did. By this measure our fathers had less responsibility, but were

not less occupied; for, not to mention the other peoples who, as I have said, resort to this port, the Bissayans alone kept six fathers so busy during Lent that the people hardly left them alone by day or by night. Nevertheless, so great is the need, and at the same time the scarcity, of the bread of divine truth, for lack of those who may distribute it, that many people dwelling very near the city die in this hunger and cannot be assisted; for although the right reverend bishop of Sebu and the few priests who are under him do much, and the fathers of St. Augustine much more, neither the former nor the latter suffice for the care of so many children. After Lent and Easter, one of the fathers visited, by way of recreation (for such are the vacations which they enjoy there), some pagan villages which are about six leguas from the city. He remained there eight days, which gave him opportunity for the usual occupations. Although the time was very short, our Lord was served by some good results; for the father found many Christians who, through lack of teaching and their constant association with infidels, had returned with these to their former idolatrous practices. By means of sermons and discourses he touched the consciences of these people, and, recognizing their wretched condition, they made a general confession; they received his instructions for their future conduct, and were very grateful for the good that had been done them. The infidels were so attracted and inclined to the things of our holy faith that they urgently besought the father to remain with them a few days more; but, as this was not possible, they contented themselves with the hope that he might soon be able to revisit them. After four months had elapsed, seeing that he did not return, they sent their messengers earnestly to entreat him to return for a short time to teach them the things of our holy faith, which they all desired to accept; but this could not be done, and so they were left in their hunger.

In the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus there was a Malucan Indian, the slave of a Spaniard, who, although he had been a Christian for many years, lived negligent of his salvation, and his masters had never been able to induce him to make confession and fulfil the obligations of a Christian; he always displayed much unwillingness and obstinacy. This man became ill with a malady, apparently not very serious, accompanied by a slow fever; but within three or four days he suddenly lost the power of speech and seemed to be surely dying. A little food and some drink were offered to him but he could not be induced to take any; and finally became so low, that he lost all consciousness. Some holy water was brought him from our house and a few drops were sprinkled over his face; some of these ran down into his mouth, and he began to lick them, so that he tasted the water. One of those present placed some of it near his mouth, and, opening his lips, he received the water. At once regaining consciousness, he said that it seemed as if someone had seized him and clutched his throat, and for that reason he was unable to speak; but drinking the holy water had, as it were, released him, and set him at liberty, and he gladly listened to what they said to him concerning his salvation. After he had received instruction, he made a general confession of his entire life; and our Lord was pleased to restore him to complete health of body, as He had already deigned to give him health of soul.

Another Indian, while very ill, was afflicted with horrible apparitions; when he was left alone, hideous and fierce black men appeared to him, threatening him with death. He asked his friends to summon our fathers; finally, after he had endured many sufferings, either he or the people of his house sent for a priest to hear his confession. The priest repaired at once to the sick man, and found him in great suffering. He gave him consolation, and after thorough instruction, the Indian made a general confession, to his own great relief--from that time experiencing entire rest, and seeing no more of the visions that had tormented him.

There was an infidel Indian woman who lived near this city among Christians. A serious illness attacked her, and she was carried to the house of another Indian woman, who attended our church and led a most pure and edifying life, who persuaded her to become a Christian. She sent for a priest of our order, who catechized her and so prepared her that she soon received holy baptism. During the remaining days of her life she gave tokens of the grace that she had received; for, although she suffered the utmost pain, hardly a word was heard from her lips, save "Jesus, Mary," or, "My God, have mercy on me."

One day two of Ours, chancing to pass through the Chinese quarter, were informed that in one of the houses an infidel woman lay dying. They at once ascended into the house, and found her very near death, but very far from knowing the truth of our holy faith. But our Lord, who had provided teachers, aided her in His great mercy, and with sovereign help; accordingly, she listened very willingly to what they said to her, and prepared herself in so short a time that they gave her baptism that very night, fearing her critical condition. She was greatly consoled by the sacrament, and grateful to our Lord for the mercy that she had received, edifying those who were present by her words, which were all invocations for help to Jesus and Mary. With such good proofs of her salvation, she passed away on the following day. Among the persons who, to the edification of the people and the service of our Lord, have profited by the teaching of our fathers, was a woman advanced in years, and a native of China; her case is one of great importance, as her nation are so hard to reach, and so unwilling to receive the gospel; and so it does not seem beyond the scope of my plan to give some account of her conversion. This woman had married an honorable Portuguese, who left her a widow some six years ago. Most of her support is what she gains by the labor of her own hands, with the help of three slaves, in whose company she lives in a wretched house, apart from the crowd of the Chinese, dwelling therein in great seclusion. Her confessions and communions are frequent, with excellent results. She practices penance so severely that it has been necessary to moderate the rigors she inflicts upon herself, in long scourgings every night, and in fasts throughout the year, four days in every week; and even on the other two days she seldom eats meat. Prayer is her one consolation, for which she has much natural aptitude in her excellent judgment, and supernatural aid in the gifts which the Lord communicates to her. She is present every day in the church during the masses, hearing them always upon her knees. Nothing so afflicts her as to know that God has been offended, especially if by those of her nation. In short, she has offered herself entirely to our Lord, and He has plucked her with His own hand as a rose from among so many thistles and thorns.

Other interesting events, which occurred in Bohol. Chapter LV.

In order to give a more detailed account of what took place at that time in the island of Bohol, I shall avail myself of two letters from Fathers Alonso de Umanes and Gabriel Sanchez, who were in that region; for in my opinion their account is given minutely and with pleasing and enjoyable simplicity. Both of them, writing to the father-visitor, give him a detailed account of their labors, as is the custom in our Society. The superior, Father Alonso de Umanes, writes as follows: "As soon as we had returned from Sebu in last year, ninety-nine, as it was the season of Lent we busied ourselves in hearing confessions; and with remarkable devotion and promptness all this new band of Christians, without any reward, repaired to the sacraments--even those coming to us who lived very distant from the village where we ordinarily reside. The Christians throughout the island came together for the exercises of Holy Week, and many of those who were not yet baptized attended the divine services during all that week, with great devotion, also the feast of Easter, when a goodly number of them received communion. Having fulfilled our obligations as to confession, we set out to visit some of the pagan villages, in all of which we found the people well disposed. Those who most attended our preaching were the inhabitants of Panglao, a small island almost adjoining this; all the people came very willingly to hear about the things of our holy faith, and soon began of their own accord to build a church. As the first-fruits of Christianity there, we first baptized the sons of the chiefs, in order that they might open the door for the others. Their parents were greatly pleased at this, in token of which they held a feast that same day, with dancing and other festivities. This little island we visited again, at which time a considerable number of adults as well as a hundred children received baptism. The chiefs besought us to leave there someone who might instruct them, that they might thus learn more speedily all that was necessary. For this purpose we took from the island their brightest boys, so that they, after receiving instruction, might teach their people. Thus we shall be able to supply, to some extent, the great need of men from our Society, until our Lord shall multiply our number. During a visit that was made to the village of Lobo, an important event occurred which served to overthrow their errors and remove some great fears with which the devil had inspired them. An alguazil learned that in a little village near by there was a chief who kept in his house many small horns and little jars full of charms, and other instruments, which served for casting lots, for determining if in sickness sacrifice should be made to the devil, and for deciding other matters. Father Gabriel Sanchez resolved to go in person to take away those cursed instruments. In fact, no other means would have been successful, because, upon arriving at the house, he was obliged with his own hands to unhang and heap together the bottles and horns; for the Indians who had accompanied him did not dare even to touch them--fearing that, if they did, they would die; and that, if they threw them into the river, the caimans would be enraged against them--such was their belief in these delusions. But the father, having quieted their fear and removed their mistaken apprehension by himself touching those objects and yet remaining alive, induced them to seize the horns and bottles and expose them publicly. Then he summoned the young boys who spat and trod upon them--actions which among those people, as among other nations, are a token of contempt, detestation, and infamy. He finally caused the charms to be burned, and thrown into the river. By these means they were all freed from error, and became more devoted than ever to our true and well-grounded Catholic religion.

"I cannot refrain from relating an incident that has just befallen us, as it was a source of great consolation to me. As soon as our people learned that your Reverence had ordered us to go to Sebu, fearful lest we might not speedily return, they all repaired to us to make their confessions, with such fervor that it seemed like the season of Lent. Those who had not received baptism came also, with like earnestness seeking that holy sacrament. Thus, by way of farewell, we made a goodly number of Christians." The account of Father Alonso de Umanes ends here.

Father Gabriel Sanchez, in another letter to the father-visitor, writes thus: "Glory be to our Lord, Christianity in this island is receiving much increase. They all frequent the most holy sacraments with great fervor at Christmas, Epiphany, and other leading feasts. So many were the confessions and the communions that it seemed to me like Holy Week. They possess great confidence and faith, and through the most holy sacraments and the sacramental offices they are sure to receive (and his Majesty does bestow upon them even in temporal affairs) most signal favors. An old woman, a good Christian, was so reduced by sickness, and brought so near to death, that she no longer possessed her senses, or power of speech; in short, there was no hope that she would live. The sacrament of extreme unction was administered to her, and at once she began to improve, and at last regained entire health. A few days ago they brought to us a sick man, so tormented and harassed by a severe malady that he could not even raise his head; he therefore made his confession while reclining, and with great difficulty. But, as soon as he had ended it, he began to feel better, with the result that in two days he came to the church to render thanks to our Lord for the mercy that he had received, which he attributed to the holy sacrament of penance. A few days ago a child of four years--not realizing, as he was so little, what he was doing--waded into the sea, and, despite the haste with which he was taken from the water, was almost drowned. They brought him in haste to our house, that we might repeat the gospel over him, for they had no hope of preserving his life by natural means. When they brought him to us he showed almost no sign of respiration, his face was black, and his stomach much swollen with the water which he had swallowed. The gospel was read for him, and he was sprinkled with holy water; and then, in the presence of the many people who had assembled, he straightway recovered consciousness and became entirely well, in return for which they all gave many thanks to our Lord. Another incident, which occurred quite recently, I cannot refrain from relating. Our Lord has this day exercised His accustomed mercy in the case of two old men, very venerable and more than a hundred years old. The greater part of their long lives they had spent in diabolical acts of outrage, murder, cruelty, and lawlessness; and yet our Lord had waited for them until now--when, illumining them with His divine light, they were marvelously converted. I was astonished at beholding the fervor, sincerity and grief with which they expressed abhorrence for their past life and sought baptism, which they received today after careful instruction. To see the perseverance and constancy of this people has given great consolation to me. I shall relate in brief a few things which certainly give strong evidence of that constancy. An unmarried Indian woman was persecuted by a soldier with innumerable plots, yet she always resisted him valiantly. Once in particular, he sent her by a servant some twenty escudos; but she drove the servant away, and threatened that if he should come again she would fling him and his money through her window. The soldier, rendered bold by the fury of his passion, as he had a headstrong disposition, and realizing that he could not gain his damnable purpose by bribes, had recourse to threats. As these did not suffice, he laid violent hands on her, seriously hurting her; but our Lord came to her assistance, and she emerged victorious from the struggle, leaving the wretch in confusion and shame. Another woman was no less persecuted, a man offering her, among other gifts, a gold chain that was worth more than thirty escudos; but she rejected all his gifts with Christian courage. Then, fearing the fury of her persecutor and her own great danger, she persuaded her mother to accompany her, and they fled to some grain-fields, where she remained in hiding until he who was molesting her had left the village. Another, a young girl hardly eighteen years of age, and so poor that she could procure only a little rice for her support, was persecuted by many men, who offered her large sums of money to relieve her poverty; one of them offered her more than forty eight-real pieces. But she made answer that our Lord, in whom she trusted, would relieve her need; that she did not care to live by any means that would offend Him, but in serving Him was well content in her poverty; and that she was confident that our Lord would not abandon her. Another poor woman resisted with equal courage no less vexatious importunities, refusing a quantity of gold worth more than eighty escudos, thus leaving her persecutor in amazement. Another woman, fearing that she would have to defend her body by force from so many and violent importunities, removed it from danger, and herself from any occasion of offending God, by fleeing to the mountains, where she wandered about for almost four months, suffering, although with much satisfaction, many hardships and privations; nor did she return to the village until she learned that he who had brought her to such a plight had departed thence."

The good conduct of the Christians of Botuan. Chapter LVI.

I shall, continuing as I began, relate the prosperous condition of Christianity in Botuan in the same words which Father Valerio de Ledesma and his companion, Father Manuel Martinez, used in writing this year to the father-visitor. The letter of Father Valerio gives the following account: "Glory to our Lord, the inhabitants of this town are well instructed. There are nearly eight hundred Christians, and nearly all the rest of the people are catechumens, engaged in learning the necessary truths. We hold back these persons that they may prize more highly the mercy which God is showing them, and understand more thoroughly the Christian doctrine and acquire good habits. All the rest of the people have the best possible inclination to receive our holy faith and come on every Sunday and feast-day to hear the sermons and discourses; a large audience always assembles, and all of them, even the infidels, entertain a great affection for holy things. Of their own accord they bring their children to be baptized, and their sick people, to hear the gospel read. They erect crosses in their grain-fields, and sing the Christian doctrine with the Christians, of whom there are usually some in every house. In times of sickness they come at once to be baptized; and as they are universally well instructed, and have sufficient knowledge of the things of our faith, it is easy to succor them upon such occasions, so that hardly any one dies without having first received holy baptism. An Indian, seeing himself afflicted by a violent disease, asked to be baptized. They went to call the father for that purpose, but in the meantime the malady had gained such headway, that when he arrived he found the house in confusion and everyone bewailing the sick man as one dead. The father, seeing that he could not speak and seemed unable to hear, assured himself that he had asked for baptism; and, knowing that he was one of those who frequented the church, he asked for water to baptize him. Then, speaking in a loud voice, he persuaded him to try to say 'Jesus.' It seems that at the sound of that most sweet name the sick man recovered somewhat, and, making a great effort, pronounced the word. He soon regained breath, and made answer to the questions of the catechism, to the great wonder of all who were present. He received holy baptism, and soon afterward our Lord granted him complete health. His parents, who were pagans, astonished at his recovery, attributed it to the virtue of the holy name of Jesus, and to holy baptism. Through the mercy of God, there is constancy among the faithful. In all the time I have resided here I do not know of any Christian who has been present at a pagan sacrifice, although living among so many of them. The corregidor of this town related to me, with surprise, that although he had investigated many cases pertaining to this matter, he had never found any Christian guilty therein. This same man related that he had [on official journeys] taken in his company, among other Indians, some Christians of this town; that in some places which were unsafe, on account of enemies, he placed sentinels; and, when it was the turn of the Christians to go on guard, they were found praying, and singing the doctrine. He noticed, besides this, that they never let a day pass without reciting the rosary; and he greatly valued and praised such solicitude among persons so new in the faith."

