Chapter 14

Coat-of-arms of the city of Manila. Felipe II; March 20. Decree regarding the bishopric of Nueva Segovia. Felipe II; May 15. Instructions for Governor Tello. Felipe II; May 25. Letter to Felipe II. L. P. Dasmariñas; June 30. Letter to Felipe II. Antonio de Morga; July 6. Letter to Felipe II. Francisco Tello; July 17.

_Sources_: The two royal decrees are taken from _Doc. inéd. Amér. y Oceania_, xxxiv, pp. 95--98, 101--103; all the others are obtained from original MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla.

_Translations_: The first two documents are translated by Frederic W. Morrison, of Harvard University; the third and sixth, by James A. Robertson; the fourth and fifth, by José M. and Clara M. Asensio.

Coat-of-Arms of the City of Manila

Don Philipe, by the grace of God, etc.

Inasmuch as you, Captain Agustin de Arce, in the capacity of procurador-general of the Filipinas Islands, have informed me that the inhabitants of the city of Manila did render me service in its discovery, and remain there continuing this work; and inasmuch as you have entreated me--in consideration of the said facts, and because the said city of Manila is the capital and principal city of the said islands, and it was therefore commanded that an audiencia be again established there, and its cathedral church elevated into a metropolitan church, by which the city will be ennobled--that I should order a coat-of-arms to be bestowed upon the city, such as is possessed by other cities of the Indias; and considering that my council on the affairs of the Indias, after consultation with me, has favored the above request; it has seemed to me fitting to grant it. By these presents I assign, as the special coat-of-arms of the said city of Manila in the Filipinas Islands, a shield which shall have in the center of its upper part a golden castle on a red field, closed by a blue door and windows, and which shall be surmounted by a crown; and in the lower half on a blue field a half lion and half dolphin of silver, armed and langued gules--that is to say, with red nails and tongue. The said lion shall hold in his paw a sword with guard and hilt. This coat-of-arms shall be made similar to the accompanying shield, painted as is indicated above.

I bestow these arms upon the said city of Manila, as its own, and as its appointed and recognized device, so that it may and shall bear and place them upon its banners, shields, seals, flags, and standards, and in all other parts and places desired and considered fitting, according to, and following the same form and manner as the other cities of my kingdoms to which I have given arms and device place and possess them. And by this my decree, I charge the most serene prince, Don Philipo, my very dear and well beloved son, and the kings succeeding to me, and I order the infants, prelates, dukes, marqueses, counts, and grandees; the masters, priors, commanders and sub-commanders of the orders; the governors of castles, forts, and open districts; the members of my council, and the president and auditors of the same royal audiencias; the alcaldes, constables of my house, court, and chanceries; all the councils, corregidors, asistentes, governors, _veinte e cuatros,_ [31] regidors, and jurors; and the knights, squires, officials, and freemen of all the cities, towns, and villages of these my kingdoms and seigniories, and of my said Indias, islands, and Tierra Firme of the Ocean Sea--both in the present and future, and each and every one of them in his jurisdiction, who shall be notified of this--that they observe and regard, and cause to be observed and regarded the said grant of the said arms which I thus bestow upon the said city of Manila in the Filipinas Islands, so that they be allowed to place and possess them in the said city. And I order that no obstruction or impediment be offered to this concession or to any part of it, and that no one shall consent to place any obstruction whatever thereto, under penalty of my displeasure, and of a fine of ten thousand maravedis, to be paid to my exchequer, laid upon any person who shall act contrary to this order. Given in Aranxuez, on the twentieth day of March, one thousand five hundred and ninety-six.

