follow, as the memorial declared--in formal prejudice to his own order
[i.e., the Recollect] (in regard to which that order was protesting,
in order to demand whatever was proper for its side). The proposed
hopes of the restoration, however, would hinder the flight of the
natives, which, it was known, proceeded from other reasons, through a
great part of the villages of Zambales having been depopulated. That
they had been living in idolatry from their first conversion, besides
being an implicatory proposition, did not appear from the sentence of
a competent tribunal, nor was it credible of all. And it was no new
thing, that after some years, a few superstitions should be discovered
[among the Indians], as was usually the case, and happened at every
step; for it was not an easy thing to reduce mountain infidels to
a civilized life, in which task the ministers must acquire thorough
knowledge of their customs. Consequently, it had been impossible to
eradicate their barbarous ferocity in committing murders, as they
had done to a religious of the Order of St. Dominic. And because his
province had shirked no labor for the service of God and the king,
in the welfare of souls, especially in the administration of the
Zambals during the space of sixty years, it desired to reap the fruit
[of the harvest] that had been commenced; wherefore in furtherance
of its claim he prayed his Lordship to order and command that the
pleadings which had been presented be referred to the royal Audiencia,
to the end that whatever should be ruled therein be considered as
law. The decree enacted (with the opinion of the assessor) was,
that the cognizance of the entire matter be referred to the royal
Audiencia, so that the parties to the suit might there plead their
claims in equity, and in fulfilment of the decree of the supreme
Council of the Indias. The Recollect procurator general having been
notified, appeared before the royal Audiencia with his claim together
with the rest of the papers annexed, which, having been presented,
were considered as referred to that tribunal for official action
therein. Notice of that decision having been given to father Fray
Juan Peguero, he said that he heard it, and pleaded that the papers be
given him for his reply as was done. But I shall not give his answer
here, because of the irregularity of his pleadings, his rashness of
speech, his boldness of opinion, and his disrespect for the royal
power, since his Majest