To this account Father Manuel Martinez adds the following: "The esteem in which they hold holy baptism is universal. Consequently, those who have not received it, and some who in health refused it, when they become sick ask at once for the sacrament, confident that by this means they will acquire health, not only for their souls but for their bodies, inasmuch as our Lord has many times granted this to them. A little boy, the son of a chief of this town, was brought so low by sickness that he was thought to be dead; and as such they were weeping for him when an Agnus Dei and some holy water were sent to him from our house. Our Lord was pleased to restore him very soon to health, and his parents related it to every one, ascribing this result to the efficacy of the Agnus Dei and the holy water. A Spaniard was exhausted by a violent pain that had been afflicting him for some time. Seeing himself in such distress, he sent for one of our fathers, who read the gospel to him. Immediately he began to improve, and in less than a quarter of an hour felt entirely well. He then gave thanks to God, and made it publicly known that he had recovered his health by means of the holy gospel. In Advent and Lent the practice of discipline has been maintained in the church, in which participate the Spaniards who are wont to come to this town. Sometimes public and bloody flagellations took place; and on Holy Thursday and Friday there were two admirably arranged processions, in which many people accompanied the flagellants with torches. I will conclude this letter with two incidents, omitting many others, to avoid prolixity. The first concerns a pagan, who was grievously wounded by a wild boar while hunting. Thinking that the hour of death was at hand, and remembering to have heard in the church that in our necessities we should invoke the most holy name of Jesus, he fell upon his knees, and, folding his hands, repeated, 'Jesus, have mercy on me.' Our Lord heard his prayer; and, soon healed of his wounds, he came to recount this experience, and asked to be at once baptized. With great devotion he relates to others this act of God's mercy, and says that he received it through having heartily invoked the most holy name of Jesus. Another pagan, affrighted by some terrible thunder, and fearful that some flash of lightning might strike him, invoked many times with confidence the sweet name of Jesus, accompanied by all the people of his household; and all were protected and encompassed by one cross. A brilliant flash of lightning burst forth, accompanied by a frightful peal of thunder. The pagan, in his fright, fell to the ground, and all believed that their hour had come, and that they would be consumed by fire on the spot. But they noticed only a bad odor of something burning, and in the morning found that a palm-tree which grew close to the house was completely burned by the lightning. This incident filled them all with wonder, and they rendered thanks to our Lord, who by means of His own sweet name and holy cross had delivered them."

The number of people who were gathered into villages in the district of Alangalang, and the result of our labors therein. Chapter LVII.

At no time did the Filipinos have any form of towns with civic order and political government, such that at least one island, or a number of villages, recognizing one person as their lord, might live under his protection and rule; but he who was most powerful conquered others, and ruled over them. As there was not only one such, but almost all the chiefs asserted their authority, and conquered and ruled, the general result was that each chief remained apart from the rest, having his own followers, and fortified himself, keeping up an attitude of defense. Consequently, they were usually at war with one another, neighbors against neighbors--perpetually engaged in petty warfare, with ambuscades, violence, robbery, murders, and captures.

Very seldom, if ever, did any of these bands become friendly and live in the same neighborhood or village, and aid each other and combine against enemies. Even rarer were the lords who ruled large towns, such as Sebu, Manila, Cainta, and a very few others. To this must be added the fact that those who were able to remove from the vicinity and danger of such turmoils, and flee to the mountains to spend their lives, would there build their houses and, close by, cultivate their groves and fields. As a result, in places and at times favorable to the enjoyment of this tranquillity, many persons migrated; and soon the country districts abounded with homes--so that in some districts, and even in many today, one may journey many leguas, all the way through dwellings and plantations (which are cultivated and divided into fields), in the same manner as, here in Europe, the farm-houses and cottages are wont to stand. This was the condition of all those islands, and, in particular, of this island of Leite; the greater part of the people everywhere divided and scattered in rural hamlets, in rugged, inaccessible, and mountainous localities. Besides these, there were houses at considerable distances from one another, without any order, or any trace of streets or village, placed along the banks of the rivers, and surrounded by their grain-fields and groves. On account of these conditions, the first concern of Father Cosme de Flores, upon entering the district of Alangalang, was to gather all these settlements into one village, which he did; and this policy has been followed by those who have succeeded him in the charge of that mission field. This measure has been of no small advantage to those people; for in the year one thousand six hundred alone, two villages were established, containing each three hundred houses, and a third one with five hundred--all amounting to about four thousand five hundred souls, of whom more than a hundred were baptized in that year. During Lent all the Christians attended the services with eagerness, especially in Holy Week, when the people of the other villages joined them. They attended the divine services which were celebrated in as fitting a manner as possible. On the morning of Holy Thursday a sermon was preached to them concerning the holy sacrament; and in the afternoon the superior of that house washed the feet of a dozen poor persons (explaining in a brief sermon the signification of that holy ceremony), by which they were all greatly edified. Toward evening a well-ordered procession was formed containing a large number of flagellants, with other persons who carried some large crosses. This procession was repeated the next day, after the sermon on the passion.

On Easter the people from other villages assembled, and, after the mass and sermon, celebrated the occasion with all the tokens of rejoicing that they could display. A very graceful dance was performed, and all the people made merry in the court of the church with dancing according to their custom. What especially pleased us was, that in so great a concourse of people, who amused themselves and feasted after their own fashion, there was not one person who was known to have taken wine, although formerly this was a very ordinary vice among those people in their feasts and merry-making.

The condition of Christianity in Carigara. Chapter LVIII.

Our church here, although no older than five years, was both served and attended as if it were a church in Europe. Its services were rendered more magnificent by the choir of music, especially on feast-days; the musicians not only celebrated divine worship in consonance with the organ, but accompanied it with motets and other compositions in their own Bissayan language. These latter were sung, some to the leading of the organ, others in the musical mode and the manner of the country. Both methods greatly attracted the people, moved them to devotion, and caused them to learn willingly and with pleasure our sacred mysteries, thus couched in their own meter and style of music. In short, these were affected in the same way which the glorious doctor St. Augustine mentions concerning himself; and we all experienced the same emotions. By these means those Christians became fervent, and frequented with profit the holy sacraments. The fruit of their devotion was apparent in their lives, as Father Francisco de Enzinas relates in one of his letters; therein he continually praises, as one who keeps this matter in his mind, and is personally concerned in it, the good disposition of those people, their readiness to accept the teachings of virtue, and their service to God, concerning which he relates the following:

"It is a source of great consolation to see the purity that shines in many of these poor women. I know concerning some of them that, after being annoyed and even persecuted with liberal offers of money, neither by gifts nor threats were they in any way overcome. I also know of other women who, when, they have learned that lawless men have entered the village, have absented themselves from home and retired to their grain-fields, to avoid the danger of offending God. One of those soulless men promised a young boy, one of those who aid us at our house, that he would give him I know not what gift, if he would search after a certain woman for him. The lad answered that he could not, since he belonged to the house of the father, assist in such a matter. When he was told that the father would not know it, he replied: 'But will God fail to see it, even if the father does not know it?' At this reply the man became abashed and ashamed, and ceased to importune him. From Easter-time until the date of this writing, which is about a month and a half, more than eighty adults have been baptized--the greater part of them very old, but well prepared--and with these about ninety who are younger. While journeying during Lent, to the village of Leite, we were overtaken by a storm so violent that it drove our boat upon the shore and compelled us to continue our course by land. This change, however, was not without the special providence of God; for, as we were passing by some grain-fields, an old woman lay very sick in her wretched hut. Learning that I was going by, she had me summoned; and after I had given her instruction, I baptized her, with great consolation to both, and on the following day she died."

The remarkable case of three old men, of whom two were converted, and the third, who was blind, refused. Chapter LIX.

The village of Leite, which the father here mentions, lies on the banks of a very beautiful stream of the same name; which gives its name to the whole island. The village lies at the very entrance of the island, as one goes eastward from Manila, from which it is distant about one hundred and thirty leguas. The distance between Carigara and Leite is five leguas by land and ten by sea. The fathers usually make the journey by sea, to avoid the fatigue of crossing on foot the great mountain-ranges in that route. On the other side of Carigara, proceeding along the coast of this island--which, as we have said, runs east and west--there is another river, called Barugo, two leguas distant; on its shore are many dwellings, which, being united in a village, numbered three hundred houses (besides which there were many others). Father Mattheo Sanchez repaired to the village of Barugo, where at one haul he caught two of three fishes; the third remained in spiritual and bodily darkness. As the incident is a notable one, I shall relate it in the words of a letter from the same father, who writes thus: "In the village of Barugo an event occurred by which our Lord displayed to me the effects of His divine predestination, and how _cujus vult miseretur, et quem vult indurat_. I was summoned to baptize an old man who was very ill. Upon entering his house, I found him in company with two other men, also very aged--one, indeed, so old that he did not go from the house, nor could he even walk. This last, hearing me instruct the sick man, began to exert himself, and approached us by creeping across the floor. Then, with remarkable attention, he began to listen; and, very opportunely, he heard the catechism. Seeing the satisfaction which the old man and his companion received from hearing the things of our holy faith, I remained a long time, explaining it to them. When I had baptized the sick man, the other began with eagerness and devotion to ask for the sacrament, saying that he had faith in all that I had said, and was desirous of salvation. He said that in no case ought I to leave him without baptism, since his old age gave him not many more days of life and those he wished to spend as a Christian; accordingly, I baptized him. The third old man was blind; and all the time while I was catechizing his companions he spent in twisting some threads, and while the others were receiving so much pleasure and their hearts becoming softened, he was jesting and becoming more and more hardened. Taking pity on him, I tried to incline him to conversion; but I could do nothing with him, and his soul remained as forsaken as was his body."

How the Christian church continued to increase in Ogmuc. Chapter LX.

Every one of these mission-fields [_doctrinas_] is truly a school of celestial theology; for just as, in the schools, are seen the students assembled at the lectures, and their eagerness in studying and reciting their lessons, and afterward their reception of degrees, so in these missions it is a cause for praise to God to see old men become again children, and the chiefs made humble--all learning, with eagerness, delight, and perseverance, the Christian doctrine, and writing, repeating, studying, reciting, and singing it. As a final reward, they receive the degree of holy baptism, a blessing which those people as anxiously seek and desire, and receive with as much joy, as do students the degree of doctor or master. In some places they are assigned on one Sunday the lesson they are to learn for the next; in others, without being assigned a lesson, they are questioned as to what they know. In some districts, as here in Ogmuc, are formed as many classes as there are divisions of the Christian doctrine, from making the sign of the cross to the act of confession, and each student, whether child or old man, continues to advance as he learns, until he takes his degree, and is graduated--that is, until he knows the doctrine--which, as we said, was done with the old men of Antipolo. Not only do they, as good students, write their lessons--mainly in their own characters, and using a piece of a reed [7] as a book of memorandum, and an iron point as a pen; but they always carry with them these materials, and whenever one ceases his labors, whether at home or in the field, by way of rest he takes his book, and spends some time in study. Such is the fervor and zeal of these eager students in learning their supernatural and divine theology; and their ardor in learning is also evident in their demeanor and actions, for their lively faith enkindles and inflames their deeds, and after the ardent heart follows the eager and ardent hand. All this (omitting many other details, which might be related) is seen in their often frequenting the holy sacraments, with notable results in the amendment of their lives; and yet these are people newly born in the church, and but yesterday begotten in Christ. They devoutly and confidently ask that the gospel may be read to their sick, and that holy water be given them; and our Lord responds to their faith by frequently granting them complete health. Accordingly, they acknowledge these favors from His hand, being thus confirmed in the faith, and abhorring the sacrifices which in their maladies they were wont to make to the devil. Even the infidels are so undeceived concerning these vain illusions that scarcely a case is known of those accursed sacrifices which formerly were so frequent. Many infidels have brought their sick children to be baptized, saying that by this means our Lord would give them health. Indeed it has often happened so, and their cure has been the cause of converting their parents. They are greatly devoted to the holy cross, and have upon occasions experienced its protection. One night, while some Christians were reciting, as usual, the doctrine in their house, someone outside began to throw stones at the building, and made a great noise, and injured whatever was near the house. Several times they sallied forth to discover who was doing them harm, but saw no one; yet, again entering the house, the same disturbance was made outside. Thinking that it was an artifice of the devil, they persevered in prayer, and under this persecution confirmed themselves in the faith; and, as a defense, they erected a cross in front of the house. From that time, they were not in any way disturbed. The infidels are steadily growing more inclined to receive our holy faith; moreover, we are gradually uprooting that hindrance to conversion, so common among those people, and so difficult to remove, the practice of having several wives. They are easily persuaded that it is impossible and unseemly for them to have more than one wife, accordingly they have forsaken the others, although in doing so the husbands lose their property; for in marrying the women the men give them dowries, and if they leave their wives they must lose the dowries that they gave. To do this is no slight merit, for people who are not even Christians.

Of some baptisms conferred in Paloc. Chapter LXI.

