The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 49 / Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century

by Unknown

21. Other operations during the time of the siege which looked to the care and watch of the city, the archbishop practiced vigilantly. For he visited the walls personally, even at night, and some of the bastions, namely that of the foundry and that of the fort. He went out daily on horseback. Accompanied by various persons he examined the gates and outside walls, the small fort, and the house of San Fernando, where, as well as through all Bancuray and Tondo, the natives who descended from the provinces lodged. Regulations were made there for them, and they were aided with provisions. The arms that it was possible to give were furnished them, and they were drilled in some manner. In short the archbishop omitted nothing in order that he might go to give the orders which appeared advisable, and personally, at the sites where his presence seemed necessary or advisable.

22. The archbishop having retired, then, as above-mentioned, into the royal fort of San Tiago, the articles of capitulation were begun to be drawn up there. They were concluded after great labor, and received the unanimous consent of the auditors and other military men and citizens who were present. The enemy already having taken possession of the city, extended their troops in two columns toward the said fort, along the walls, and other companies in front protected by the royal chapel. As a white flag was immediately flung in the fort, there was no hostility directed toward the small citadel. Two officers entered with a message from their general, demanding surrender. But within a short time the colonel of those troops appeared, and demanded an instant surrender, or one would be forced by arms. The archbishop gave him the articles of capitulation with a message to his general. He refused to receive them, and there were no means or manner to get him to receive them and take them to his general. Consequently, they had to abide by what the colonel tenaciously answered, namely, that the general’s order was the one which he had already expressed, and that it was now no time to tire themselves out in demands and replies concerning the surrender.

23. At this pass, and in view of what was already passing in the presence of the archbishop in said fort, as the soldiers were throwing themselves from its esplanade and from the walls, and casting themselves into the river, and as some officers and regular troops there, who never surpassed eighty in number were also in part doing the same as the other soldiers, with not a few of the citizens; and as the said fort was in itself indefensible, and the principal curtain which looked on the city, and in front of which was the enemy, was threatening to fall into ruins; the archbishop found no other expedient in this conflict than to offer the colonel to accompany him to treat with his general in regard to the fort and surrender under his word of honor of the exemption from harm and safety of his person. He condescended to that without any of the bystanders, or auditors who surrounded him offering to take that matter upon themselves, or even to accompany him, except the master-of-camp and another officer. With them and the said colonel, he went to the royal palace where the general had already taken up his quarters.

24. After the salutation and the respective courtesies, in which General Draper was profuse (and he showed special veneration to the archbishop), the latter handed him the articles of capitulation that had been drawn up, and which treated of the surrender of the fort. The general answered that Admiral Cornish, whom he was awaiting from his ship, must also be consulted. But after a long time with incessant interruptions because of the continual coming of the general’s officers to get his orders, and of many of ours who presented themselves to him, the general said that since Cornish was giving time, the archbishop should give the order for the surrender, and that that would be best, because he knew the harshness of the nature of said admiral. Answer was made that the order would be given under all the military honors which were fitting. All these conferences passed by means of two interpreters—one in the English language, and the other in the French with a mixture of Latin in which the archbishop talked and which the general understood, although they both pronounced it in accordance with their native languages. Consequently, it was difficult for them to understand one another. Nevertheless, the archbishop comprehended, and not confusedly, that the general agreed to the condition proposed, and the archbishop gave the order for the surrender of the fort. The latter did not properly merit this name because of its weakness, and the dislodging already mentioned, by which it could have no defense, but manifest danger of life to those who remained there, and even of those who remained in the city.

25. Great was the confusion of that day, and the grief of the fierce sack. After the sack had lasted six hours, the archbishop requested the general to forbid it, saying that neither church nor palace would be left. The general went in person to attend to this, and by the diligence of his men killed one, and maltreated another, who was wounded in an arm, and commanded three to be hanged among whom was an Indian of tender years, and it appears with small grounds as only a few balls were found on him. But as a matter of fact, the sack continued for more than thirty hours, as was asserted to the archbishop, on account of which the latter made frequent requests of the general. But in this madness of the sack, the very house servants had not a little part and guilt, taking advantage of this unfortunate occasion. And as regards the suburbs of the city, malicious persons and robbers by profession (who abound in these districts) as well as the very natives who had come from the provinces, and much more, the characteristic perversity of the Sangleys executed this destruction on the churches and many houses.[24]

26. The afternoon of the same day, both chiefs, Draper and Cornish, sent the archbishop the conditions under which the city would be free from the sack, the life of the citizens, and their possessions, commerce, and religion, saved, namely, by the surrender of Cavite, and the payment of four million pesos, two million to be paid at once. In this manner, they would consider the articles of the capitulation that had been signed by the archbishop, auditors, and city. Those articles were sent shortly after on the same day by the generals, approved with some restrictions as may be seen by all in their originals and in the testimonies placed in the collection of papers.

