foolish people, the servant felled the entire
thicket to the earth, and then the barbarians were assured of their
error, and without delay they more joyfully accepted Christianity.

[Two sections follow, treating of the lives of Fathers Geronimo de
Christo and Diego de Jesus, the first of whom was a missionary in
the Philippines and the second in Mexico--who, being captured by the
English, passed through many stirring adventures.]

[Chapter x contains nothing touching the Philippines except a brief
survey of the life and death of the founder of the Philippine missions,
Father Joan de San Geronimo. He died near Ormuz, while returning to
Spain in order to secure more workers for his mission.]

Third Decade

[The first chapter recounts that papal permission was given to erect
four novitiates in the convents in the four Spanish cities of Madrid,
Valladolid, Zaragoza and Valencia.]

Chapter II

_Foundation of the convent of Cigayan_

_The year 1612_

The missionary fathers of the Philippinas Islands were free from
anxiety, and were far from suffering the strife and upheaval that the
Reform was enduring in Espana. However, in their great anxiety to guide
souls to heaven, they did not desist from their fruitful conversion
along the coasts of Zambales. They needed associates to help them
carry so heavy a burden; but notwithstanding that, in their sorrow for
the lamentable loss of those who did not yet know God because of the
lack of missionaries, after they had converted many infidels in the
village of Cigayan they set about founding a monastery there. They
carried it out that year, and lived therein with all security until
an Indian, instigated by the devil, laid violent hands on father Fray
Alonso de San Augustin, whom he wounded severely in the throat with
a very broad though short dagger, called _igua_ in that country,
which is made purposely for beheading a person at one blow--a vice
common to the Zambales, before they knew the sweet charity of the law
which we profess. But as the stroke was first caught by the hood [of
the father's habit], the barbarian did not succeed in his purpose,
which had been to behead him in a moment. But the wound did not
heal readily, and consequently he lived but a little while. It is
said that there was no further cause for the atrocious and profane
act of the wicked parricide than the desire to free himself from
the censures that that same father had administered to hi