_I The King_

Decree Regarding the Bishopric of Nueva Segovia

To the reverend father in Christ, the Bishop of Nueva Segovia in the province of Cagayan, in the island of Luzon, and member of my council: Inasmuch as his Holiness at my supplication did see fit to elevate the cathedral church of Manila into a metropolitan see, and to appoint three other bishops, one of them in that city, the purpose thereof having been that there should be prelates who might care for the instruction and teaching of the Indians, the administering of the sacraments, the exercise of episcopal acts, and the visitation of their districts, all which a single prelate could not easily do; I have seen fit to inform you that, for the present, so long as affairs are undeveloped, and until a better arrangement is made, no cathedral church shall be erected in that city, nor dignities or prebends provided for. You are to dwell privately in the monastery of your order in that said city, and remain there as prelate for such time as may please you. That bishopric shall be suffragan to the archbishop of Manila, and you shall have the latter as your metropolitan bishop and shall repair to that city for the synods and other matters arranged by the canons and councils. It is my will that you shall have what is necessary for your sustenance and the maintenance of your episcopal dignities. The tithes in your district are at present to be gathered into one amount, and you are to have all that pertains to the prelates and to the prebendaries, dignitaries, and canons. In case this is not sufficient, you will repair to the officials of my royal exchequer in those islands, whom I command, upon establishment by evidence that all the aforesaid does not reach five hundred thousand maravedis yearly, that they shall grant and pay you such deficit from my royal exchequer. And with the said testimony, and with a copy of this my decree and your receipt, I order that what is thus granted and paid you be received and audited. Done in Ateca, the fifteenth of May, in the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-six.

_I The King_ [32]

Instructions for Governor Tello

What you, Don Francisco Tello, knight of the order of Santiago, whom I have appointed as my governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands, and president of my royal Audiencia, which I have ordered to be reëstablished there, are to do in the service of God, and my own, and for the good government of those islands, is as follows:

Infinite praises must be given to our Lord, and I accordingly offer them to Him, for the great blessing that He has been pleased to grant me, inasmuch as, during the time that I by His mercy and will am king, He has chosen me as the instrument for the discovery of islands so remote and unknown; and because, after those peoples have lived for so many years in the blindness of their heathendom, the gospel has recently been published in them, the Catholic faith planted therein and received, and so many native Indians converted, who enjoy the teaching of the gospel. And thanks are due to God also for the natural expectation and hope that may and ought to exist that, by the same mercy of God, He must be pleased that the preaching of His gospel should be spread farther, and that all the other islands, of that vast archipelago, which extends through more than nine hundred leguas of latitude, and more than five hundred of longitude--exclusive of the great surrounding kingdoms of the mainland, round about those islands, namely China, Cochina, Cochinchina, Chanpa, Canboja, Sian, Patan, Joor, and others--by receiving Him and the faith, may come into the true knowledge of the faith.

Therefore, notwithstanding that all my will and desire is that, by the aid of the good spiritual and temporal government in what is explored of the said islands, and the care that must be had in the reduction of the rest, the end be attained to which the grace that God has shown me and is now showing me, constrains me so straitly; still, until He, in His infinite providence, shall dispose it, the most advisable thing is to watch carefully over the sure preservation and increase of what has been reduced and pacified at so great expense. I charge you that you strive for this end, considering the condition in which you find affairs and the great importance and advisability of bringing them to perfection and placing foundations so firm and secure that not only will there be naught to fear from the many enemies surrounding that part explored, but that it shall be preserved and increased.

Since there is nothing which will have so much influence over all affairs as the care that you are to exercise, I charge you with rigor that those new plants be instructed in the teachings of the gospel and of Christianity by the ecclesiastics whom I have sent, and am sending, for that purpose, with so great trouble and expense; and in civil and moral matters, by the temporal ministers, protecting them so that they may receive good treatment, and maintaining them in peace and justice, so that their labors may be satisfied. Therefore a most important means will be the care that you and the prelates are to observe in having divine worship celebrated with the greatest devotion and solemnity possible, at least on Easter and the holy days that the church is accustomed to solemnize and observe. You shall have especial care that the places of worship are kept in order and well served, and all this with due propriety, especially the cathedral church, inasmuch as it is the principal and archiepiscopal church, whose example must induce the same results in the other churches. Inasmuch as I was informed that things were quite to the contrary; and that the said church, besides being poorly roofed with wood and straw, was not properly served; and that it needed and lacked what it should have--a thing to which the former governors should not have consented--I charged your predecessor, Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, strictly that, immediately upon his arrival at the islands, he should have the said church rebuilt. I assigned for this work the sum of twelve thousand ducados in three parts: one from my royal exchequer, another from the encomenderos, and the third from the Indians. These said twelve thousand ducados were to be spent on the said building within four years, at the rate of three thousand ducados annually. In order that it might be done more easily, I gave an anticipatory order for two thousand ducados on the account of my third, on the treasury of Nueva España, whence the said Gomez Perez took them. Notwithstanding that he wrote to me in his last letters that the work was nearing completion, and although I think it ought to be finished now, yet, because it is in the gaze of so many enemies, idolaters, and Mahometans, it is advisable that they should see, not only that there is no lack in this matter, but also that the church shall be an example of the solemnity of the divine ecclesiastical ceremonies, that should arouse and persuade them to enter the fold of the church. As soon as you shall have arrived at that country, you shall inspect the said church, and find out whether the building is finished. If there is anything wanting, you shall finish it. Likewise you shall see that it is provided with ornaments, chalices, crosses, and other things pertaining to its service, so that it may be fully provided with the articles for the celebration of divine worship, with the authority, pomp, and propriety suitable to the edification of the faithful, and the conversion of those who are unconverted. For this you shall make use of an additional two thousand ducados, which I ordered assigned by thirds after the completion of what pertains to the building, in accordance with the terms of the decree which shall be given you in duplicate. Besides this, you shall endeavor to furnish what is most necessary, and what you think needful and advisable, by the methods and means which appear most suitable, so that in any event this matter shall be well attended to. You shall keep me informed of the progress of the matter; and you shall send me a minute and specific report of the condition in which you find the building and edifice of the church, its service of ornaments, and everything needful for it, so that, by knowing this thoroughly, I may learn how well it is improved and placed in the condition which is fitting, and which I so much desire, in your term of office. And I charge you that you do all this with the knowledge and advice of the archbishop, since this care rests on him. In this, and in all the rest, you shall maintain good relations with the latter.

