the state in which the province was, he most earnestly begged the
religious to give him their word to call a chapter; for he was of
the opinion that that was necessary for the peace and advancement of
the province. He insisted on the same thing with our father Mentrida,
who was the one on whom the government devolved by right. Thereupon,
he very calmly gave up his soul to his Creator, leaving behind sure
token that he was going straight to His presence.

Thereupon followed a period of distress in the province, not a
little difficult to settle. The government fell to our father,
Mentrida. The definitors were at variance. Our father Mentrida had
a most severe mandate from our most reverend father [general] that
acted against him, namely, that the provincial who did not visit the
province of Bisayas, at least once during his term was _ipso facto_
deprived of the rights of voting and election, and the religious were
ordered to obey him no longer. Our father Mentrida had not made that
visit, giving as a pretext his ill-health. The religious argued from
this that, according to that mandate, he could not govern. To his
reply that his illness was the cause of his not obeying the order,
and that if God granted him health he would go, they answered that
that illness, which was asthma, was always in evidence. His adherents
wished him to have the command a second time, but the others would
not consent to it. Finally the governor, Don Juan Nino de Tabora,
had to intervene. Thanks to him, the matter was adjusted, so that
our father Mentrida resigned the government, which was assumed by
father Fray Francisco Bonifacio, the most pacific creature that has
been in Filipinas. He has never been known _directe_ or _indirecte_
to have any altercation with any religious. He has ever been unwilling
to cause trouble to any one, and therefore has avoided giving it,
and I believe he caused trouble to no one during his term. The Lord
cooeperated with this holy intention, giving him a triennium of great
quiet. We might say of him what Solomon said of himself: _nunc autem
requiem dedit Dominus Deus meus mihi per circuitum: et non est satan,
neque occursus malus_. [66]

[Here follows the relation of the awful calamities that befell certain
persons, both Spaniards and natives, in consequence of their neglect
and scorn of the Holy Child. The narration is continued:]

In this triennium I became prior of the convent of Santisimo Nino
de Jesus, which