his hand, which the archbishop had written to him,
successively, that same day. He told me, with demonstrations of feeling
which showed his embarrassment, that the archbishop was writing to
him letter after letter, on a matter that depended on him in no way
at all. He said that he had no instructions on the matter, and that he
could not exceed his powers. And, as he repeated that to me time after
time, I answered him that, since he had no orders from his court, and
especially since he had no secular priests at his disposal, it was in
fact very difficult for him to proceed as the archbishop desired. It
must be observed that I was living with a wealthy French merchant,
one of whose daughters had married the secretary of the government;
and I have often remarked that that secretary was not at all inclined
to the archbishop's side.

Next morning, four _pasquinades_ [91] or injurious and very defamatory
placards, were found posted in the city: one at the government offices;
the second, on the gate of the Parian; a third at La Misericordia;
and the fourth at our door. Those lampoons stated distinctly that the
governor for twenty thousand piastres (105,000 livres), had prevented
the archbishop from fulfilling his duty. The secretary was beside
himself at the boldness of the lampoon, and especially at the one
posted at his door. He spoke of it as a crime which deserved the most
severe chastisement. He added that it would be better for him who had
done it, if he were discovered, that he had never lived. In fact,
I am quite sure that Sambouangam [92] (in the island of Mindanao),
which I have before mentioned, would have been his dwelling, and that
he would not have enjoyed himself there very greatly.

The friars in the Philippines are, as can be seen, absolute in the
provinces. It is quite true that, according to the ordinances, the
governor ought to send the auditors there from time to time in the
quality of visitors. But besides that that scarcely ever happens, these
visitors, although members of the royal Audiencia, are obliged to take
recommendations from the convents of Manila before their departure,
in order to be well received. However, that great authority of the
friars over the people does not prevent the latter from revolting very
often in the provinces; and those revolts are nearly always followed
by the death of some religious. Then there is no means of restoring
order except by sending troops to reduce the Indians t