In the absence of Father Christoval Ximenez, this village was left alone; and while in this plight it was visited by Father Alonso Rodriguez, who went there to hold a mission. What he accomplished in the few days that he could spend among them he himself relates in a letter, a section of which is as follows: "We held a mission at Paloc; and the method of teaching the doctrine by decurias [8] so aroused the enthusiasm of all that within ten days many learned the prayers and gained all the knowledge necessary for baptism. Such was the emulation among them that their prayers never ceased--at night, in their homes; and by day, in the church. As a result, on the feast of the glorious St. Joseph I baptized fifty adults, among them the most prominent persons of this village. To see their leaders already Christians is a strong incentive for the others to follow these. From many others I withheld baptism, as it was necessary to investigate their marriages, and this could not be done on account of the absence of the persons concerned. Of these latter there is a considerable number, but I trust in our Lord that within a few days not a man will remain unbaptized in this village; for already they are all catechumens and attend the church. At the same time I baptized also fifty children." The father proceeds to relate other devout exercises of those Christians, which I do not repeat here, as they are similar to those which I have recounted of others. Afterward, Father Juan de Torres held another mission in the same town, and our Lord made him joyful by granting him another rich haul, when he cast from the pulpit the net of the word of God, in order to fish for souls. This was a chief, one of the most powerful in that district; in imitation of the chiefs of Botuan (although ignorant of what they had done), he arose like them in the congregation, and after earnestly asking for baptism, began then and there his preparation--by publicly asking pardon of all those whom he might have wronged, and offering full satisfaction, whatever might be the amount of his obligation; and (an act of much greater importance), by putting away one of his two wives. Through this the Spirit of truth, [9] which is uniform, swayed the hearts of the others to be like this man's, and brought them, most efficaciously and harmoniously, under the gentle yoke of Christ, although he and they were so far away. But inasmuch as this divine Spirit is present in all places, in all alike it operates as if they were but one, its strength and power being subtly and efficaciously active.

A third mission was held in this village during Lent of the year one thousand six hundred, by Father Melchior Hurtado, who had gone to these islands in the previous year with the father-visitor. Devoting himself to the study of the language, he used it effectively as we may judge from a letter written by him from Paloc to the same father, as follows: "In the village of San Salvador (which is the same as Paloc) the number of those who had recourse to the discipline was greatly increased, especially on Fridays, when it was necessary to exclude the children [from the church], to make room for the adults. Many went out for the bloody discipline, and it was cause for edification to behold the fervor with which at the conclusion of a short sermon which was preached to them before the procession began, all the people fell upon their knees, asking in a loud voice pardon for their sins, with such emotion and weeping that we who were present were also brought to tears. They were all deeply impressed by the sermons on the various stages of the passion; and also when we pictured to them the life of Christ our Lord, from His childhood until He was fastened to the cross. They shed many tears thereat, and their minds were so impressed by those sacred events that for many days they talked of nothing else. On Easter Sunday a most joyful procession was formed, in which was borne the cross triumphant, handsomely adorned; all were clad in white tunics, and bore garlands of flowers. Those who have received communion have set a notable example. They have a sort of brotherhood the members of which are the most assiduous in their attendance at church. There are two women, among the most exemplary and capable, who take care of the rest; and when any woman asks to receive communion for the first time, they instruct her how to approach it. The example of these few women has induced the rest of the people to ask eagerly for the most blessed sacrament. During this time some seventy adults have been baptized, among them six datos, or headmen of districts, with their wives. Matters are in such condition that in a short time all the people of this village will be baptized. The baptisms are conferred by families, in order that the Christians may not live intermingled with infidels, but may daily augment their virtue in the uniformity of the Christian religion. It was a source of great edification to see with what sincerity the chiefs, before receiving holy baptism, asked from all the people pardon for any wrongs that they had done them in the matter of slavery--a common practice in their heathenism, for very trifling causes. They also besought those who had grievances against them to betake themselves to the father, for they were willing and prepared to give full satisfaction therefor." All of this is told by Father Melchior Hurtado.

Of two mutes who were baptized in Dulac; and other matters of special interest in that mission. Chapter LXII.

This year the baptisms in Dulac reached the number of seven hundred, of which the most notable was that of a chief, whose conversion had (as is usual) much influence in bringing about that of an entire village, named Bincai, inasmuch as he was its head man and governor. This chief came one day to the church and eagerly sought holy baptism, saying that his people were negligent and dilatory, and were waiting for him to be first baptized; and that it seemed to him that if he should become a Christian many would follow his example. Accordingly he urged that this blessing might not be withheld from him and from so many others. To test him, however, he was put off for several days, upon various pretexts; but each day he displayed greater constancy, and each day his desire grew stronger.

But even more wonderful was the baptism of two mutes, who, besides their natural barbarism, were still further hindered in receiving human instruction by their lack of the usual qualification therefor, which, as the apostle St. Paul declares, [10] is the hearing--which they, being mutes, lacked entirely. But God our Lord, in order to show His great mercy, and to demonstrate that His law, as the royal prophet says, is "unspotted, converting souls," and that His divine word (as the apostle also says) is sharp-edged and piercing--so that, unhindered by the absence of the senses, it reaches "unto the division of the soul and the spirit," [11] and with hidden force instructs, illumines, and sanctifies the soul--wrought a supernatural marvel in these mutes, whom He made such (as in that other case of the blind man) [12] for the manifestation of His glory, not because of their own sins or those of their parents.

There were then in Dulac two mutes, who caused our fathers much regret, as they supposed it would be so difficult to baptize these persons on account of their lack of capacity for instruction. Father Ramon de Prado, who was still our vice-provincial, determined, upon learning this, to instruct them by means of signs, believing that Divine Mercy desires that we should all be saved, and denies His grace to no one. [13] He undertook the task, persisted, and won success, our Lord so operating therein that the father, and the father-visitor, and all who knew them, regarded these men as fit for baptism. Nor were they deceived in this opinion; for the two mutes received the sacrament, and since then the divine grace which is communicated therein has been resplendent in them, with such tokens and effects as Fathers Francisco de Otaco and Melchior Hurtado attest in some of their letters concerning this matter. In that written by Father Francisco de Otaco to Father Ramon, he says: "I will not fail to inform your Reverence in a special letter, of the two mutes whom your Reverence catechized, and whom I baptized on the day following your Reverence's departure. Your Reverence was deprived of much consolation in not being present on that occasion: for in all this land I have not seen another person receive holy baptism with greater demonstrations of devotion and joy, while thus setting an example for the others who received the sacrament in their company. They could not restrain their joy--especially the elder one, who seemed as if his heart were bursting with gladness. But it was not only during the baptism that these admirable tokens and results were evident, for they were continued in the church, these new Christians attending mass upon their bended knees, with folded hands, and their eyes fixed upon the altar with extraordinary attention and reverence." Here Father Francisco de Otaco ends his account. Father Melchior Hurtado, in another letter to the father-visitor, thus writes: "The baptism of the mutes whom the father vice-provincial catechized was performed with all possible solemnity, and with the utmost satisfaction that our Lord had made good in these poor men their lack of hearing and speech. Their expressions of devotion--and especially those of the elder, who was christened Raimundo--were extraordinary, not only during the ceremonies at holy baptism, but when they were sprinkled with the water. So devoted has Raimundo become that he seldom goes from home. He diligently attends to all the requirements of devotion, never failing to attend mass, carrying his rosary, beating his breast; and he lacks nothing save speech. We are convinced that God supplies much more than we can understand. During this Holy Week Raimundo scourged himself in the procession, and it seemed to me that even had he possessed the power of speech and hearing, he could not have given more satisfactory tokens of his Christian faith."

The same Father Melchior Hurtado solemnized another baptism, also of considerable importance, as occurring at the point of death. This baptism took place in a village near to Dulac, called Tambo, whither he had gone to visit and console its people. This incident and its attendant circumstances are depicted to the life by that father in another letter, in which he says: "We reached Tambo thoroughly soaked, but with much consolation that we had so opportunely arrived; for at once we were hastily summoned to visit an old man who was dying, who desired holy baptism. Immediately we set out for his house, where he lived in his grain-field, a little more than a quarter of a legua from the village. Struggling through mud almost knee-deep, we reached his wretched abode, where we found the poor man in such extremity that speech had failed him. Knowing that he was a catechumen, and considering the statements of all those present that he had sent for me in order to be baptized, and fearing that he might die on my hands, I at once baptized him, although wishing that I could have prepared him better for the sacrament. But the Lord, who had inspired him with the desire to ask for baptism, I trust gave him what more he needed for his salvation; for he died soon afterward, on that same night."

As we have stated, the other Christians continued to increase together in numbers, as well as in virtue and edification, as may be seen from some special instances. At the beginning of Advent, we preached to them about fasting and abstinence, which are practiced throughout the world by good Christians in their piety and devotion. So earnestly did they set about this that one of them fasted four days in the week, in all that time eating only roots. Throughout Lent they repaired to the church, three days in the week, to take the discipline, the singers meanwhile chanting the _Miserere_ to the accompaniment of the organ; and with the same devotion they attended the sermons which were preached to them two days in the week. During Holy Week there was a great concourse of people from the neighboring villages; and on Holy Thursday and Friday they had well-ordered processions with many flagellants, in which some bore on their shoulders large crosses. The most blessed sacrament was kept in a receptacle adorned with many ornaments and jewels of gold; all the time while it was enclosed therein, the chiefs were present in behalf of their districts armed according to their custom.

On this day a poor Indian failed to appear with the others at the church for the divine services, having gone to the river to bathe; there, by divine permission, a cayman seized him, and well nigh caused his death. He was brought to the church covered with gashes, and in such agony that he could neither understand, nor hear, nor utter a word. On account of his precarious condition, and as he was one of the catechumens, he was at once baptized. Being urged to invoke the most holy name of Jesus, this man, who had not been able to speak one word, was granted such strength that twice he uttered distinctly, "Jesus, Jesus," and died with that honey on his lips.

I will relate another and similar incident, equally interesting, although it occurred at a different time and in a different place. A poor Indian one night, in his grain-field, suspecting no harm, received several knife thrusts, so grievous that it is considered almost a miracle that they did not instantly kill him; for all his abdomen was cut open, and his entrails lay on the ground. In this condition he remained until morning, when he sent another Indian, who by chance left his route to pass that way, to summon the fiscal of the church, since the fathers did not reside in that village. The fiscal went, and found the poor man in such misery that some dogs were actually beginning to devour him alive. Asking with great earnestness for the sacrament, he was accordingly baptized, whereupon he at once expired. It seemed that our Lord would wait no longer to receive him to Himself.

But to return to Lent at Dulac: The good example set by a Spaniard who happened to be there during this holy time, was most valuable. It was he who adorned, as we have mentioned, the receptacle of the most blessed sacrament, and who sent much wax to furnish its illumination; and he remained under arms, guarding the sepulchre, and marched in the procession with the Indians, bleeding severely under the scourge. Not content with this, he went a second time along the streets through which the procession had passed (a long distance), scourging himself. The Indians were greatly edified at this, and, as I have said, hastened to imitate him.

Not less readily did they imitate a virtuous action by one of our fathers, who performed it in order to preach to them by deeds as well as words, that he might at once constrain them and render good deeds easier for them; and, by the grace of our Lord, he succeeded in his purpose. Those people are fastidious to such an extreme that they are annoyed and disgusted by any object offensive to the senses, especially to sight and smell. They are passionately fond, on the other hand, of fine colors and flavors, and eager to see or hear agreeable things. Accordingly, they cannot endure foul odors, and have great aversion for persons who are wounded or bruised; among them such persons suffer, in consequence, great privation and neglect, bodily as well as spiritual. On this point, several sermons were preached to them; but, as the achievement of victory in such a cause is, in truth, arduous and heroic, the preacher, seeing that words were of no avail, determined to preach a sermon of deeds. They had one day in the week set apart when all the old, the sick, and the wounded assembled to receive instruction; and the father knew that some were not present because they had no one to carry them, or help them to come--among these, especially, there was a female slave who belonged to one of the chiefs; her masters had never been willing to carry her to the church, on account of their great loathing for her. At a time when many of these poor creatures were assembled, and the most notable of the people were present, the father took in his hands the feet of a poor slave who was covered with sores, kissed them, and placed his lips on the wound itself. There was another unfortunate whom they all held in great contempt, who himself did not dare to expose his countenance, on account of an ulcer which had eaten away his mouth, nose, and the greater part of his face; but the father drew this man to himself, spoke to him, and caressed him, even touching his face. This example made so great an impression upon them that, from that time forth, they have displayed great compassion for such unfortunates--aiding them in their necessities, and, when they cannot walk, carrying them on their shoulders to the church. One of the chiefs did this several times for his slave woman, although, before that occurrence, he had not been accustomed even to approach her. The governor of that same village, an Indian of very high rank and much esteemed by his people, seeing that all refused to help a poor woman, who was in a very loathsome condition, to go to the church, placed her on his own shoulders and carried her thither, heedless of the stench and sores, and careless of staining a very elegant gown which he had put on that same day. When some persons attempted to restrain him, he responded that such was the obligation of a Christian.

The increase and fervor of Christianity in Tinagon. Chapter LXIII.

When the first fruits had been paid with a thousand Christians, who, as we have said, died newly-baptized, in Tinagon and its district, there were left, upon the arrival there of the fathers of the Society, about eight thousand five hundred souls. Of this number we baptized from the month of April of the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, to the same month of the year one thousand six hundred, more than nine hundred and seventy persons, almost amounting to a thousand. For the rest of the catechumens, and for some Christians besides who are scattered through various villages, the services of three fathers and three brethren did not suffice, although they were constantly occupied in instructing them. But our Lord provided us with some boys, so well disposed and so intelligent in the things of our holy faith, that they have, upon various occasions, supplied the lack of priests and the need for catechizing and instruction in those villages. It was in this way that a native chief in one of those neighboring villages, having heard one of Ours preach, became so enamored of the things of our holy faith, and so desirous that he and his villagers might know them, that he went straightway to his encomendero and entreated him to find for them some Indian well instructed in our doctrine, who might impart to them the prayers and catechism. An Indian was sent, as he had desired; they received him very hospitably, and all promptly learned the doctrine. They manifested their gratitude for such benefits by entertaining their teacher liberally during his stay and presenting some gifts to him at his departure. Two or three times afterward, this same chief came to ask our fathers to send someone to his district to baptize his people, saying that they all desired to receive holy baptism. The earnest affection wherewith they asked for it was manifest in another Indian whose baptism our fathers delayed until he should be better prepared for it: but each day his desire and fervor increased, and each day he became more fixed in his good resolution. One day a father asked him why he did not cut off his hair, since he desired to become a Christian. At once he made answer with much affection: "The hair, Father, and nothing more? Do but grant me what I ask, and I will cut off, not only my hair, but even my arm, in return for baptism." This man was almost on the point of tearing out his eyes, or cutting off his hand or foot, to his own shame.

