorio, who left special memories in this house, the last being a principal of twenty thousand pesos which still remain while the interest therefrom from the year 702 until the present time is more than twenty-five thousand.
CHAPTER IX
In which are shown in separate items the supplements of reals which the house of Santa Misericordia has given to the royal treasury of this city, during the periods of its greatest poverty and necessity, occasioned both by the raids which have been made in these islands by the Dutch enemy and for reënforcements and fortifications of this royal camp and of other presidios of the royal crown from the year 619 until that of 726 for the service of his Majesty (whom may God preserve for many years).
[The royal treasury reaches a state of exhaustion in 1619 because of the inroads of the Dutch, who harry the Spanish presidios and forts. In this year Governor Alonso Faxardo is compelled to ask a loan of the brotherhood, for which he offers good security. That loan is unanimously voted by the purveyor and deputies, on April 4, 1619, and amounts to 39,599 pesos, 5 tomins.]
October 6, 638, it also appears from a certification of the royal officials that they gave to the royal treasury by way of loan 104,609 pesos, 2 tomins, 1 grano, while Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera was governor and captain-general of these islands, as a relief for the necessity therein, and the prosecution of the conquest of Jolo and the supplies of war which would be required for its total conclusion.