stical cabildo and
the Society of Jesus recognize your Majesty as sovereign, and obey
you, and at the same time prove by all their actions their love for
your service--for all of which your Majesty can honor them and show
them favor, if you are so minded. [_Decreed in the margin_: "Let the
governor cause to be exactly observed, the alternation which does not
allow that there be more religious in any mission district than those
who shall be necessary for it according to the royal patronage. Let
the others occupy themselves in instruction and in preaching, for
which they were sent. Let no more religious be given them for the
period mentioned by the governor. If they are asked for, let a report
of this letter be made."]

[_In the margin_: "That bishops should be sent to those islands who
are secular priests, but not friars, because of the troubles that
arise from their uniting with the orders and opposing the governor;
and he asks that the presiding archbishop be sent a coadjutor, as he
is now very old and incapacitated."]

Most of the ministers of instruction think only of acquiring and
amassing money, in order thereby to solicit your Majesty in that
court to give them these bishoprics. Surely, your Majesty is not
well served thereby; and you should send a secular bishop, or at
least an archbishop, so that the religious should not unite with
him to oppose your Majesty's governors. And, if it please you, will
you send a coadjutor for Don Fray Hernando Guerrero, archbishop of
these islands, who is now so old that he is past eighty years of age,
and his hands and head shake. Leaving his lack of learning out of
the question, your Majesty can consider what the [ecclesiastical]
government will be by having peace. In order that your Majesty may
establish a thing so to your service, I will give that coadjutor two
thousand pesos annually from my own salary. If he should assume the
archbishopric during my term, I shall arrange so as to leave that
sum to him as an income, besides the four thousand pesos that the
archbishop receives--so that the two thousand may not be paid from
your Majesty's royal treasury, from your royal incomes, or from
those of your vassals. By that means the archbishopric will have
an income of more than six thousand pesos, and its incumbent can
get along excellently on that. Will your Majesty kindly send such
a coadjutor for the succor of these islands and the consolation and
protection of the clergy, from