But who can exaggerate the satisfaction and devotion wherewith they receive in their villages these servants of the Lord, when the latter go to visit them? This will be seen in an account of such a journey, made by Father Juan de San Lucar, who himself thus describes it: "I cannot express the satisfaction which was caused by our visits to all these villages. We reached the first one, called Ibatan, in the middle of the night. The people had already learned that we were to go to their village, and, in spite of the late hour, they did not weary of waiting; indeed, they were all waiting on the shore, where they had lighted fires. As soon as we arrived, the leading chiefs cast themselves into the water in order to take hold of our boat; and we could not prevent them from carrying us ashore on their shoulders. In the two weeks that we spent there, great was the fervor of their attendance at our church, as well as the concourse of men and boys on certain nights for the purpose of scourging themselves; at the same hour the women throughout the village performed the same exercises at their homes. Ten children and thirty adults were baptized, and to some holy communion was granted after they had been prepared by a sermon on that subject. All those who received the most blessed sacrament manifested great unworldliness and exemplary virtue. In this village there was an old woman, more than eighty years of age, blind, deaf, and so sick and crippled that she could not leave her bed. Upon several occasions we had passed much time with this poor woman trying to persuade her to receive holy baptism; but she had never shown any desire for it, and even stubbornly resisted. But the Lord took pity on her and enlightened her, at a time when I was most forgotten or distrusted. Her husband came to me as many as eight or ten times to ask me to go to baptize her telling me that he loved her very much, and it would cause him much grief if she should incur damnation; he was therefore anxious that she should be baptized, so that she might enjoy God; and he added that such was already her wish. But I did not believe him, for my visits to her house had so many times proved useless. I told him that I would baptize her on the condition that she would come to the church, thinking that what I required from him was impossible. On his returning with this answer, the poor woman, in her desire to receive holy baptism, was so aroused that she, although formerly she could not even move her limbs, recovered strength, with the help of our Lord, and came to the church. She listened to the instruction with pleasure and attention; and finally, as she was prepared for the sacrament, I granted her baptism. During all the time while I was administering this sacrament to her, she remained standing, to the wonderment of all the people. Great was their edification at seeing how heartily she had sought baptism, and how our Lord accomplishes more in one moment than we in many days. In the village of Paet our Lord moved the hearts of two women who were a cause of offense and stumbling on account of their dissolute lives. Protected by certain profligate men, these women, although they were slaves, had become so arrogant that they despised the other women; and all the village felt ashamed to have among them so evil a company. These women came with deep grief to make their confession, and remained thoroughly reformed, to the great satisfaction of all the people. There dwelt in this village a young girl, the daughter of a chief, whom we had urged to attend the catechisms and the sermons, hoping that if she were baptized others would follow; but the devil hindered our efforts, for she either hid herself or was concealed by her parents. This time I made more diligent endeavors; she came to the church and, having heard a few sermons, earnestly asked for baptism. I gave her a teacher for the doctrine, promising that I would baptize her when I returned to that place--although so great was her desire for the sacrament that the least delay seemed to her very long; accordingly, she applied herself so closely to study that within the space of two days she knew the prayers and the catechism. On examining her, great was my surprise that she should have learned so much in so short a time; accordingly, with great satisfaction on my part, I baptized her and two other adults.

In the village of Cauayan there lives an Indian woman of rank, already advanced in years, whom our Lord has inspired with zeal for winning souls and for the conversion of her people. She devotes herself to persuading, preparing, and catechizing the Indians for holy baptism; and whenever we visit that doctrina, she has a troop collected, and well instructed, for us to baptize. In this place I baptized twelve adults, and four or five younger persons. In all the other villages the people are very well disposed, and a great harvest will be continually gathered, with the help of our Lord."

In the measure of this fervor does our Lord correspondingly bestow upon them visits and spiritual consolations, most liberally accorded by His Divine Majesty to these His new faithful. Of these we have already given some general account, and now I will relate in detail one case, only, in the words of Father Francisco de Otaco, who wrote from Tinagon, before he departed thence to be superior in Dulac: "There came today from Catubig a Christian Indian, a youth of about sixteen years, to hear mass and make his confession; it was a long and toilsome journey. He showed much candor and goodness, and special affection for the things of Christianity, speaking of them with intelligence and appreciation. He related to me an incident that had befallen him, which had been the cause of that interest and intelligence. He was sick, and, fearing that the hour of death was already at hand, he charged a companion of his to place at the head of his bed, at the last hour, a cross and some lighted candles. His end approached, so near that all regarded him as one already dead, and his companion fulfilled the charge that had been given him. Then, he said, he became as one who dreams, although it seemed to him to be more than dreaming, and even quite different. There appeared at his right side a father of the Society, holding in his hand a rosary of our Lady: upon his head he bore a diadem of golden brightness and a halo of the same splendor encompassed his breast. The apparition, calling him by name in affectionate terms, said to him: 'Turn this way, my son, to the right side, which is that of the elect, and count these beads. Thou wert to die of this sickness; but, because thou art a Christian, our Lord has been pleased to give thee life and health; but it is only that thou mayest be a good Christian, always remembering our Lord, living in prayer and carefully guarding thyself from every sin--that is, from all that offends the sight of God.' Having in a long discourse given him other profitable counsels, the figure disappeared; and the sick man regained his consciousness, as if he had been resuscitated (for all thought him really dead), and with sudden energy began to speak. He asked for food, and soon felt much better, to the astonishment of all who were present. These, terrified at such a change, inquired from him its cause, and he related to them the above occurrence--attributing his recovery to the singular mercy of our Lord, and to the fact that he was a Christian; and he often related the affair with no little benefit to his hearers. Having heard him speak, for some time, so well and so affectionately concerning our Lord and the observance of His holy commandments, I praised his discourse and meritorious sentiments. He answered that it was no cause for surprise, since all those things had been taught him in the aforesaid vision, and had remained deeply impressed upon his mind."

The loss of some vessels, and in them of two of the fathers of the Society. Chapter LXIV.

Among other calamities and troubles which our Lord has been pleased to send upon these islands in the form of loss of life, property, and ships, one was the destruction of two large ships (a flagship and an almiranta) which, in the previous year, six hundred, set out for Nueva España with cargoes of very rich merchandise. These vessels, after having sailed the seas for eight months, with violent storms, and encountered great dangers, and after having lost many men through hunger, pest, accidents, and the billows of the sea (which washed them from the vessel itself), were driven back and stranded--or rather dashed to pieces--on the shores of the Ladrones and the Catanduanes, where they were destroyed. But few persons were able to escape, who only served, like the servants of Job, to carry the news of the disaster--which, following upon many other losses and misfortunes of war, was keenly felt and bitterly lamented. In one of these vessels, named "San Geronimo," went Father Pero Lopez de la Parra, a professed member of our Society, who after this long voyage and another, even longer, of thirty-seven years in the religious life, finally came to port, as we believe, in the Fortunate Land, toward which he was making his main voyage with good works. In Nueva España he taught the arts and theology, and was one of the first founders [of missions] who went thither from the Society; and both there and here he exercised our ministries with good results. Although we know no details concerning his death, it is believed, from his having been one of the last to die, and from his great devotion to confession and the care of souls, that in that hour of peril he must have been of service to all with much charity, as he always acted thus during his life. By another disaster and misfortune in these islands, we lost another father and a brother, if we may call those lost who, to win souls and aid their brethren, die with them in a righteous war. Some heretic corsairs from the islands of Olanda and Gelanda went to those of Filipinas, bent on plunder, in the month of October of the year one thousand six hundred; they had robbed a Portuguese vessel in the North Sea, and in the South Sea, having passed the Strait of Magallanes, some fragatas from Piru. These corsairs entered among these islands, committing depredations and threatening even greater excesses. For this purpose their almiranta and their flagship (in which sailed, as commander, a corsair named Oliverio del Nort) were stationed at a place six leguas from Manila, where the ships from España, China, and Japon were obliged to enter, and where all the ships and vessels which leave that city must be inspected. Against the two Dutch ships went forth two others from Manila, carrying more than three hundred men, the flower of the militia of those islands, with much artillery and military supplies. In the flagship went Father Diego de Santiago and Brother Bartolome Calvo, at the request of General Antonio de Morga, auditor of the royal Audiencia, and other officers, who were wont to confess to the father, because he had a very affable manner, and could adapt himself to all persons. At the outset he heard the confessions of most of the men, and encouraged them, as well as he could, to make the attack and to fight valiantly. Finally, on the fourteenth day of December, they sighted the enemy; and crowding on sail, in their eagerness to overtake him, both flagships grappled together, so closely that one could cross unimpeded from one vessel to the other. They finally succeeded in seizing the enemy's colors and hoisting them on our flagship, our men confident of success, and already shouting "Victory!" But the ship, whether unsteady (for, carrying so many people on one side, it took in water through the port-holes of the lower tier of cannon), or laid open at the keel by the very weight of our guns (which were very large), or by the will of God, went to the bottom with all its crew--except a few men who seized the enemy's shallop and escaped in it, and some others who reached the shore by swimming. Among the latter was the commander, who with the enemy's two flags gained the shore. Our almiranta (which was a new galizabra), in charge of Admiral Juan de Arcega, grappled with the enemy's almiranta, captured it, and brought it to Manila, where justice was executed upon the corsairs who were in it. Among the dead and drowned--who numbered one hundred and nine Spaniards, the pick of the captains and soldiers of those islands; and one hundred and fifty negroes and Indians--perished Father Diego de Santiago. He died bravely, encouraging the men, and having heard the confessions of nearly all. Seeing, a short time beforehand, that the ship was about to go down, he intended to save himself by swimming; but he heard the voice of a captain, who said to him: "Father, hear me but a word, for it concerns my salvation." With much charity, he remained until the last moment, to hear the soldier's confession; and afterward neither the father nor his companion was seen. The father was twenty-nine years old, a member of the Society for fifteen years, and a shepherd of the Indians and Spaniards. Brother Bartolome Calvo was of the same age, attached to the Society in these parts for seven years. He possessed much virtue and died through obedience, a quality for which he ever professed much esteem.

Nine new members of the Society reach Manila, having been saved from a ship-wreck--through the intercession, as is devoutly believed, of our Blessed Father Ignatius. Chapter LXV.

In the month of May in the year one thousand six hundred and one, there arrived in the Filipinas Father Gregorio Lopez with a welcome reënforcement, of nine fathers of the Society. [14] Their arrival was most opportune for filling the places of the dead, and aiding the living who are ever clamoring for new companions to help them draw in the net of this spiritual fishery. It was an extraordinary consolation to hear of the mercies vouchsafed to them by our Lord through the intercession of our propitious Father Ignatius--especially when they reached the opposite coast of that island of Manila, near Catanduanes--as I shall here briefly relate, referring to the judicial investigation of this disaster, which was made with many and competent witnesses, and was brought to Rome for the honor and glory of God our Lord, and of his saints. In the latter part of April in that year, 1601, when the galleon from Nueva España [15] (in which came the ten fathers of our Society) reached the region of those islands, bad weather shut them in with heavy fogs and rains, so that, although in front and on both sides the land was not far away, it could hardly be descried or recognized as such. As soon as the weather cleared somewhat, they found themselves in a bay hemmed in by shoals and rocks, with a rugged shore, upon which the wind was driving them. In spite of their efforts they were unable to gain the open sea, for the force of the wind was driving them out of their course and upon the shoals. They then resolved to cast anchor, hoping in this way to gain some safety for the vessel, and thus they remained during an entire night in twenty-six brazas of water, exposed to great danger, and in fear of being lost. On the next morning, the auditor Don Antonio de Ribera (who went as commander and chief of the vessel), seeing the great danger to which they were exposed, and considering all human means weak and useless, hastened to entreat the Divine favor; and, recalling those which our Lord had recently bestowed upon certain persons through the mediation of our blessed Father Ignatius, resolved upon this occasion to implore his favor and assistance, and to beseech our Lord, through the merits of His servant, to give them at ten o'clock that day a propitious wind whereby the vessel might reach a place of safety. He added that he did not set that time as a limitation to the divine Majesty, but because such answer to their prayer would show that the mercy bestowed upon them had come through the intercession of the blessed Father Ignatius, to whom they made an offering of the vessel and its deliverance. This petition and its conditions he called those to witness who were then present in the stern-cabin.

The shallop was launched, to seek some refuge within the shelter of the shore where the ship might be anchored, and the men were ordered to give signals when they should find it. But while the shallop was reconnoitering the shore, the galleon began to drift from its moorings toward the shoals and the rocky coast, whither the force of the wind was bearing it. Accordingly a cannon was fired, to call back the crew of the shallop, so that it might accompany the vessel and lend to its crew what assistance it could. The shot was heard a long distance on land, but those in the shallop could not hear it, although they listened attentively and observed the fire and smoke; they continued, therefore, their search for a more suitable landing. Thereupon the men on the ship cut the anchor, and hoisted sail, aiming to get as far out into the sea as possible. At that moment a miracle occurred; the wind suddenly became favorable, shifting three or four points, so that they were able to steer the vessel to the only place which was secure and sheltered, where the shallop's crew had already found bottom and a place for anchorage. At the same time Captain Francisco Cadena--a Venetian, and an expert in nautical affairs--without knowing of the commander's petition, said with great surprise: "This is a great miracle; for just when we hoisted sail the wind shifted four points, so that we who thought ourselves lost may now hope to be saved." This unexpected shift in the wind was also observed by the chief pilot and other seamen.

