father commissary arrived. Accordingly, the
latter wrote to him, petitioning him to advise the convents of his
coming so that the religious might in that way learn of the opportunity
presented to them to go to employ their talents in the new world. Our
father vicar-general attended to that with the so holy zeal that he
was known to possess. His pastoral letter was filled with the flames
of divine love; for he inspired the souls of the religious in such a
manner that, in a few days, he had the signatures of more than fifty of
them. At that same time his Reverence received a paper from the convent
of San Carlos de Turin (which belongs to our Recollect congregation
in Italia) in which father Fray Celestino de San Christoval, lecturer
in theology, father Fray Bruno de San Guillermo, and father Fray
Archangel de Santa Maria petitioned him very urgently to admit them
in that mission, binding themselves to get the permissions of their
prelates. But, praising their good intention, our father vicar-general
refused to admit them on the ground of the royal decree that forbids
the passing [to the Philippines] of foreigners.

331. While all the above was happening, the father-commissary, Fray
Jacinto de San Fulgencio, delivered to his Majesty the letters of
the royal Audiencia, the city, and the most illustrious cabildo of
Manila, which were given above for another purpose. He obtained a royal
decree to take back eighteen religious. The king our sovereign gave
him three hundred and sixty-two thousand three hundred and ninety-two
maravedis for the journey, beside what his Majesty had assigned for the
maintenance and transportation of the missionaries in Cadiz, Vera-Cruz,
Mexico, and Acapulco. His Majesty also continued the alms for the four
ministers of the convent of Manila, and the medicines; ordering also
that four thousand pesos be given them in Mexico for the repair of the
said convent, which had suffered almost total ruin in the earthquake
of the year 45. In addition to that, the father-commissary petitioned
that the father-procurator at Roma urgently request permission to
send evangelical ministers to Japon, China, Siam, and other near-by
kingdoms, showing in all his great zeal for the conversion of souls.

332. The eighteen missionaries whom the king hail conceded to the
father-commissary for that so distant harvest in the Philipinas
Islands gathered to him in a few days. He also took six more religious
at the cost of that