make face against him. For the religious alone are of this condition,
that they play openly; as they look rather at the common good than
that of their own particular interest. Consequently, he cast his eyes
on father Fray Jeronimo de Salas, a man so well received that the
other fathers agreed on him immediately, and he was elected without
much difficulty on the twenty-ninth of April, 1617. That election
was very pleasing to the province, for all were very sure that they
would receive very great consolations at his hands. They were quite
right too, for I could treat of that point, as a very large share of
it fell to me, when I was in Bisayas acting as prior of Dumangas; for
he sent me leave to come to Manila, as he wished me to become subprior.

Father Fray Jeronimo de Cabero presided at that chapter, as we had
no letters-patent from our father general. As definitors, father Fray
Juan Enriquez, father Fray Pedro de Lesarte, [39] father Fray Alonso de
Baraona, and father Fray Felipe de Tallada were elected. The visitors
were father Fray Estacio Ortiz and father Fray Agustin de Mejia. All
together assembled, they annulled preceding orders and enacted others
for the good management of the province.

But little life was left for our father provincial, for a very
slight accident occasioned his death, so that, without any medicine
sufficing, he went away and left us on the seventeenth of May,
leaving us disconsolate and very desirous of him.

Our rules, in such an event, summon the preceding provincial, who
immediately took the seal. Persons were not lacking to advise him to
leave the government of the province, saying that the province was not
well affected toward him. And even persons outside of the order who
were viewing things with some interest, said the same to him. But we
are not to understand that any ambition guided him, but that since he
had had experience in the government, which is not the least thing,
he thought that he could govern better than another. He commenced to
burden the province with mandates, for in his term there was too much
of that. Thereupon, the fathers began to regard him less favorably
than before, and to represent to themselves the evil of his having the
command. There were meetings and discussions in which the coming evil
was clearly presaged and announced. One old religious, who was such
in all things, in order to avoid cavilings and inquisitions went to
confess to him; and told him that he