The commander, Don Antonio de Ribera, beholding this change and good fortune, and recognizing God's mercy toward them at the very hour of ten which he had appointed, twice repeated with extraordinary tenderness and devotion what he had that morning sought from our Lord--through the intercession, as they piously believed, of our blessed Father Ignatius. Soon afterward he related the same incident, in his stern-cabin, to some Augustinian and Franciscan fathers, with many tears and great devotion; and those religious fathers, full of admiration, rendered thanks to the Lord that He had chosen thus to honor His servant Ignatius, by displaying in that hour of peril his great holiness and merits. On reaching shelter and casting anchor, the commander announced to all, publicly, what he had requested from our Lord through the mediation of our blessed Father Ignatius; at which those who had been about to cast themselves into the sea, to escape, if they could, by swimming, and had seen themselves at the point of death, realizing that they had been saved by such means, offered many thanks to the Lord and praises to His saint. Both religious and laymen asked that the image of our blessed Father Ignatius be brought, and thereupon they all, of every rank and age, began to adore it--falling on their knees, and kissing it with great devotion, while all the religious chanted the _Te Deum laudamus_. In memory of this event, all, with one voice, desired that this place be called the Puerto de San Ignacio, which name it now bears. Afterward, that our Lord might reveal more clearly the merits of His servant--while the ship was at anchor in the very place where they had so marvelously been aided, and while they were about to leap joyfully ashore--a violent hurricane suddenly arose, on Tuesday, the first of May, which toward midnight caused the galleon's single anchor to drag, so that it was carried toward the shoals and the perilous coast. At this, all feared the utmost danger, for peril seemed most certain amid the darkness of the night, and with so angry a tempest; but when they began to cry out and entreat the favor of our blessed Father Ignatius, then the vessel ceased to drift. Thus invoking him in every danger--as they frequently did, both religious and laymen--the Lord again bestowed upon them a special favor; for when the mainmast fell, which they were obliged to cut, its fall was not, as they feared, such as to sink the vessel, inasmuch as the yard and the topsail, falling upon the rocks, served as a support, and on that side held back the ship so that it could not drift to destruction. At the same time, as they were held by only one anchor, with so great risk of further dragging, or of the cable's being cut by the many submerged rocks, they urgently requested an image of the blessed Father Ignatius, and with great devotion and confidence, made it fast to the cable. It was wonderful to see how the cable was held in place during the rest of that night and a great part of the following day; and how, when they tried to improve the position of the ship by casting another anchor, they were able to raise the first one, which was very heavy, by working the capstan, although they found that the three cords of the cable were fretted, and only one remained entire--whereat they all were greatly astonished and proclaimed it a miracle.

Other devout practices which were augmented in Manila, and edifying events which occurred therein. Chapter LXV. [i.e., LXVI]

In these vessels which arrived in the year one thousand six hundred and one, there were also many religious of the sacred Orders of St. Francis and St. Augustine, and in the following year, of the Order of St. Dominic; they were men selected and well qualified for the succor of those souls. Immediately they were assigned posts, each in His own province, that they might devote themselves with fervor to the conversion of the Indians. I do not here describe their occupations, and the large harvest which they gathered and still are reaping; for that is not within my present scope, although there is much, and of great interest, to say about them. I will only say this, that the excellent example set by the religious orders in the Filipinas is a most efficacious means for the conversion of those souls; and likewise serves to stimulate and maintain the Christian spirit of former times among our Spaniards. Among these there are men and women who may serve as examples of virtue and piety from whatever point this may be considered, and who both profess and exercise piety with the utmost sincerity, and in perfection. I observed and noted in those people, without distinction of good and bad, three habitual virtues: they do not blaspheme, they hear mass every day, and they are present at every sermon. As for confession and communion, I may affirm that there is not a feast-day appointed during the year when they do not, almost every one, confess and receive communion; indeed, we hardly have leisure to administer those sacraments to them, for no sooner is one communion concluded than we must prepare for the next one. And this piety is displayed not only by select Christians, of recognized virtue, but by almost all the people of the city; and they are constrained thereto by the saintly labors, example, and teaching of these holy religious orders. These, not to mention other virtues which make them conspicuous in that country, possess two which are especially notable: first, the strictness of religious observance and the purity of life which they all teach, and which, in truth, they exercise with great consistency; second, the peaceable and fraternal relations which they maintain among themselves--a virtue which is born from the first. For the likeness between them in this respect awakens and kindles, in the minds of their members, a readiness to esteem and value one another, and, in consequence, to take pleasure in the society and welfare of their brethren; and thus are born peace and harmony. Of this and many other excellent things, much could be said.

But to return to our ministries: with the reënforcement of that year, and the pious inclinations of the people of Manila (which had been aroused and cultivated in them by the hand of the Lord, through tribulations), we had excellent facilities for increasing the practice of pious exercises--not only maintaining those of former days, but adding others which were new--in return for which, some notable and edifying events occurred. First, the students founded the congregation of La Anunciata in imitation of other colleges of our Society, where it flourishes with so much distinction and piety. Although those who began it were but six, it grew apace, inasmuch as it was a work of God and of His most glorious mother. As the rays of this light spread through the city, it ravished the eyes and hearts of many laymen of various conditions, filling them with desire to enter this congregation; and in less than eight months its membership grew so large that it was necessary to form two congregations from the one, separating the laymen from the students, and assigning to each congregation its officials. At public feasts, however, they assemble together, and celebrate their services in the chapel. These pious and devout exercises, with the example and sweet odor [of piety] displayed in their conduct, and the benefits resulting from it to their own souls, would require a separate narrative.

The discipline, which formerly was practiced during Lent, was now extended to every Friday in the year; and on every day thus appointed, without missing one, many people of distinction, and those from all classes, repair [to the church] to scourge themselves. Every Sunday afternoon many people, whether or not members of the congregation, assemble in the church to hear a short sermon, in which are explained the divine mandates, accompanied by some pleasing example, an interesting story or edifying narrative. The father-visitor began these sermons with good results, which were soon realized in the changed lives of many persons--especially one, who, coming by chance to hear the sermons, was--although bent on leading a shameless life and giving loose rein to his appetites--brought to himself by one sermon and began to lead a new life. There was also begun, that same year, the devotion practiced by certain cities; namely, that of accepting saints by lot. This was done on All Saints' day, with a great concourse of the citizens. There was a certain person who, falling into the sea, with many others who were drowned, in the expedition against the Englishman, and being already overcome by the waves, remembered St. Nicanor, who had fallen to him by lot; and calling out to that saint in a loud voice, from that moment, he affirmed, his courage and strength returned, and he felt a confidence that he would not be drowned. As a result, he swam nearly a legua, and reached the shore, to his own great surprise and with much devotion to that saint.

Several interesting cases occurred of fervor in these devotions of which I shall mention only two or three. A certain woman, to whom God our Lord had communicated lofty purposes and sentiments of chastity and purity, was for a long time beset with gifts and importunities from wicked men. Her refuge was to confess and devoutly to receive communion, arming herself with these holy sacraments. One day, after she had received communion in our house, one of these men lay in wait to seize her when alone; and, with a bare dagger at her breast, was about to slay her if she would not consent to his evil purpose. But she, fortified with the bread of the strong, and with the wine springing forth virgins, [16] told him that she was ready to die on the spot, rather than offend God. He abused her with words, and even handled her roughly, but left her, astonished and overcome by her chastity.

Another man lived for many years in great impiety, and, forgetful of his God, in mortal sins--especially a base passion so fixed and rooted in his heart that when one of our fathers talked with him, striving to convert him, he seemed mad and beside himself. In truth, he was beside himself, for he still remained with that evil companion with whom he had lived, nor did he seem to have feeling or thought for any other thing. It pleased our Lord that by serious conversations and arguments he was induced not to visit his wicked companion; and after a reluctant "yes" had been drawn from him, almost by force, he did afterward abandon her, so entirely that it seemed as if he had never known her. He made a general confession, and began a new life, to the wonder of those who knew him.

The corsairs from Gelanda [Zeeland] who had been brought as prisoners to the city of Manila were condemned to death. The governor of those islands deemed it advisable that they should be distributed among the religious orders, to see if they would be converted to our holy Catholic faith; our Lord was pleased that twelve of the thirteen should be converted. The exception was the admiral, who died a heretic, while obstinately uttering a thousand blasphemies against our holy faith; he was executed by the garrote, [17] and thrown into the sea. The other twelve reflected, and, in great anguish for their sins, were converted to our Lord. They professed our holy Catholic faith and rendered obedience to the holy Roman church. This was done with such sincerity that they entreated the religious orders of that city to give them the most blessed sacrament at the altar, which they devoutly received; as for the five who fell to the care of our Society, and whom we saw die, I may affirm that they left us notably edified. With the utmost grief for their sins, they made a general confession and received communion with many tears. Before receiving the latter sacrament, they made public declaration of their belief in the holy Roman Catholic faith, maintaining that they died within the church, and abominating the heresies of Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, and other heretics. Two days from that time, having asked pardon of all, they died with rosaries about their necks, and with the bulls of the holy crusade (by means of which they obtained absolution) sewed upon their breasts, each one holding his crucifix in his hands, devoutly adoring it. They embraced us all, and in great joy at seeing that, by such a death, they were expiating their sins, they suffered death, to the great edification of all. On the following morning they were buried with great solemnity by the Confraternity of La Santa Misericordia, which was founded by the most prominent people of the city. But enough for the present concerning the Spaniards; it will be desirable to make some mention of the Indians.

Other edifying matters, among the Indians of Manila. Chapter LXVI. [i.e., LXVII]

That part of our employment and occupation which lies among the Indians is no less important, since they retort to that city in numbers exceeding those of the Spaniards, and their love and affection for us is more recent. Usually they are a people inclined to make confession; and this would give, throughout the year, work for six fathers who know the language. The Indians seek communion most eagerly, and thereby are their souls much profited, and they are aided in cultivating the virtues, especially that of chastity. All that concerns devotion and the ceremonies of the church makes a marvelous impression upon them, and they set an example to Christians of long standing. They practice the discipline every Friday in the year; and many more would come to these exercises, if the gates of the city (which separate their villages from the Spaniards) were not closed at night.

The Confraternity which has been established among those natives arouses the rest to fervor; for its members are the leaven, with their good example leavening the mass of dough. At the Christmas feasts they give food to all the poor whom they can assemble, and in such abundance that there is even a surplus for the prisoners (Spaniards as well as Indians), and also for another very needy class of people, those who work in the powder-house. After this repast they wash and kiss the feet of all the poor, who fall upon their knees and offer up prayers for those who have performed for them this charitable act. In company with those of our Society, they betake themselves to the hospital of the natives, especially during Advent and Lent, to serve and entertain its inmates. They make the beds, sweep out the house and clean it thoroughly--which for them is a great deal, since the Indians are a fastidious people, who are wont to remain in their homes to die, in order not to see the hospital; but with their fervor and devotion the members of the Confraternity overcome this and other obstacles.

They are greatly addicted to prayer and fasting; some, indeed, have passed whole weeks subsisting on bread and water alone. They have made retreat in our house, to make their general confessions, and perform similar exercises, greatly to their own profit and to the edification of the people.

There was a Christian woman who, in former days, had been made a captive by infidels who had taken her to the islands of Mindanao and Burnei, where the doctrine of Mahoma is taught; and they carried her through many peoples of that infidel land, but never did she relapse from the Christian faith.

A certain Indian had, with others, made his confession for the purpose of receiving communion; but he remained silent in regard to some circumstances of his sins. He says that in a dream he beheld a very beautiful child who seemed to desire to give him the communion; the Indian excused himself from receiving it, as being so great a sinner. The child said to him: "It is true, thou dost not deserve communion, because in thy confession thou didst conceal this and that circumstance." On awakening, the Indian betook himself to our house; and, communicating to one of Ours what had befallen him, he said that he wished to make his confession anew, which he did.

Another Indian, who was wont to take the discipline in our house, became through that excellent practice so accustomed to his prayers and scourgings that, while marching on an expedition with a company of soldiers, he left the camp at night in order to practice his discipline. One night, while the captain of infantry was going the rounds, he saw this man leave the camp, and followed him, believing him to be some soldier who was going out with some evil purpose. He saw the man go to a church cemetery, where, after offering his prayers, he began to scourge himself severely. When his penance was ended, the captain approached him, and recognizing him as an Indian, was even more edified than before. Asked whence he came, the Indian replied that he belonged to one of the suburbs of Manila, and that he made his confessions to the fathers of the Society. The captain, impressed by this new converts solicitude for his soul, gave him some money and sent him home, saying: "Take this and do not corrupt thyself among soldiers."

The number of Christians in the mission of Taitai, and their exercises. Chapter LXVIII.

Of those who were Christians in the year 1600--who might number six or seven thousand--in San Juan del Monte and other villages of that mission, one thousand five hundred were newly baptized in that same year, among the many infidels who were continually coming down to us from the mountains and thinly settled districts. Our observation and experience among those people show, of late, greater devotion and more frequent attendance at the holy sacraments of confession and communion, and in processions, discipline, and works of charity; and every day may be observed constant progress and reformation in their lives.

The father-visitor founded a hospital in Antipolo, which has been most important to the welfare of their souls and bodies. On the day when it was opened, after a solemn mass and sermon (which was drawn from the story of the paralytic), the father-visitor rendered service to the poor, washing and kissing their hands while he knelt before them. In this he was assisted by the chiefs, whose wives performed, in a separate place, the same act of humility toward some sick women. A rule was made that the poor should be fed each day by four brethren of the Confraternity, who aid them with much charity and pleasure.

The father-visitor also began a seminary for boys, where they are reared in virtue and good habits, obeying the rules imposed upon them, according to their capacity, of Christian and civilized living. This school is of great importance to the whole mission, for from these children must come the good rulers of the people; and it is an easy and gentle means for all reformation. Some of the children (those who have some means) are fed with the rice which their parents give them, and others through alms. They are taught to pray, to assist at mass, to read, to write, and (most important of all) to be good Christians.

In San Juan del Monte it is customary to sing the _Salve_ to our Lady throughout the year. During Fridays in Lent, after some spiritual instruction, they perform the discipline in the church. It once happened that some Indians, who were bathing, as is their custom, heard while in the river the bells calling to the _Salve_ and the discipline; most of them at once made preparations to go thither. One alone played the obstinate, and, in ridicule of the others, said in his own language: _A coi ovian niño_ "Bring back something for me," which in their mode of speech is a sort of mockery.

The rest went to the _Salve_, and this man remained alone; a caiman, or crocodile, seized and killed him, before he could be assisted or confessed. What most surprised me was that, although this animal is very voracious and always devours a man after killing him, or at least carries away a hand or foot, this man it left untouched, although dead; and thus he was found by the Indians, to their great horror, and causing them to hold in great esteem the disciplines, and the _Salves_ to our Lady.

The council held by the bishop in the city of Santissimo Nombre de Jesus; and other events which occurred there. Chapter LXIX.

