he sent many of them to heaven. From Florida he was sent
to Nueva Espana, and was the first of the Society to enter the City
of Mexico, where by his virtuous life and teachings, he inspired the
viceroy, the auditors of the Audiencia, and the citizens with such
affection that they sought to bring over from Espana members of the
Society, in order to found a college in Mexico. This was done and
Father Antonio Sedeno was made rector: he laid the foundations and
erected a building, which stands to this day. He went over to the
Filipinas, as we have said, where his occupations were such as we
have already related. While on the sea, he and his companions lived
in their cabin in such modest retirement, and were so dignified in
their bearing, that they spread tranquillity throughout the vessel,
and accordingly their teaching was highly valued. He lived forty years
in the Society, to its great edification, and preached for fifteen
years in the Filipinas with admirable results. He suffered greatly
from asthma, and consequently slept almost always in a chair. But he
did not, on this account, allow himself any recreation, or cease to
eat fish alone during Lent and fast days. It might be more accurately
said that he but seldom ate at all, so great was his abstinence--which
he, moreover, sought to conceal, feigning, with much dissimulation,
that he ate of everything, when in reality it was a mere pretense of
eating. He was very contrite; severe toward himself, but gentle to
others; most exact in obedience, but very reserved and cautious in
command; courteous and honorable in his dealings; liberal, generous,
and devout. He gave or obtained aid for many needy persons, and all
esteemed him for his labors. He was most zealous for the welfare
of souls, and for the prosperity and preservation of the Filipinas,
and for their settlement and aggrandizement. We have already related
what he accomplished in building. He was the first to discover lime
there, and made the first roof-tile, and erected the first building. He
sought out Chinese artists, whom he kept in his house to paint images,
not only for our churches but for others, both within and without
Manila. He encouraged the encomenderos and the parish priests to
provide their churches with these images, and made it most easy to
procure them. Thus almost all the churches in the islands were adorned
with images, nearly all of which were of the Mother of God. He took
great interest in plantin