27. From that afternoon a general council was called of all estates, who met on the following morning to deliberate in regard to said conditions. The archbishop ordered all to discuss the matter of the said millions, while he was treating with the military men and auditor of war in regard to Cavite. The latter excused themselves from expressing an opinion under pretext of being prisoners of war, whereupon the archbishop wrote to the general, asking him to declare that those who were in the fort were not prisoners, and that meanwhile he could not answer regarding Cavite. But he had not despatched said letter, before he received a message from the generals in regard to the fulfilment of their conditions, with the instant and terrible threat, that if the contrary was done, they would put them all to the sword without excepting a single person. Within a few moments the same message was repeated by means of a Siquite [Sepoy?]. Both messages were heard by all the Spaniards of the council, and by many others who were in the palace; and it was learned for certain that the order was given to the colonel, who had drawn up his troops in front of the palace, and had taken the entrances of the streets. Answer was made that a reply would be given in a very short time. The archbishop, thereupon, turning to all the above-mentioned persons in the council, told them that they should determine without delay what was most advisable in regard to the millions, and that they should do it while he was deliberating with the military men regarding Cavite. The latter, with the auditor of war (forgetful of their opposition toward giving an opinion a short time before), not only gave one, by which Cavite was to be immediately surrendered, but even asked that with great insistence. Being reprimanded and asked why now they gave their opinion which they had refused so tenaciously a short time before, they answered that circumstances had changed in a few moments by the ruin that threatened all in a short time.[25] The council also resolved that the four millions should be given, the silver of the pious funds, chaplaincies etc., found existing being given immediately, while the rest demanded would be given from the wealth in the [“Philipino?” MS. worn]. What remained would be paid by his Majesty, since there was no other recourse except his royal clemency. The paper containing this proposition was signed by the archbishop, and by the auditors and chief citizens.

28. In such a predicament, in which the archbishop conceived all without any exception to be defendants and thrown into consternation, he found no other means than to agree to the above-mentioned proposition, which put in writing and signed by the chief persons, was taken by two commissaries to the generals, and also the order for the surrender of Cavite, stating that no move toward resistance would be made, and taking the precaution of sending a suitable officer for that purpose. The generals answered the commissaries that, if what they said was contained in the paper, they would allow them to ascertain that through their interpreter; and that since two of their ships had gone in search of the “Philipino,” if they had already captured it, they [i.e., the Spaniards] ought not to reckon on it in the payment, of which they could make use if it were not already captured. In accordance with this, a letter was to be written to the commander of the “Philipino;” and the abovesaid notice was to be executed ordering him to come from Palapa to this [city? MS. worn]. This letter agreed to by all the council and signed by the archbishop was shown to the generals and was despatched to [that commander?] by two of the chief inhabitants, who sent it safely; though as yet we are ignorant of its receipt, and it has been rumored that it has been intercepted on the way, and that even a contrary order has been given without us knowing by whom.

29. The sum found in the pious funds, chaplaincies, etc., was really ascertained and delivered. There was some difference in it because of the small coins which had been clipped, and which were received by weight. To this sum was added the amount of the wrought silver of the churches (in which it appears that in some churches some of the silver was reserved). There was a measure enacted by the archbishop, in virtue of what was discussed in the general council and of present circumstances. The superiors and the administrators of said church, who were notified thereof, agreed, and they made the delivery without any answer or protest; for they saw well that, although the secular estate contributed with ¡ts interests in the “Philipino,” it would be impossible to get during those days a suitable distribution among the citizens (and as it seemed), the destruction of the sack had left them without money or anything of value, as they declared. Besides all their powers could never make enough and be sufficient for the whole or half of the contribution demanded. And the silver of the churches being in sight, it was the best stimulus and incentive of greed, robbery, and of violence, and with profanation of the altars and of the sacristy, as had already been begun to be experienced, not only from the English troops, but also from the natives themselves and the domestics, and the especially covetous Sangleys. Not only did these misfortunes disturb the heart of the archbishop, but also the gloomy consideration of the Moros, those ancient enemies, who annually raided the provinces, and of whom it was conjectured that, hearing of our fatality, they would feed themselves with more audacity on their robberies, sacrileges, and piracies, as, in fact, has been experienced even in a village near the mouth of Marivelez which is the mouth of this bay. Thence, after their accustomed molestations, they have taken one hundred captives of both sexes, and, from the island of Marinduque, they have taken one hundred persons and the Jesuit missionary of that island.

30. It befell that in order to obviate so many inconveniences, they did not hesitate in taking from the altars the silver for the redemption and relief, which was the least danger to the faithful Catholics. By this arrangement, the payment of his Majesty was reduced, from whose royal magnificence has originated the rich adornment of the churches. But the sacred vases which belong immediately to divine worship were always reserved, as were also the chalices, cups, and monstrances. In these circumstances, the archbishop voluntarily delivered all his valuables and vases without reserving his pectoral or anything else, in order to aid so far as he was concerned in the ransom of the city, and in order that he might serve as an example, so that his [MS. worn] might not excuse himself from contributing voluntarily whatever was possible. And as it was not proper that, in these public calamities, and of the despoliation of his own spouse, the cathedral church, he should remain with adornment and should not be deprived of everything; and although his said possessions were not of any considerable importance, he had the consolation of not reserving anything and of giving them up with good will. Of money in cash he gave none, for he had none, nor, since he has been in these islands, has he had any left from his pay and stipends, for he has spent them all in the support of his household, on the poor, and for the relief of many necessities, always grieving at not helping them all, because excessive sums would have been required (as those necessities were many and grave). For this same reason, by order of the [English] commissary of artillery, the bells were taken down (as spoils that belonged to them) from the churches of the city and its environs. The archbishop, grieving over the loss of his charge, set his mind on ransoming the bells of the cathedral and royal chapel, but since he had not come to these islands with wealth to execute it, he gave an order against his agent in Cadiz, ordering him to pay the sum of five thousand pesos for which they were redeemed, notwithstanding that a very small sum remained in the possession of the said agent to comply with the order. But the great confidence which assists him in the above-mentioned animated the archbishop.