The right reverend bishop of Sebu, having through a residence of two years acquainted himself with the affairs of his bishopric, determined to hold a council [_sinodo_], composed of the clergy and religious who were busied in the conversion of the tribes, in order to regulate many things, and to agree upon the method to be used by them in giving instruction. Their advice was especially desired in regard to the translation of the Christian doctrine, in order to select, from the various versions of it which were current in the Bissayan tongue, one which might serve as a Vulgate and be generally used in the province of Pintados. [18] Before assembling this council, that great prelate chose to visit some of his flocks, which he did, traveling in person throughout a good part of his bishopric. In this tour our fathers were honored by his being their guest in the island of Leyte--over which he journeyed on foot, although seventy years of age. He took up his lodging in our houses and residences, in as simple and familiar a manner as if he were one of ourselves; and confirmed our Christians with the most holy sacrament of confirmation, and strengthened them by his example, and by the kindnesses that he showed them, with much charity and good-will. He was highly pleased with them, and with the excellent evidences of Christianity which he beheld in them, especially with the chastity of the Bissayan women--concerning whom he said that they had been unjustly slandered; for, although he had spent so long a time in Nueva España, he had not seen there so much reserve and modesty. He told Ours that they might feel well content with their ministries, since that region was one of the most favored spots on earth, and, in his opinion, it was most pleasing and precious in the sight of God. He finally held his council, convening therein all the superiors of those residences; and after many very salutary regulations had been made for all classes of people in his bishopric, the council was concluded with great harmony, and to the consolation of all.

During Lent of that year the disciplines were commenced in our house, with a goodly number of persons and with the devotion of all the people. Sermons and instruction were also begun in the barracks, on account of the soldiers who had been stationed there for the protection of the city; these were highly profitable to them, as well as to the people of the city. The Indians have received more attention in our house this year than have any other class of people, because there was no priest in the city who could understand their language, save only three members of our Society, any one of whom would have been sufficient to care for them.

The following occurrence was considered by some as wonderful: A father went to visit a sick Indian, to assist him when dying; the sick man was unable to speak, and had not yet made his confession. The father urged him to utter the name of Jesus; he made a great effort, and tried to pronounce it as best he could, uttering the word, but in so broken a voice that it could hardly be understood. The father asked him to try to say it a second time, and as soon as he pronounced it he gained the power of speech; then he made a full confession, and on the following day was sound and well.

Part of the employment of our fathers in that city was with the Sangleys from the kingdom of China; this was exchanged (and for the better) for labors among the natives of that land; and we took charge of a little settlement called Mandavi, half a legua distant from our house; they are a simple people, docile and inoffensive by nature. Father Miguel Gomez recently sent us, in a letter, this account of a visit which he made there: "I made inquiries, to learn who had not yet been baptized, and seventy were brought to me, besides some others whom the Bissayans call _Daotáñgatao_, which signifies, 'People who are good for nothing;' these people are wont to reply, when we preach to them the law of God: 'I am good for nothing at being a Christian or learning the prayers.' I began to preach to all these people the truths of our holy faith, and the foolishness of their divatas, or idols. Our Lord was pleased that they should learn the doctrine in a very short time, although they were old men and obstinate, and ask for holy baptism with a devotion which caused my admiration. The day had scarcely dawned when old men and women, septuagenarians, were at the door, in order to become Christians. I baptized sixty of these persons--among them the most influential chief of that district, a man seventy years old, Andug by name--and six others, infant boys. All this has been a source of great consolation to me, and I hope in our Lord that He will vouchsafe much to those people."

Many conversions are made in Bohol. Chapter LXX.

From the end of the year one thousand six hundred to the spring of the year one thousand six hundred and one, that fire which the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, came to earth to light, so earnestly desiring to set the world aflame, seemed to burn with great heat in the island of Bohol--as may be seen by the letters of our fathers who at that time had gone thither. The most interesting letter, as giving the most detailed account, is, if I am not mistaken, one from Father Valerio de Ledesma, rector of Sebu, to the father-visitor; he writes thus:

"In this letter I shall give an account of what our Lord was pleased to accomplish in the island of Bohol after I departed from Sebu with Father Ximenez and Brother Dionisio, on the twenty-ninth of May in the year one thousand six hundred. When the council adjourned, I set forth to visit the island of Bohol, as your Reverence had instructed me. There I immediately undertook to unite and bring together the people, a very difficult task, but quite necessary for their instruction. I began with the people of Loboc, who were dispersed and disunited; and, after many peaceful methods and forcible arguments, God was pleased to bring together more than a thousand souls, gathered from the mountains and rivers--most of them people reared in war, robbery and murder; until then, it had been impossible to bring them down from the hilly regions and inaccessible mountains where they dwelt. But _non est impossibile apud Deum omne verbum_. Encouraged by our good fortune in Loboc, we sought to unite the Tinguianes (or mountaineers) of Dita and Marabago, a wild people who had never before seen a father. We brought them together by blandishments and mild threats, and by other methods suited to their capacity, and it pleased our Lord that we were able to persuade them to settle along the river which they call Viga. There they have erected a church, and Father Gabriel writes me that on Sundays it does not contain them all. He says that he began by baptizing more than one hundred and twenty children; and that the adults are not only tamed, but even ask for baptism with much fervor. At night they pray, and sing the doctrine; and in the day-time they chant praises to our Lord. Those who have dwelt in Bohol, and know the unruly nature of that people, will appreciate the change which our Lord has wrought in them. When we first begin to address them, your Reverence might behold them on the bank of the river, armed, and so fierce as to arouse one's fear; yet, at the same time, desirous that I should address them. This I did, showing them so much affection that they and I became friends; and as hostages they gave me their children for baptism, preparing them to learn the doctrine and to receive holy baptism. Having brought together the people of Dita, when it seemed to me that they would have no difficulties in the small villages round about, it happened that, when least I expected, I saw as many as forty men coming, armed with lances and shields, whose design it was to break up the union by violence, especially if they should be ordered to assemble in any place not to their liking. Realizing from their determination the danger to which the others would be exposed, I dissimulated as best I could, so that the others might not perceive their uncivil conduct, and feigned that my desire was the same as theirs--but with such conditions that I know that they will not fulfil them; and it is obvious, from this very incident, that he who has the authority and force to intimidate them can subdue them. I think, with Father Francisco Xavier, of blessed memory, that a little gained in peace is worth more than much secured by war. Thus was ended that disturbance; I did what I could, but not what I desired. They can, it is true, be instructed where they now are; but the task will be a hard one.

"Thence I returned toward Sebu, passing through some villages where Father Miguel Gomez had given instruction; and I can assure your Reverence that while I tarried there I found more consolation, and gathered a greater harvest of souls, than I have ever before known. For theirs was so great a longing and hunger to hear of the things of God, and so ardent a desire to learn the doctrine that throughout the night could be heard in their houses, now here and now there, ceaseless songs and praises to God; and morning and night, in the field and in the church, nothing could be heard but praises of our Lord. A chief said to me: 'Would you believe, Father, that all night long I did not close my eyes, I was so anxious and eager to pray?' Accordingly, it appeared in eight or nine days that all the people had learned the prayers and other things needful for baptism. Your Reverence will doubtless ask: 'Who inspired them with such warmth and fire, since they are a people so heedless by nature?' I know not what answer to give your Reverence save, _Digitus Dei est hic_. What I can say is, that he whose heart is set on an end, also holds dear the means to that end. They were inspired by God to desire holy baptism, and for that reason they so heartily availed themselves of the means which we offered them to gain it, and heeded no difficulty in their way. Upon the feast-day of Saint Anne, when the church was called together, our Lord was pleased to make for us a goodly beginning in the conversion of an aged chief regarded by all as their father. While in the church, he fell upon his knees and said: 'Father, baptize me, for God is calling me.' I said to him in a loud voice, while all the rest preserved silence: 'Dost thou say this heartily?' 'Yes, Father, with all my heart do I say it.' 'Does love for God and for thy salvation move thee?' 'Yes, Father; that and nothing else.' 'Hast thou determined to abandon all the maganitos and to exchange them for the true God?' 'Yes, Father.' 'Art thou resolved to serve the true God and to be a good Christian, or dost thou ask this with thy mouth only?' 'There is nothing else in my heart.' 'That is well, then,' said I; 'I admit thee as a catechumen.' With this example those who were already prepared were so convinced, and others so deeply moved, that more than a hundred came, one after another, and knelt in the same way and asked for baptism. I, on my part, began to ask them questions, to confirm even more their faith; for this virtue, as well as other habits, grows and is increased by acts. Brother Dionisius and I returned home, astonished at such fervor and devotion among Bissayans. At one time I baptized more than eighty-nine adults; a few days later, ninety-four, children and adults together; and, at still another baptism, the other people in that village. A few whom I did not baptize fell upon their knees and asked for the sacrament; but I deferred it until the next time when I should, God willing, return to them.

"While we were passing, on the way from that village, over some mountains, the Lord offered us, as a spiritual gain, twenty-nine children, who were like so many little angels [19] (which is a safe money); these we baptized, together with three adults whom I took on this journey with me that they might hear some masses, and be instructed, by word and example, in the things of Christianity. Although those people were mountaineers, they entertained us with the best that they had; and he was not held in honor by them who did not bring a banana, some papaya [20] fruit, rice, or a fowl. Here I have learned by experience how important it is that we should not rear these Indians in such [spiritual] aridity that they know not how to perform any act of charity. For admitting that they are poor, yet even in their poverty there is room for merciful and charitable deeds with the little possessions which are theirs; and by performing these they are made humane, and they find pleasure therein. On the other hand, they can be recompensed by us with other gifts, by which they are greatly pleased, and their hearts are more easily won for God.

"From that place we set out for another little village which is called Tobigu, where, in anticipation of our arrival, they had quickly erected a very convenient church. We cast our nets--or, to speak correctly, those of Jesus Christ--and the Lord pressed into them all the fish there were. Indeed, even if there were no other return than this, I would consider myself well repaid for having come from España; for all--the headmen and chiefs, the children, old men, and women--prostrated themselves at the feet of Jesus Christ, making public confession and asking for the waters of baptism. The first time, we baptized a hundred souls; the second time, the rest of the people in the village, so that we did not know of any perverse one remaining--although, at the beginning, there were a few who resisted. When I arrived at the village, I heard someone say in a loud voice: 'I do not have to become a Christian;' but he was afterward converted, being unable to resist the Holy Spirit. Another savage, fierce and intractable in disposition, after having heard the sermon on salvation and hell, said that he would go to hell; and he maintained this so obstinately that he seemed to be possessed by the devil. He was arousing the same spirit in others, as he was an influential man, respected by those of the village. I told him of the terrible punishments of hell, and in return he asked what he was to do if his ancestors and parents were there, and he wished to be with them. I told him that he ought first to try the fire, to see if he could endure it, and I ordered some red-hot coals to be brought, that he might make this test; but his hands were as hard as his heart, and the fire had little effect on them. After a few days had passed, however, he turned over a new leaf, so completely that he went through the plains and grain-fields, calling together his people so that they might become Christians and be baptized with him. He is now one of our good Christians, and the most earnest one whom I have known among the Bissayans.

"The devil, envious of such success, sought to disturb our new Christian community with rumors of war, which compelled us to return to the village of Tobigo. There, while the people were wrought up to the most ardent fervor of prayers and conversions, forty-eight armed men descended upon the village, to plunder it and to burn the church. That night our people posted a sentinel, and kindled large fires, and so the enemy did not dare to enter openly; but they remained in the neighborhood to rob anyone who might enter or leave the village. On the morning of the next day, armed with better weapons than theirs--namely, with confidence in the Lord, whose work we are doing--I set out to go where they were, taking with me Brother Dionisio (who has been, in all these experiences, my very faithful companion); and there I said to them: 'Fear not, my children, for I am your father, not the alcalde-mayor; I come to do you good, not harm. What do you fear from a man unarmed and alone, who puts himself in your power? You behold me here. If you desire me for a slave, I will live with you in your village of Tibor, and will serve you as a slave if you will in turn let me teach you how you may obtain salvation. I have compassion on you when I see you acting thus, for if the Spaniards seize you they will do you much harm. Let us be friends, and in token of our friendship, take this garment:' and I handed to the chiefs an elegant striped mantilla, asking them to give me also some pledge. They presented to me a necklace, and then we embraced each other and drank from the same cup. In short, we became so good friends that they promised me that whenever I might summon them to Loboc, they would come, provided that they would bring but few people. They gave me a little fruit and some eggs, and I gave them a basket of rice. After expressions of friendship had been exchanged, I asked them to make peace also with my friends of Tobigon; this they did, and departed abashed without having done any harm. May God bring them to a place where they can receive instruction; for some of them, when questioned, replied that I was the first Spaniard whom they had ever seen in their lives. This took place near Sebu; what must be the condition of affairs elsewhere?"

Another letter from Father Valerio to the father-visitor, dated October 4, gives the following account: "Father Gabriel writes me that he has baptized in Loboc and Dita more than four hundred souls, most of them children under the age of reason. In these three months I find, upon examination, that more than a thousand souls have been baptized, and that the ardor of numberless others is aroused. The fathers write me that the hour has come in which God is present in this island. May your Reverence send us laborers, or at least one father, until those from España arrive. Fortunate is he who may come hither, for he will delight in the fervor of this primitive church."

Father Gabriel Sanchez writes thus, in a letter of October 5: "Our Lord has favored the plans and labors of the father rector and other fathers; for in uniting the villages, their people have been so thoroughly converted to the Lord that I know not what to say, except that the Lord, who created and redeemed them, has been pleased to call them with so special a vocation. Of the people in those reductions there have been newly baptized in the last four months more than two thousand souls, and it seems to me that, if we had fathers, the whole island would be converted in one month. I am filled with devotion when I see people who are practically savages come from the mountains, and on their knees ask for baptism, and children as well, like angels, who have already learned the prayers, although I know not who are their teachers. Today, for instance, one of them came down, a child about ten years old, whom I had never before seen; and yet he knew the catechism and the questions, and was most eager to be baptized. Catolonas, or priestesses, also come to us, and have given so many proofs of their holy desire that we have not been able to deny them baptism. Truly, my father, I am living in great consolation and joy; for here in these regions there is nothing more to be desired than that we may faithfully serve our Lord, and that all the people may be brought into the presence of His Divine Majesty. On Sunday we had in the church of Loboc six or seven hundred souls, which is the usual attendance. If your Reverence could see in the early mornings nearly a hundred children from the mountains, boys and girls but recently baptized, march with praises to God in a procession along the bank of this river, singing the doctrine with angelic voices that seem to come from heaven, I verily believe that your Reverence would be moved to devout tears, at seeing how God has brought them down from these mountains and dragons' caves that they may praise and glorify Him. During the last few days there were baptized in Dita five hundred more souls, so that in this mission of Bohol there are now more than three thousand Christians. At the beginning, we had eight hundred, and now, with the blessing of God and the mercy that He has shown them, two thousand three hundred have been baptised. Since God decrees it, may St Peter bless it. Amen."

