Note 3 — Letter from Ledesma to Felipe III

Valerio de Ledesma was born at Alaejos. March 23, 1556, and became a novitiate in the Jesuit order in 1571–1572. He was sent to the Philippines, where he served as rector of Cebú, associate of the provincial, rector of Manila, provincial, rector and master of novitiates at San Pedro Macati, and again rector at Manila, where he died, May 15, 1639. See Sommervogel, Barrantes (Guerros piraticas), and Pardo de Tavera (Biblioteca Filipina, Washington, 1903) as to his authorship. See also Murillo Velarde’s Historia (Manila, 1749), book ii, ch. vii, pp. 260–266, for a notice regarding him. In the Ventura del Arco MSS., at the end of this summary of Ledesma’s letter appears a tracing of his autograph signature.