aptista,
who is a most serious man, of much worth and character, with whom I
counsel and advise in the affairs most important to my king; in short,
he is my comfort and my consolation, as he is to all the people of this
state. He carries with him the letters which have passed between us,
and the copy of Faranda's memorial, and my answer thereto, so that he
may there consider the whole affair with your royal person and bring
back to me the explanation and certainty and decision which are to
be hoped from your royal heart. He has power from me to accept and
establish the peace and amity which are offered in your royal name and
requested from us by Faranda; and the treaty shall be held in force and
observed until such time as the king my lord, advised of the facts,
shall order me what to do. I trust that all will come out as you
desire. I, for my part, shall do all I can to further this. May God
keep your royal person and grant much prosperity to you. From Manila,
on the twentieth of May, in the year one thousand five hundred and
ninety-three since our Lord's birth.

I was particularly inclined to send this despatch by one who, besides
the high esteem in which he is held by me, is a member of the holy
order of St. Francis, as Faranda requested this in his memorial
addressed to me, wherein he said that it would greatly please you
to see there fathers of this blessed order. This man is one of most
strict and holy life, which alone would make him worthy of veneration.

Two Letters from Gomez Perez Dasmarinas to Felipe II

Sire:

Last year, 1592, I gave your Majesty an account, in various letters
(written in duplicate), of the condition of matters in this country,
and of everything that had occurred up to that time of which I should
advise you, and at greater length. Now I repeat that information
sending with the present letter a brief summary or memorandum of the
various points about which I wrote, so that, being thus reminded of
what required deliberation, your Majesty may be pleased to order that
all these matters be examined and suitable action taken. But lately
(April 27), on the arrival at this port of a vessel from Mexico,
I received no letter from your Majesty or your councils, because no
fleet went hence to Mexico this year. Consequently I shall note here
only what has happened since last year. Since I have had, this year,
no news of your Majesty's health, may it please His Divine Majesty,
that when this le