In another letter he writes: "For days I have been toiling alone; and when I depart from a village, a considerable time passes before I return to it. But it is evident that the spiritual benefit of those poor people acquits me for this delay, in order that your Reverence may take pity on them. For this reason, my father, let fathers be brought from España; and will your Reverence send hither even twenty, for there will be a harvest for all of them. In Loboc and Dita in the last few days nearly four hundred little ones have been baptized; this has given me much consolation in the Lord, for I find great satisfaction in these little creatures. The adults are learning the doctrine with such fervor that even until midnight the sound of their voices is incessant. We have received information that enemies are coming to attack this island, and the people are therefore greatly disturbed. Would to God that we might be made captives for His love, and might die for pure love of Him!" All this is from Father Gabriel Sanchez.

The enemies whom the father here mentions are Indians from the island of Mindanao which lies near the islands of Terrenate and Maluco, where the doctrine of Mahoma is professed. In the year one thousand six hundred that people collected an armed fleet of sixty small vessels, which descended upon these islands subject to the government of Manila, and wrought much damage. They laid waste the island of Bantayan and the river of Panai, and burned the churches. Then they coasted along other islands, robbing and murdering, and finally carried away as captives one thousand two hundred souls. But it pleased our Lord that when they came to this island of Bohol, where our fathers reside, they should inflict no considerable losses, nor did they burn our church and house--which they could have done with impunity, for all the people fled to the mountains. Yet they passed on without stopping, as Father Gabriel relates in part of his letter of November 16, which runs as follows:

"In order that your Reverence may aid us in rendering thanks to our Lord for a great act of mercy which He has shown us, your Reverence, as father-visitor, should know that on the twenty-sixth of October in this year, 1600, the enemy attacked Baclayun just after our fathers had gone thence to Sebu, summoned thither by holy obedience; for the father rector had sent in haste for the three of us who were in the island, and lo! the enemy were there. As evidence of the value of holy obedience, and to show how it exempts from dangers, as well as another token of mercy--the enemy committed scarcely any ravages in Bohol, considering what was in their power to do. Their approach was made known three or four hours in advance, and all, as I have been informed, fled to the mountains--except three old women and an old man, whom they killed; and three women and a man, whom they carried away captive. One of the old women whom they killed had been a notorious witch; but God our Lord, who loved her soul, inspired her with so fervent a desire to become a Christian and receive baptism that for three months she did not cease asking me for it. Finally, on account of her importunity, I baptized her, after she had several times given evidence of her sincerity by expressing in public her abhorrence of her idolatrous belief. But she was fortunate indeed, for soon after she had been baptized they killed her, which is certainly a singular blessing from our Lord. The other old woman who was about seventy years of age had also been baptized a little while before. They did no damage in our church, although I am told that they disinterred some bodies--why, I know not. Here is another instance of God's mercy: although they passed very near the river of Lobo, Dita, and other little villages belonging to our newly converted Christians, they neither visited nor attacked them; this seems miraculous, considering that they had, as your Reverence well knows, committed so deplorable ravages in other places."

Another of our fathers held a mission in that island, during the vacation in the Latin studies in the College of Sebu; and, among other things, he writes thus about his short stay there: "So great is the heavenly influence which God sends upon this village of Tobigon, and the abundance of gifts which He bestows upon it, that I have not dared to go hence, and cut the thread of a progress so auspicious, thinking it best to remain and behold the marvels of God. The church is full night and day, and there is no leisure to leave the building, and hardly to eat when I must; and it is necessary to have my food brought to me from a distance. All are eager to become Christians and be baptized. During the two weeks that I have spent here, among those to whom we have been able to give instruction, one hundred and fifty adults have been baptized, and today we are to baptize about forty catechumens; the rest will be left until our return. Their affection for us is great; they bring their children and sick that we may bless them, and in the street they fall upon their knees to receive the benediction. They make frequent use of holy water for their houses, at their meals, in their grain-fields, and for their sick; indeed, to drink a swallow of it they consider an efficacious remedy. In short, all that I see in them is piety and devotion--which is all the more precious since they are Christians so recently converted. An old man asked on his knees for baptism, and, as it was necessary to defer the sacrament, he said with his hands crossed upon his breast: 'Father, teach me how to invoke God, since I do not know how to pray and thou wilt not baptize me; for I truly reverence Him in my soul, and desire to serve Him:' Another old man--a chief, whom all respect--who hitherto had been obdurate, has just asked me for baptism; he is very hoary, and so old that it seems as if he could not, from very age, utter a word. I go to his house to instruct him, for he is too feeble to come to the church. I shall soon baptize him, and another old man of his age; and it seems to me a certain proof of their predestination that God should have kept them so long, and now have inspired in them so ardent a desire to be saved. The Lord be blessed, amen! for His marvels, who from the stones can raise sons of God and heirs of heaven, at the time and hour that pleases Him, and by instruments most inadequate, so that all may know that it is the work of His power. Up to this time we have in this island three thousand three hundred Christians, and I am confident in the Divine goodness that by next year there will not be one man who is not baptized."

The mission held in Tanai. Chapter LXXI.

Tanai is a beautiful and thickly-settled river in the great island called Negros, on the side which forms a strait with the island of Sebu. This part of the island is under the parochial care of Don Diego Ferreira, the bishop's vicar there, and first archdeacon of the cathedral of Sebu. This priest, in his great affection for our humble Society, and influenced by seeing the results of our fathers' labors in those islands--aided by the demand of the natives of Tanai themselves, who had at various times asked for us--so urgently requested our presence there that at last the authorities were obliged to consent. Overjoyed that they had assigned this field to Father Gabriel Sanchez, whom he held in great esteem, the said Don Diego went in person to Bohol with a ship, expressly to convey Father Sanchez, and carried him to their Tanai. What this faithful minister of Jesus Christ accomplished there the Indians themselves made known, and the archdeacon lauded it in various letters, being most grateful to God and to the Society for this service that we had rendered him. We gave him therein no little aid in carrying his burden of the many souls which are under his care, alone as he is, without any other assistance or instruction than ours. But Father Gabriel Sanchez, with his accustomed plainness, has written a more detailed account of some particular cases, while making a report of his labors to the superiors, as is the custom among us. In a letter to the father-visitor, dated in November of the year one thousand six hundred, he writes thus:

"The archdeacon of Sebu, who holds the benefice of Tanai--a venerable and meritorious man, as your Reverence well knows--went in person to the island of Bohol, twelve leguas away, to beseech Father Alonso de Umanes, our superior, to send, for God's love, a father to teach his people the law of God, since he himself did not know their language. I was chosen, and it pleased our Lord to give us a good foothold in the island; on the very first day we found all the people gathered on the beach, awaiting us with music and other tokens of joy. We went to the church, and there I began to address them and discuss our holy faith. At the first or second sermon, your Reverence might have seen almost all the people suddenly changed. Indeed, as they had not before had any minister who could address them in their own language, they had not, as I learned, been able to form any conception of the things of God. When the light penetrated their souls, they were astonished; and, full of joy, they began to ask one another, 'What is this?' They gazed on me (poor wretch that I am), as on one descended from heaven. As the greater number of those who assembled there were Christians, but had not made their confession nor did they even know _si Spiritus Sanctus est_, I discussed with them the remedy of confession, explaining its purpose, and arousing their affection for it. Within one month about four hundred persons made their confessions, with the utmost sorrow for their sins; and many received communion, with such devotion that to behold them inspired a like emotion. I baptized about eighty, most of them infants, although there were a few adults. We instituted the procession of children which, in our doctrinas, is wont to march through the streets. We began, too, in the church to give instruction and ask questions, which so pleased them that the chiefs answered them, and were offended if we did not question them.

"During our stay several incidents occurred which I shall relate. An Indian woman, wife of the governor of the village, and of high rank, lay sick. One night her malady grew so violent that it left her without power of speech. Believing her to be dead, they hastened to summon us late in the night. When we arrived she was speechless and unconscious, and they were bewailing her as one dead. It grieved me that the woman should die in that state; for she had been a Christian for some years, and yet had not attended confession (although she led a blameless life) because there was no priest who knew her language. I was anxious that she should, if only by a sign, ask for confession, but she could not do even this. We repeated the gospel to her, sprinkling her with holy water; and God, the Father of mercy, gave such efficacy to these means that we had not finished reciting the holy gospel when the woman regained consciousness and asked for confession, saying: 'Jesus, have mercy on me.' Many people were present on this occasion, and we gave thanks to our Lord. Within ten minutes the sick woman was as well as before her illness; accordingly, I would not confess her in her own house, but left her, directing her people to bring her to the church the next day. This was done, and on the following day she confessed, to her great consolation. Another woman, also of rank, was attacked by an illness so violent that she could not be held, and even dashed herself against the walls. Finally, she was dying, and they hastily summoned us; we read to her the gospel, as usual, and gave her holy water. Then with much difficulty, on account of the many persons who were in the house, I began to confess her before she should die. But it was God's pleasure that, just as she began to confess, her malady and the pains of death should be mitigated--so fully that before her confession was concluded she was as well as before. The next day she went to the church, and there, before many persons, she made known the mercy which our Lord had shown to her the night before. Another woman was reduced by sickness to the point of death, so that she was speechless; her people hurriedly summoned us, saying that she was already dead, and we found her unconscious, and already lamented as dead. We recited the holy gospel, and gave her holy water; and we had not yet finished the reading when the woman regained her senses and said 'Jesus.' She then made her confession, and even before we departed she had recovered health, and was offering thanks to our Lord.

"They also called us in to see two children who were dying. We went to them in haste, putting aside the confessions which we had on hand; and found both of them speechless and unconscious--one of them with no sign of respiration--and already bewailed as dead. We recited the holy gospel to them, and gave them holy water; and soon we left them so well that one of them, who was four or five years old, came down that same day to play with the other children, and the other one soon became well. We went to hear the confession of a man who lived a legua and a half away from the village; he was so sick that they could not bring him to the church, for his body was in such a state of corruption that no one would touch him. We went to hear his confession and found him in the condition which we have described; he could not even move from one side to another. We sought to induce him to confess, and repeated to him the holy gospel. This was on Friday or Saturday; on the following Sunday, when I asked for him, they told me that he was sound and well, and had gone to another island in quest of food. We were informed that another, a pagan woman, was at the point of death; at her request, we went to baptize her. I gave her this sacrament in some haste, lest she should die on my hands; but after baptism she regained her health. All these things aroused in their hearts a deep affection for our Lord, and they recognized that what had been preached to them was the truth, and that their idols are but demons.

"I also desire to relate to your Reverence how one night, about ten o'clock, while I was commending myself to our Lord, round about the church I heard many persons weeping most piteously, yet in gentle tones, as if grieving for something which had been lost. Fearing lest it might be some case of death, I sent out two boys to inquire what it was. Some women of rank, the daughters of the master of the house, replied that they and the other women were weeping because on that night, having finished chanting the Christian doctrine, while in a passage-way or corridor of the house and gazing toward the sky, they saw as it were one fastened on a cross with a crown on his disfigured but beautiful head. His body and breast were brighter than the sun, white, and lovelier than words can depict. This [vision of the] Lord gradually receded from them, rising toward heaven, until it reached the moon, when it disappeared from their sight. This lovely vision aroused in them deep love, and, when it departed from them, sadness and sorrow. I sent to bid them calm their grief. On the following day, in the church, those same young women, with their servants and those of their household, arose before all the people; and when I asked them what that meant, they recounted what had occurred to them the night before. Yet they are simple and artless people, who were quite bashful and timid when I questioned them. The next day we learned that this vision, or cross, had been seen at the same time in another village, one or two leguas distant from this one. What most impressed me in this incident was that those persons, although virtuous before it occurred, were afterward much more so, and in their exemplary and modest behavior are the example and pattern for the other women; for they pass many hours on their knees in prayer, they hear mass every day, and, while we remained there, they made their confession every Saturday. The incumbent of that benefice wrote me, several months later, that they were persevering, and setting a rare example in virtue.

"The time for my departure and my return from Tanai arrived, in accordance with the orders of holy obedience. Such was the sorrow, and so many were the tears of those poor people that I was constrained thereby to weep for compassion. They cast themselves at my feet, and upon their knees besought me not to depart, saying: 'If we again fall into sin, to whom shall we have recourse?' I consoled them as best I could; and they accompanied me as far as the river, where I embarked. Then they plunged into the water, and surrounded the boat--men, women, and children--dripping with water, and shedding tears. They brought me for the journey their offerings of rice, chickens and other presents, which I did not accept, as it seemed to me more becoming not to take them. I left them with much regret at seeing so many souls exposed to danger and without a shepherd or minister who knew their language. May God our Lord provide aid for them, according to His mercy."

Seeing the excellent disposition of those people, and the harvest which our Lord was gaining from the missions, the same Father Gabriel Sanchez held another one among those people which he briefly mentions in one of his letters. He says: "I found the people steadfast in their good intentions, and in the doctrine which I had taught them. When I asked them, on certain occasions, if they had committed such and such a sin, they would answer: 'Jesus. Father, would I be false to God? When we were taught last year that we must not sin against the Divine Majesty, would we dare to do so?' And their works confirmed their deeds, for their lives were like those of the primitive church. There were women who, although they were offered chains of gold and presents of great value, could not be influenced thereby to consent to sinful acts. Others suffered insults, and harsh treatment until their blood was shed from the blows and wounds they received, because they would not consent to offend our Lord. Many instances of this could be related."

The fruits of other missions in the island of Ibabao. Chapter LXXII.

