ve Don Felipe, the king of the Spaniards, as their
king, who would protect them peacefully and with justice. The chiefs
answered not a word to this. Thereupon, the bishop spoke again and
asked them whether they had understood the words he had spoken to
them, and if they would answer. Thereupon a clownish Indian arose and
said: "We answer that we wish the king of Espana to be our king and
sovereign, for he has sent Castilians to us, who are freeing us from
the tyranny and domination of our chiefs, as well as fathers who aid
us against the same Castilians and protect us from them." Further,
suppose that it were possible to make the religious withdraw, so that
their ministries should cease; within a few days their lack would he
bewailed, to the greatest extent possible. But this fact is true, that
while one enjoys a blessing, it is not esteemed, nor is any thought
given to a present virtue. However, let it be lacking, we feel that
lack immediately, and we seek alter it enviously. As says Horace:
_virtutem incolumen odimus, sublatam ex oculis quaerimus invidi_. [103]
Spaniards may ask me: "Who has pacified the country? Who domesticated
the Indians, so that one can go through the whole country with more
safety than by the highways of Espana? For there neither the machine
of justice, nor the severe punishments, nor the grave penalties secure
any safety. Nor do the lofty houses, nor their tightly barred doors
at all prevent the evils committed by the thief and murderer; for all
is open to the execution of their desires. Here one sleeps with the
door open, with entire safety, and just as if many legions of soldiers
were watching it." And in fact, I do not recall ever having locked
a door during my ministry. [104] I ask then, whence proceeds this
except from the religious, who are gradually taming these peoples as
fathers, and teaching them for temporal interests also? It there were
no religious, how could the tributes be entirely collected? For the
tributes seemed to be only what the chiefs chose to give, without its
being possible by any severity to make them give more. This is proved,
because in the encomienda of Dapitan, a district of Mindanao, although
tribute was paid to Diego de Ledesma, son of one of the conquistadors,
it amounted to nothing, all told being no more than the value of forty
pesos. But at the end of one year after it was given to the fathers
of the Society, tribute was collected from more than one thousand
I