Note 7 — Chapter XXXIV

In July of that same year a patache came to these islands, quite beyond the scanty hope that we had. But the providence of God—which, as we have said so many times, measures the stability and preservation of this field of Christendom with a distinct rule, and not with ordinary ones—placed in the heart of the viceroy of Nueva España (since it had been two years since any ship had gone hence) to make the said patache go down to Acapulco from Realejo.7 There he put aboard of it the situado and necessary supplies, and entrusted the vessel to General Christoval Romero, a perfectly satisfactory person, who had had experience in these lands, who was then detained at Mexico. It was our Lord’s pleasure to grant him good winds, so that he reached these islands, although with the anxiety that one can understand; for he feared that already the Spanish name had been blotted out of them. The reason why no ship had sailed was that which we have said regarding the Dutch enemy; and for two years we had done no little in defending ourselves from their stubborn hostility. The said commander made port at the harbor of Lampon, either because it was suitable, as he feared the enemy, or because he could do no more. He learned there that the Dutch were still committing piracies along those coasts and endeavoring to recoup themselves for some of their past losses. Everything was a miracle, and no less than had happened many days in those ports; and the day when the said patache entered, God covered it with the shade of a cloud so dense that it was sufficient to hide it from the enemy. As soon as they anchored, they put ashore the money and supplies, and sent it all as quickly as possible to Manila. They had need of all their diligence, for, the cloud having been taken away, the Dutch hastened to search the anchoring-places. Finding that the said patache had escaped them, and that it had already cast anchor in a safe port, they launched their small boats well manned with crews and arms and some versos. Our commander having seen that as he had no men to receive them, and his ship was of poor sailing qualities—as it was the only means left to him in his necessity, after seeing by the mercy of God his men and the money safe, set the patache afire at its very moorings, and then with the few sailors who had remained with him retired to the mountains whence he made his way to Manila. The enemy, who saw the ship converted into ashes, seized, as a small revenge, only some small pieces [of ordnance] that the fire left, for nothing else remained. It was the last admonition that God’s powerful hand was immediately defending these islands. With that the Dutch left the islands, and have not had the slightest inclination to return to them. The reception given in Manila to the said commander (and truly, on account of the circumstances of that time, this had been the most welcome succor which these islands had received since their discovery) was to incarcerate him in the fort of Santiago. Keeping him in very close imprisonment, a suit was commenced against him for lack of courage, because he had burned the patache before it was necessary. The trial proceeded in such fashion that the judge-commissary, who was a lawyer of the royal Audiencia, sentenced him to decapitation (although in the universal belief he deserved a monument), without his allegations that he had burned the patache because he had no men with whom at least to show front, and that those whom he had were worn-out and undisciplined, not being of any avail; nor did they heed his statement that the king lost but little in an old boat without arms or equipment, and that he considered that it would be rash to have shown any opposition to the enemy. The sentence appeared too severe to the royal Audiencia, but not ill-founded, as reputation had been lost, and that is the most delicate gift and the most priceless. Thus can one see in these matters the fear in which we live here. The matter was taken by the advocate to the Audiencia in degree of appeal. The common opinion was that the people were grieved that so great a service should be paid with such harshness, and that, to attend to reasons of state, one should break with the holy laws of gratitude. The whole matter was examined in that most just assembly, and it was decided to moderate the above sentence and measures so that justice might not complain. In that way did God favor the said commander, and he obtained his liberty, and has since held honorable charges in the service of his Majesty. Today when this is written (the year 676), he is castellan of the presidio and forts of Cavente [sc., Cavite], which is one of the best ports in these islands. We all had part in the consolations and advantages of that fortunate patache; but this holy province had more than all, for a large mission came for it. That vessel brought thirty religious,8 who were in charge of father Fray Juan Bautista de Morales, who, as we have said, and as we shall tell more at length when we write his life, went to Europa by way of East India in 1640. Now he returned with this fine company of soldiers, selected by the hand of God for these missions of His. He came also with many benedictions and favorable despatches from Roma and España. He brought to the convent of Manila the jubilee9 of the forty hours for fifteen years; it was assigned from the fifteenth of September, and care is taken to ask in time for its continuation by the apostolic see. He brought one also for San Juan de Letran and another for San Juan del Monte. He also brought an apostolic bull, from his Holiness Innocent Tenth of blessed memory, for the erection of a university in the college of Santo Tomas of Manila, and letters from the king our sovereign (of which we shall treat later); and the resolutions which were taken in the holy city of Roma in regard to the administration of the fields of Christendom in China (which we shall also tell). He also brought many other despatches and rules which concern the order, which will be mentioned when this history demands them. The religious who came in that mission are as follows:10 The vicar-general, Fray Bautista de Morales; father Fray Felipe Pardo, son of [the convent of] San Pablo in Valladolid, and master of the students in the same house; father Fray Pedro Benitez, son of the [convent of] Santo Domingo in Xerez, fellow of Santo Thomas in Sevilla, and teacher of writing there; father Fray Salvador Mexia, son of [the convent of] San Pablo in Sevilla, and fellow of Santo Thomas in the same city; father Fray Benito Perez, son of [the convent of] San Pablo in Sevilla,and formerly lecturer in the humanities at Santo Thomas; father Fray Juan Camacho, son of the convent and college of Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Almagro; father Fray Juan de Paz, son of [the convent of] San Pablo in Cordova, deacon, fellow of Santo Thomas in Sevilla, and teacher of arts in the same college; father Fray Domingo de Navarrete, son of the convent in Peñafiel, fellow of San Gregorio in Valladolid, where he lectured on arts; father Fray Pedro Camacho, son of [the convent of] San Pablo in Sevilla; father Fray Victorio Riccio, son of [the convent of] Santo Domingo in Fiesculi [sc., Fiesole] and lecturer; father Fray Timotheo de San Antonio, son of [the convent of] San Marcos in Florencia; father Fray Justiniano de San Jacinto, a Pole, who went from the province of España; father Fray Bernardo Cejudo, assistant lecturer, son of the convent and college of Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Almagro; father Fray Domingo Coronado, son of [the convent of] San Estevan in Salamanca; father Fray Luis Gutierrez, son of [the convent in] Almagro; father Fray Manuel Rodriguez, son of [the convent of] San Estevan in Salamanca; father Fray Thomas de Santa Ana, of Andalucia; father Fray Thomas de Castroverde, son of [the convent in] Almagro; father Fray Christoval Poblete, son of [the convent in] Almagro; father Fray Diego de Quintana, son of [the convent of] Portaceli in Sevilla; father Fray Francisco Varo, son of [the convent of] San Pablo in Sevilla; father Fray Juan Zambrano, son of [the convent of] San Pablo in Sevilla; father Fray Francisco Castellanos, son of [the convent in] Almagro; father Fray Christoval Tamayo, son of [the convent in] Ossuna; father Fray Diego de Ordaz, son of the convent in Oaxaca; father Fray Juan de Fontidueña, son of the convent of San Jacinto in Mexico, a house belonging to this province; father Fray Diego Sanchez, son of the same house as the last; Fray Antonio de la Cruz, of Andalucia, a lay-brother; Fray Alonso Benitez, a lay-brother, son of [the convent of] San Jacinto in Mexico; Fray Luis de Estrada, a lay-brother, son of the same convent.