he Indians and
restraining them if they believed that they were attempting to make
any movement; since the care and watchfulness of the officials cannot
suffice if the religious of the missions fail to aid them with the
natives. I trust that you will be attentive to correct this matter
from now on; for besides the fact that it is so in harmony with your
obligation and with the example that the religious ought to give to
others in respect to their rules, I shall consider myself as well
served by you. Madrid, May 27, 1651.

I THE KING"

238. It cannot be denied that the terms of that royal letter could
serve the most austere man for no small exercise [in mortification];
and more on that occasion when that holy province was laboring in
the service of his Catholic Majesty, so much to the satisfaction
of his ministers that many praises of our discalced religious were
published.... We confess that the king alleges that he received
that notice through letters from the royal Audiencia, a tribunal of
so great circumspection that it would not undertake to inform its
monarch without sure knowledge. But we declare that the secretary of
the king our sovereign might have been mistaken in the midst of so
great a rush of business, in representing as a report of that most
upright assembly that which proceeds from private subjects only. In
order that the good opinion in which our Augustinian Recollects were
held by the cabildo, city, and royal Audiencia may be thoroughly
evident, I shall insert here their letters of April 29 and 30, 1648,
those dates being somewhat later than the notice which was received
in Manila of this entire affair.

239. The letter of the royal Audiencia runs as follows--"Sire: Your
Majesty was pleased, at the instance of the discalced religious
of St. Augustine, to order this royal Audiencia to report on the
justification for the continuation which they ask of the alms of
250 pesos and 250 fanegas of rice for the support of four religious
who administer to the Indians in this convent of Manila. We know the
excellent manner in which they attend to their ministry, and their
poverty--which obliges them to beg weekly alms, for the incomes of
some of the chaplaincies were lost in the earthquake. They are very
strictly observed in their ministries and hasten to serve his Majesty
on occasions when we encounter enemies, by sea and land, where some
have been killed or captured. Consequently they are today very