e than twenty-two years. They esteem the
prior greatly, but his companion very little. They think that the
religious who lives better and has the greater number of servants,
is a great chief. They believe the contrary of him who does not live
with so much ostentation. It happened that a religious was going to
visit the chapels of that district where he lived. He, with the spirit
that he brought from Castilla, intended to commence with the greatest
poverty, so that he took neither bed nor refreshment. An Indian, who
was going along as cook, on considering that, said that that father
was going in that way, because he must be some _banaga_ in his own
country--that is, low and base by birth. Another time, when the same
religious was going barefoot, like the natives, because of the poor
roads (for there is nothing good in these islands), their edification
was to make a sound like castanets with the mouth, saying that he was a
strong and brave man. Hence arose the saying that I heard from Father
Bernabe de Villalobos, [33] a notable minister of the Bisayas, who
labored many years in the salvation of souls, namely, that if he wished
to ascend to any dignity, although he would endeavor to be as humble
as possible before God, he would show the utmost grandeur outwardly,
so that the natives might recognize the majesty of the dignity by the
exterior. From this also arises their not agreeing to or believing in
anything, unless they see it. Thus in discussing the glory of heaven,
or the pains of hell with them, they reply that if they do not see
it how then can they believe it?" [34] Isabel was married, after her
baptism, to Maestre Andres, a calker of the fleet. The wedding was
also celebrated with great show. Her son and others of her household
were the next to receive baptism. The Bornean Moro, who served the
Spaniards so well among the islands, was also converted, "a baptism
of great importance ... for this Moro was the key to all the islands,
as he was well known in them all; and so much faith was put in him,
that he was obeyed as little less than king." Mahometanism has secured
a foothold in the islands, and the natives are constant in it as
it does not forbid "stealing or homicide, does not prohibit usury,
hatred, or robbery, nor less does it deprive them of their women,
in which vice they are sunken, and the women no less than the men. So
much are the latter sunken in this vice, that they considered it the
choicest thing, and