must not offend God by their evil example. It was thus that the good
ensign conducted himself on that occasion. There have been others,
who, recklessly following their own evil inclination, not only do not
resist such solicitations, but, to the great scandal of this nation,
seek and encourage sin. But God, who from evil produces good, has
brought some of those women to fear Him; and they, esteeming purity
as a heavenly thing and vice as a vile and repulsive abomination,
have conquered some most fiery temptations, as will be seen from two
or three incidents that occur to me. There was a Spaniard who held a
mother and daughter so under his control that he was on the way to
seducing the latter (who was a mere girl) by his blandishments and
supplications, combined with harshness and threats. The mother, who
was an infernal old hag, he gained by offerings and bribes. But the
good daughter after seven whole months of such infamous and continuous
attack, would not yield; and finally that wretch, wearied by so long
a siege and vanquished by the constancy of a weak girl, withdrew and
left her in peace. Which is indeed a good deal when we consider the
following: One woman for twelve long years resisted the tempter,
fortified by holy confession and communion. Another, although she
resisted for a shorter time, showed even greater constancy; for the
base and cruel seducer went so far as to aim a dagger against her
breast twice; the third time he went beyond threats, and fear did not
restrain him, but he actually stabbed her. The wounded girl, who had
first been stricken by the arrow of divine love, retained sufficient
strength to leap down out of the house (as I have already said the
dwelling is in the upper part), and thus her soul escaped injury.

For this very reason is the seminary for girls held in so high
esteem which was founded in the islands by Governor Gomez Perez de
las Marinas, at the order of the Catholic king, at the instance of
the first bishop, and through the zeal of Father Alonso Sanchez. It
was established in the year fifteen hundred and ninety, when Captain
Luis de Bivanco, factor of the royal exchequer, gave for this his
houses. Later the seminary was transferred to the site which it
now occupies, and a church was erected in honor of the virgin Saint
Potenciana, patroness of Manila and of this holy seminary.

The good which has resulted to that colony from this institution is
beyond exaggeration. Nearly a hund