Note 43 — Chapter XV

A site had been chosen for the convent, which is today the best in the city, and the largest and finest; for it comprises an entire square, equal on each side. It has a vaulted church with its transept. The body of the church is adorned on each side with chapels. Truly, if the chapels had been built higher, according to the plan, so that there might have been a series of windows above, where the light would enter, it would rank with the fine buildings of España. But the lack of light is unfortunate for it. It has a very fine stone cloister, accompanied by its cells. There is a vault underneath also. All of this work has proved excellent, for although it is in a place where frequent earthquakes occur, it has suffered no damage of consequence.43 Rather, I think that the fathers of the Society, upon seeing this, have planned to build their church with a vault, and are correcting in it the faults of ours. Thus it will result in a very fine building indeed, and just as the affairs of that so distinguished and holy order are wont to result. The rest is yet to be built, for now everything is very dear. Since the money is derived from outside sources, they [207] must be guided by the alms received; but the faithful assist according to their means—if they have little, with little; and, as [now] they have not anything, it is a matter of necessity that they cannot give us even that little. I can only acknowledge that as we were the first [to enter here], our houses ought to be, at the end of sixty-six years very strong in this regard. But the fact is that there is no community in Manila that does [not] excel us in this; and we remain only with the name [of being well-to-do], which does us no little harm. For, with the title of powerful ones, no one remembers us, except to beg from us and take away our lands; and, as they say in España: “What matters it to me if my father is called hogaza [i.e., “large loaf of bread”], if I die of hunger?” But, finally, the little that covetousness influences us will be evident to all, even if I am not pleased at the abandoning of what belongs to us lawfully; as says our great father: Et ideo quanta amplius rem communem, quam propriam curaveritis, tanto vos amplius proficere noveritis.44 Yet am I glad that in such manner are we so greedy of the rich patrimony of poverty, and such masters in it, that we cannot keep anything. For, after all, we are all sons of one father, of whom it is written that, although he was a bishop, he made no will at his death, for he had nothing. Testamentum nullum fecit; quia unde faceret pauper Christi non habuit.45 I made the above remarks, for later an occasion so apropos may not arise. [208]