The city of Manila has two hospitals, one for Spaniards, and the other for Indians. As I was informed that both were in want, and that it was desirable to preserve them, I ordered the said Gomez Perez to apply to the Spanish hospital, from the first repartimientos that should fall vacant in the said islands, enough to furnish an annual income of one thousand pesos; and to the Indian hospital, five hundred ducados, taken from the increase in the tributes of the same Indians--so that both should enjoy the said incomes as long as I should determine. Inasmuch as this is a work of so great charity, and to the service of our Lord, I charge you, immediately upon your arrival at the said city, to inspect the hospitals. You shall examine there the care and attention given to the sick; you shall endeavor to have the accounts kept with due care. You shall audit the accounts of the possessions of each hospital, by virtue of and in accordance with the decree that was sent, of which a duplicate will be given you. If the said Gomez Perez did not endow them with the above named incomes, you shall do it as soon as possible. First, you shall provide that all the necessary buildings be erected, so that the sick may have a place wherein to be sheltered and to avoid the inclemencies of the weather. I have been informed that this is especially necessary. At times when other business gives room for it, you shall attend to the inspection of the hospitals, both yourself and the auditors of the Audiencia which is about to be reëstablished. You shall do this in turn, so that when those at the head of the hospitals see the care that you take, they will fulfil their duties without any lack or neglect, or any possibility of the like. And in order that it may be known that no such lack or neglect occurs during your term of office, you shall advise me immediately of the condition in which you find the buildings of the said hospitals; the arrangements made in them in respect to administration, hospitality, treatment, and reception of the poor; and the new ordinances that you shall enact.

As I was informed that those islands were in great need of ministers of instruction, and that some Indians were dying without baptism; that, because of the same need, other islands were not being conquered and converted; and that to cause this condition to cease, it would be advisable to send religious of the orders established there--I designated and ordered one hundred and fifty-four religious to go there last year, one thousand five hundred and ninety-four, and they actually went. Although one hundred and ten others, chosen from all the said orders are going this year, nevertheless, in order that religious may be sent continually, until there is no lack of them, but a sufficient force to attend to the ministry of the preaching of the gospel, and the conversion of those heathen (which I so much desire), and so that those recently converted may be taught and instructed, I charge you to confer over this matter with the archbishop and Audiencia. You shall advise me of the number of religious, their convents, and their orders, their manner of living, and the number whom it would be advisable to send now, the districts to which they should especially be sent, and the orders to which they should belong. In the meantime, you shall come to an understanding with all the superiors, so that all the religious there at present, and those who shall be sent in the future, shall be so distributed that adequate instruction may be given in all necessary districts, as doubtless can be done if all engage in the ministry for which chiefly they are sent. They are likewise sent for the conversion and instruction of the natives who are pacified and have acknowledged my service and obedience; and they shall not go elsewhere without your permission and that of the said superiors. Through the latter, you shall ascertain the results obtained in their respective districts, and their lack of instruction, in order that, having this certain knowledge, you may be able to advise me more clearly and precisely. And so that everything may be done better and with greater quietness, I charge you to maintain good relations with the superiors, so that, taking example from your harmony, those who are subordinate may also be in accord among themselves, and produce the result that I desire.

