part of the archbishop, they
accused the master Don Andres Xiron of an act of simony; but he gave
the lie to that, as salt dissolves in water, by means of authentic
documents and reports. They opposed him with other things of less
account, but these were not proved, nor was there any witness of them,
nor were the accusations completed; they could, therefore, prove of
no harm to him, and he did not have to clear himself. Consequently,
the royal Audiencia declared that the archbishop had not proved his
exceptions to the master Don Andres Xiron, who must be admitted into
the archdeaconate, according to the royal patronage. But the archbishop
refused to admit him. Hence the royal Audiencia despatched a royal
decree, issued by Don Phelipe, ordering that Don Andres be admitted,
under penalty of [losing] the temporalities and of banishment from the
kingdoms. The archbishop was tied to what the religious who sided with
him incited him to, as will be seen from the following letter which
he wrote to the master Don Joan de Toledo, his provisor, who counseled
him to obey the royal decree, as that was advisable in order to avoid
trouble; and that, if he did not obey, without doubt his exile from
the kingdoms would be an assured fact. The letter is as follows:

"All that those gentlemen have enacted is in violation of the royal
patronage, and contrary to [the precepts of] God and justice; and,
although it comes in the name of the king, I am not under obligations
to obey it, since men so governed by passion have made it. It is less
harmful that I go into exile, and that I suffer, than that so evil a
priest enter the cathedral contrary to the will of his Majesty--who,
even for but one of the exceptions that I have made, is unwilling that
the canonical institution be given to him. It is a piece of nonsense
to assert that the cabildo must take charge of the government, for I
am not excommunicated or suspended. Already I have appointed governors
for the archbishop, and I pray your Grace not to give me any counsel
in such things, for I do not wish it. It will seem an admirable thing,
in Roma and in Madrid, that an archbishop should be exiled in behalf
of Don Andres Arias Xiron, who is a person of great importance in this
community. If I shall go, I shall leave the city, so that they shall
come to seek me; and they must not think that I shall do through fear
what is wrong. Rather will I die twenty deaths. Such is my resolve,
and I shall not