hip of Pangasinan, they also
included in their midst the settlements of the Zambals now reduced to
a Christian and civilized life by the missionaries of the Augustinian
reformed order. For that reason the Dominicans had desired and even
claimed without going beyond the boundaries dictated by courtesy and
good relationship that our prelates yield that territory to them,
as it was suitable for the communication of the Dominicans among
themselves between Pangasinan and Manila and would make their visits
less arduous. But since that was a very painful proposition to those
who governed our discalced order, namely, the abandonment of certain
Indians who were the firstborn of their spirit, and a land watered by
the blood of so many martyrs, the claim could never be made effectual,
however much it was smoothed over by the name of exchange, our province
being offered other ministries, in which was shown clearly the zeal
of its individual members.

794. The one who made the greatest efforts in this direction was
father Fray Phelipe Pardo, both times that he held the Dominican
provincialate in the years 1662 and 1673. Although all of his efforts
were then frustrated, he obtained great headway by them to obtain
his purposes later. For May 30, 1676, his Majesty presented him for
the office of archbishop of Manila. Thereupon he formed the notion
that the new marks of the ecclesiastical dignity would be sufficient
to add authority to argument. For, because of the respect to his
person, surely worthy of the greatest promotion, we did not dare to
condemn his attempt as unjust; and more even, when he obtained it,
making amends to our reformed order for the wrong we received by a
recompense which was fully justifiable in his eyes. A chance offered
him a suitable occasion for his project in the following manner. Don
Diego de Villatoro represented to the Council of the Indias that
the island of Mindoro was filled with innumerable heathens all
sunk in the darkness of their paganism; and that if its conquest
were entrusted to any order, it would be very easy to illumine its
inhabitants with the light of the faith. Therefore a royal decree
was despatched, under date of Madrid, June 18, 1677, ordering the
governor of the islands, together with the archbishop, to entrust the
reduction of Mindoro to the order which appeared best fitted for it,
before all things settling the curas who resided there in prebends
or chaplaincies. That decree was pre