stilian fathers were
very cogent. Finally he proceeded to extreme measures, by declaring
the fathers excommunicated. Here the province refused to admit the
letters of excommunication. Finally, our father Henao was elected
in this contention, with father Fray Esteban de Peralta acting as
presiding officer of the chapter. The definitors elected were:
father Fray Juan de Tapia; the second, Fray Juan de Medina; the
third, Fray Nicolas de Herrera; [75] and the fourth, Fray Martin
de Errasti. [76] The visitors were father Fray Jeronimo Medrano and
father Fray Cristobal de Miranda. [77]

The father provincial and the other father definitors looked after
the affairs of the province with great prudence, and discussed the
most important matter of that time--namely, the choice of a person to
go to the court of Roma to represent the causes which had moved them
not to accept the alternation, giving him the money for expenses which
the other fathers are accustomed to carry, with additional pay, and as
the case required. The father master, Fray Pedro Garcia, was selected
for that purpose. He was the brother of the archbishop and a person
of great talent and resources, who would be well received anywhere
because of his person, learning, and excellent mode of procedure. But
the Lord was pleased not to allow him to reach Nueva Espana. The creole
fathers also requested that permission be granted to them, for they
wished to send a procurator on their own account; and their request
was granted. Accordingly they sent father Fray Alonso de Figueroa,
[78] a person of much ability, and the most suitable that could be
selected among the men of his following.

Father Fray Hernando de Cabrera, an admirable minister of the
Tagalos, of whom we have already spoken, asked for leave to go to
Espana. Together with the father master, Fray Pedro Garcia, he took
passage on the flagship "San Juan," a new ship whose first voyage
this was. Aboard it was Don Fernando de Silva, who had governed these
islands, four procurators for the city of Manila, who were being
sent to look after the property of the citizens, on account of unfair
dealings by those of Nueva Espana in the returns made for it [_i.e._,
for goods exported thither from Manila]. Further, two fathers and a
brother named Fray Juan de Pena took passage with them. Two of our
religious embarked aboard the almiranta--father Fray Lorenzo [_sic_]
de Figueroa as procurator of the creole fathers, and a bro