d college or seminary could
be founded, so that some boys might be reared there for the cathedral
service. The said governor having reported, his Catholic Majesty,
Don Felipe V, determined, by his royal decree of April 28, 1702,
[75] to erect the college for eight seminarists. The amount of its
building and maintenance was to be taken from the funds resulting from
vacant sees of bishops of these islands and from the tithes, while the
part lacking was to be taken from the royal treasury. The archbishop
of Manila was to have part in everything, and he was to inform his
Majesty of what should be done. The royal decree having been carried
out, while the master-of-camp Don Diego Camacho y Avila was governing,
it appears that four thousand pesos were paid by general council of
the treasury, held May 22, 1705, for the building. Full notice will
be given of the events connected with that seminary and royal college
in the body of this history.

ECCLESIASTICAL SURVEY OF THE PHILIPPINES

[The French scientist Le Gentil, in his _Voyages dans les mers
de l'Inde_ (Paris, 1781), pp. 170-191, speaks as follows of the
ecclesiastical estate of the Philippines.]

Ninth Article

Ecclesiastical survey of the Philippine Islands

The first church in Manila was erected as a parish church in the year
1571, and dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The Augustinians
and the discalced Franciscans had charge of it until 1581, when the
first bishop arrived. Gregory XIII, by a bull, dated Rome, 1578,
erected the parish church of Manila into a cathedral, and Philippe
II, king of Espana, established the chapter. It is composed of five
dignitaries--dean, archdeacon, orecentor, schoolmaster [_ecolatre_],
[76] and treasurer--two whole prebendaries; two half prebendaries
[77] two parish priests [_cures_]; sacristans; master of ceremonies;
and beadle. The divine office is celebrated in this cathedral with
great state and majesty.

The archbishop receives 5,000 piastres [78] (25,500 livres); the dean,
600 (3,030 livres); archdeacon, schoolmaster, precentor, and treasurer,
each 500 (2,525 livres); the three canons--namely, the doctoral,
the magistral, and the one of grace or favor--and the two half
prebendaries, each 400 (2,020 livres); the master of ceremonies, 1,200
livres; and last, the two parish priests [_cures_], each 924 livres.

The fixed revenue of these parish priests is, as one can see,
very little, but they have a little