One of the things that have given rise to uneasiness among some of the religious, who have been divided among different opinions, and that have caused great doubts among the Spaniards, is the fact that the religious instruction of the newly-explored places was not looked after as it should have been; for in this regard the plan to be followed among them was explained specifically and explicitly, so that if it were observed, there could be no ground for doubt in regard to the justification of the beginning and continuing of the exploration in accord with my intention, will, and desire. Again I declare this to be that the said religious instruction must be looked after in every place pacified during your term; and that you shall not consent that it be transgressed, in whole or in part, or that any pacification be made by any other means or method, so that in regard to this there may be the peace and harmony among all which I desire. Putting an end to all past scruples, those already converted must receive good treatment; and those not converted must be converted with the mildness with which it is advisable that the gospel be preached and received, and the Catholic faith believed and confessed, from which the desired happiness and gain will result.

Bishop Don Fray Domingo de Salazar complained that the governors did not allow him to exercise his jurisdiction. This, he said, was one of the things that made him come here. And because it is not proper that those going now should do this, or that in the future the governors should meddle with ecclesiastical matters, as such is contrary to my will and desire, I charge you that you shall not meddle with the jurisdiction of the prelates. On the contrary you shall aid and protect them, so that they may occupy themselves with the matters which, in accordance with my ordinances and decrees, can and ought to occupy their time and attention, provided this does not oppose my royal jurisdiction. This latter it is proper that you and they preserve and respect, as well as what concerns the right of my patronage, which you shall cause to be observed according to the concession granted to the Castilian sovereigns by apostolic authority, and declared in the instruction which you will find there, which I am writing in like terms to the said prelates. Once more I charge you to maintain thoroughly good relations with the latter.

The bishop petitioned also that, in the appraisement of the revenues that were to be given to the curates of Indian villages, it should be considered that the said Indians were not accustomed to pay fees for burials, marriages, or other ecclesiastical ministrations; and that it should be ordered that all the religious, in charge of and entrusted with instruction, should not collect the said fees, and that this extend also to the secular ecclesiastics. Inasmuch as he had ordered the same, under penalty of spiritual censure, and as it seemed quite proper to me, I declared and ordered that this custom be kept inviolate by both the seculars and regulars throughout that entire district, as you will see by the decree that was despatched in accordance with this. You shall cause this to be observed and fulfilled. You shall advise me specifically of the fulfilment of this decree and its results.

It seems an inhuman thing, and contrary to all Christian charity, to have left the Indians of the Ladrone Islands without instruction, since all who go to the Philipinas make port in their lands; and since after receiving help from them, and no resistance or injuries, the governors and prelates have passed by those people without furnishing them any instruction. This is a great cause of grief, and a bad example. In order that it may be rectified, since you and the archbishop are going together, you shall examine the disposition of the land, and you shall leave there, from the religious who are sailing now, those who seem suitable for the conversion and instruction of those natives. If it seems advisable, you shall also leave with them some soldiers for their protection, and as a defense from the dangers of those barbarians, in accordance with the ordinance regarding new discoveries. You shall advise me of what is done in this.

The bishop and some of the religious were of opinion that tributes could not be collected from the heathen Indians, and that the Indians could not be compelled to pay them until they were Christians. When the bishop came here, one of the matters, together with instruction, petitioned for by him was, that it should be ordered that no tributes be levied on the said heathen Indians. After conference and discussion regarding this in my Council of the Indias, in presence of the said bishop and other religious, it was resolved that tributes should be collected throughout, without any exceptions, from all the Indians who were pacified, even though they were not Christians; and that among those Indians who should not have any instruction, the portion to be applied to that purpose should upon collection be kept in a separate account for some hospitals as a means of benefit for the said Indians, and so that they may also be furnished instruction therefrom. A decree was sent in accordance with this, and its duplicate will be given you, so that after you shall have examined and understood it you shall cause its contents to be observed to the letter. And with that prudence which I expect from you, you shall see that the religious orders and the religious observe this matter. If, notwithstanding, they think that the ordinance is inadvisable and requires revision, they shall suspend revision until they have informed me thereof. They should be assured that my will in this, as in all other matters, is that all things be carried on with the most complete justification. You shall request this from them, and charge them with it in my name, in order that no disputes may arise among them for this cause or any other. Inasmuch as they all have the same aim, it is but just and necessary that they aid one another, for by so doing will their end be more certainly attained.