As the inhabitants of the island of Ibabao are scattered along the coast and shores of the sea, it has been necessary to despatch thither, on missions, three fathers and three brethren, during most of the year, who instruct the people with the excellent results that are wont to accrue from such missions. In these the harvest has been very large, the divine grace corresponding to the earnest desires of those fathers, and with their labors and perils. Nearly all the time they are journeying by sea, sailing along the coast of this and other adjacent islands, and crossing from one to another, never without danger. They have become fishermen of souls, casting their nets for the heavenly catch--from these journeys returning to Tinagon, where, as we have said, is the house of their residence. This residence cares for fourteen villages, large and small. During the year, there have been baptized therein three thousand six hundred and eighty persons, most of them adults. Father Alonso de Umanes, superior of the residence, Father Manuel Martinez, and Father Juan de San Lucar formed six principal missions, each father with his companion being assigned to certain villages. Father Alonso de Umanes writes that in the first mission two hundred and sixty-nine persons were converted to Christianity, eighty of whom were children, and the rest adults.

In this mission two small and isolated islands were visited, concerning which Father Juan de San Lucar writes to the father-visitor, as follows: "Knowing the satisfaction which your Reverence receives when we render to you an account of our missions, I will now tell you of the last one which I made in the two little islets of Maripipi and Limancauayan, which for more than two years had not been visited by any priest. The people were most eager to have some father to instruct them; and when they knew that Brother Francisco Martin and I were going to them, they made a great feast, and adorned with branches of trees the streets of the village, and the shore as far as the church. The boys and girls came forth, singing the doctrine and bearing a cross, which was to me a most gratifying reception. Afterward, in the church, I thanked them with tears for the affection which they showed us. From the time of our arrival until we departed from those islands, they were continually bringing us gifts from the products of the land, such as wax, rice, and bananas, and other articles of more value. When I undertook to make a list of those who sought baptism, they asked me not to do so, since all those who were not converted (who were very few) desired to become Christians; so I did as they wished. The old men, who elsewhere are usually obdurate and stubborn, and answer that they are now too old to learn the doctrine and begin a new manner of life, here used this very same argument to induce me to baptize them, saying: 'Father, consider that we are already old, and soon shall end our lives; do not let us die without baptism, since we are so anxious to be Christians.' With this good disposition on their part, I began to preach to them, and our Lord was pleased that they should all become Christians. They not orly learned the doctrine, but discussed together the sermons and instructions in the church and in their houses; indeed, so concerned were they about this matter that they seemed to pay no attention to anything else.

"We were greatly aided in facilitating their instruction by the method of [learning by] decuries which your Reverence imparted to us. Dividing them by tens, as if in classes, some learned the _Pater-noster_, others the _Ave Maria_; and thus they came to acquire with much facility and ease all the prayers of the primer. I baptized one hundred and forty persons, some of whom were old men of rank. One of them was very anxious that his mother should become a Christian, and on the day when our Lord accorded him this mercy he was greatly rejoiced; he made a great feast, inviting the people to eat at his house, and furnished to them a bountiful repast. We celebrated the octave of Corpus Christi with a solemn procession, in which we bore the most blessed sacrament through the streets, which were decorated and adorned for the occasion with as much splendor as was possible. They laid all their riches and gold chains on the platform; and although it was all insignificant enough, greater was the good will and love with which they offered it.

"With the report that those two islands had been converted to the faith, the island of Cauayan and others of Samar were led to ask for fathers to instruct them. I repaired to Cauayan, and in fifteen days I baptized, after some instructions and sermons, one hundred and seventy adults, with four or five little children. I inquired if any one yet remained to be made a Christian; they replied that only one was left, an old woman, outside the village, but that I need not concern myself about her, for, on account of her great age (she must have been more than a hundred and thirty years old), she had not sufficient understanding or judgment to penetrate into the things of God. I had her conveyed to the village with great care, and they brought me a clod of clay, which had only a little perception, and hardly any understanding; sight had forsaken her, and her hearing was very dull. She had no more power of motion than a stone, for wherever they placed her, there she remained without stirring. She had great-great-grandsons living, and I believe that the descendants extended even further. I began to catechize her, or rather to test her, to see if she had the use of reason; but for the time I could not convince myself whether she had it or not. I had her conveyed to the house of a worthy Christian, an Indian woman of much judgment, by whom the old woman could make herself understood; and I asked her to talk with the old woman very carefully about the things of God, and to draw from her all that she could. Relying upon what this good woman told me (she acted as my interpreter in the church, and as catechist in her own house), I was finally persuaded that the old woman had the use of reason; but when I began to instruct her in the things that were absolutely necessary, the Christian woman told me that, as for the other truths, it was morally impossible, on acount of the old woman's limited capacity, to give her further instruction. I then baptized her, with much consolation, being persuaded that God had preserved her for that hour. I am convinced that she has a very short time to live, but I trust, in the mercy of God, that in the other life she will obtain eternal blessedness through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gained it for her with His precious blood. From Cauayan I went to a little hamlet called Cotai, where I baptized eighty-three persons. From that place I went to Paet, where I baptized one hundred and twenty, all adults; thence to Canauan, where I baptized one hundred and forty. According to my reckoning, then, more than five hundred persons have been baptized, all of age, besides twelve children. What I especially value in this is the sight of the fervor and devotion with which they received baptism, their horror of sin, and their zealous desire that other neighboring peoples should become Christians. They often take the initiative with those people, and preach to their friends with a fervor and power that astonish me. I am also much gratified at having brought about more than eighty marriages within the church, for I suspect that the alliances formed by those people are not marriages, but rather the taking of concubines, considering the readiness with which they divorce and marry again, according to the custom of the country.

"It seems to me that the road to the conversion of those natives is now smooth and open, with the conversion of the chiefs and of the majority of the people; for the excuse which they formerly gave, saying, 'I will become a Christian as soon as the rest do,' has now become their incentive toward conversion, and they now say: 'We desire to become Christians because all the rest are Christians.' While I was passing through Canauan, one of the chiefs was enraged because a slave woman of his had become a Christian, and rebuked her angrily for it; but recently he brought her to me with all his slaves, and he, with his wife and all his family, have become Christians. Another chief prevented his wife from hearing the divine word and becoming a Christian, which she desired most heartily to be. Being unable to go to the church, as she was kept at home, she sent a message to the father informing him that her husband was using this violence toward her. Orders were given to arrest him, and, this done, the woman was baptized. But she obtained from God, as I believe, the conversion of her husband; for within a few days he returned to the church, subdued, and was baptized. This occurred during the first mission.

"Another mission was held at Catubig; this village is farthest from the residence, for it is at the extremity of the island of Ibabao, which is very large. The Indians are very well disposed, and among them are some Christians, who lack instruction; and all are desirous of having a father to teach them. There are more than four thousand souls who only await the coming of ministers of the holy gospel to distribute among them the bread of heaven. If we had chosen to open the door for baptism many might have received that sacrament; but during that mission only one hundred and fifty-four children were baptized, the others being reserved for a better opportunity, when our Lord might be pleased to send them those who would preserve them with the food of instruction in the new life which, with the divine grace, they would receive.

"In the third mission, there were baptized in three months eight hundred and thirty-seven persons; seven hundred and five of these were adults, and ninety-two children. At first, the men encountered great difficulty in putting away their many wives; but finally the divine Majesty made the outcome propitious, softening the hearts of those pagans, and they brought their undertaking to a glorious end.

"In the fourth sortie or foray, six hundred and thirteen were baptized; in the next, two hundred and seventy; and in the last, two hundred and fifty-four. With these and other baptisms in this residence alone, three thousand six hundred and eighty persons were therefore made Christians, as I stated above; and many more might be converted if the earnestness with which they ask for baptism were appreciated. But our fathers proceed by inspiring them first to desire baptism, and to give proofs of their desires, and constraining them to learn the doctrine, to attend the church, and to abandon all their heathen rites, their paganism, and their polygamy; thus they become more thoroughly acquainted with and rooted in the faith."

Instances occurring in the mission of Dulac. Chapter LXXVIII.

The year one thousand six hundred and one also gave evidence of great increase and perfecting in the Christian community of Dulac, effected through the ordinary labors and occupations of four fathers and three brethren. These laborers, making their retreat at the appointed times, to practice the spiritual exercises (as is the custom in all those residences), repair thereafter with greater courage to their ministry to souls; and the results of their work thus correspond to their fervor. But, of all the means that they have employed, we must attribute their good fortune in winning souls to their exposing the most blessed sacrament in our churches, thus stimulating the devotion and respect with which it should be regarded; celebrating with solemn processions the feast of Corpus [Christi]; and inviting the faithful to the table and feast of heaven. As a result of these measures, the people were so fond of holy communion, and so greatly enjoyed receiving it, that on some feast-days the crowd was as great as in cities of Europe; and with so thorough preparation, by fasting, discipline, prayer, fervor, and confession, that it seemed to be a primitive church. Thus their esteem for our holy faith is so increased that few are those who do not ask for or desire baptism. Indeed, there are so many who seek it that during the two weeks of advent and Easter in 1601 more than seven hundred persons were baptized; and from the Easter of the previous year, 1600, there were counted in this mission-field more than two thousand and twenty persons baptized--and all this with great fervor, eagerness, and esteem for the new law which they profess with holy baptism.

The residence of Dulac has in its care, among many others, the two large villages called Dagami and San Salvador (which is Paloc), both populous; their people are well instructed and submissive, and our fathers have labored among them with great success. Father Melchior Hurtado writes that in San Salvador, during the celebration of the Christmas feast, almost eight hundred infidels were baptized, and that the confessions and communions were such as might be expected in España--so many, that the fathers could not attend to them all. This is occasion for much glory to our Lord, especially in a land so new, which the Society had entered but six years before to instruct its people, and had found them so obdurate, as I have already stated. From the letters of this father, and from others of Father Juan de Torres and Father Francisco Vicente, some special incidents have been drawn, which I shall here relate.

A father, passing through a little village belonging to that residence and inquiring who were Christians, was told of an old man who lived out in the country, alone in his little hut, and remained there unable to walk. The father gave orders that this man be brought to his presence, and asked him concerning his life, not expecting him to recall much of the doctrine; but he gave so good an account of himself as to leave the father astounded. Among other things the old man said: "Although I remain in this life with my body, my desires are in heaven; and so much so that at night I dream only of the things of the other life. There I see all the dwellers of heaven covered with splendor, and especially one, who excels all the others in brightness. O, father, would that I might be there, freed from this decaying and burdensome body!" The father showed him a print of the judgment, in which heaven was depicted with splendor and beauty, and then asked him if it looked like what he had seen. He answered, _Abà_, which is one of their words of surprise, and, as it were, of disdain. "That and nothing more, Father? Much more, much more!" Then the father wondered as he beheld the riches which God our Lord had deposited in that clod of earth; and he felt sure that, as the old man said, his only occupation thereafter would be to repeat "Jesus" and "Mary"--which would never leave his memory or his lips, until he should end this life and begin that which is eternal. Two of Ours, passing a wretched hut, found a man, who must have been more than eighty years old, stretched upon some reeds, unconscious and dying. So thin was his body that it was hardly more than skin adhering to bones; and so wasted that he seemed the living picture of death. In their pity for him they prayed our Lord to have compassion on that poor soul. In a short time he recovered consciousness, and gladly asked for the waters of holy baptism, which he greatly desired; this was plainly evident in the ardor with which he declared his belief in our holy faith. After being baptized, his senses were entranced, and he very sweetly invoked the most blessed name of Jesus, and that of Mary; and then he died.

One of our fathers desired to visit another sick man (who had, when in danger of death, been baptized by the schoolmaster of the village), but, with his many confessions and other duties, he had forgotten to do so. Afterward, while resting, he had heard loud wailing and outcries, such as they are wont to utter for their dead; and they came to tell him that the man had died. The father could not refrain from going to see him (although he left all the people in the church), deeply grieved that he had not seen the sick man before. But with great confidence (although everyone said that he was already dead), he approached the unconscious sick man, and said: "Clement" (such was his name), "dost thou hear us, my son?" He opened his eyes and said: "Yes, Father." Then the father bade him invoke the most blessed name of Jesus, and the most sweet name of Mary, and aided him with some nourishment; the sick man regained consciousness, and some strength, and at the end of a few days made his confession, and died in the Lord.

Ours had been asked to visit a sick man, and, when the visit to him was ended, the father, while descending from the house, was seized with the desire to ascertain if there were any other sick person in the vicinity. In the next house he found an old woman, an infidel, ninety years old, although not very sick; he approached her, gave her instruction, and baptized her. On the following day, when he was setting out from the village at the same hour, his heart would not allow him to depart without first visiting his sick people. He gained the little hut, and found therein a dead person, shrouded. He inquired who it was and they told him that it was Ana (the name of the woman whom he had baptized the day before). He continued his way, praising the divine Providence and judgments of God, who had thus predestined the lot of that soul. We were informed that a sick man lay at the point of death, far out from the village. The road thither was hard to descry in the darkness of the night, and abounded with serpents, which were continually encountered, stretched out in the road. In addition to this, a very broad river must be passed, with rapid current and full of crocodiles--which, when they become ravenous, rush upon anything. Yet all these obstacles were of less importance than one soul redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; so the father went to visit his sick man, and, with a certain medicine, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, cured and comforted him. But the marvel was that on the way he found another sick person, a woman, apparently in less danger; he baptized her, and she died immediately, while the sick man, for whom the father had undertaken all that hardship, was healed.

An Indian, finding himself in the clutches and jaws of a crocodile, covered with wounds, and almost dead, began to invoke the most holy name of Jesus, which a little before he had heard in the sermon of a father; and our Lord was pleased that the savage beast should release him.

This befell a father and a brother while journeying along a sandy tract, greatly fatigued by the heat of the noonday sun, without any restorative or food, and parched with thirst--in short, deprived of everything that might serve them as a relief or comfort; yet enduring their suffering and with devout meditation offering to God that hardship, even desiring that it might be increased if his Majesty might thus be served. Unexpectedly and suddenly they descried a man seated in the midst of the sand, with a collation of fresh cocoanuts and other fruits; and so gracious and serene was his appearance that he inspired admiration and pleasure. When the fathers and those who accompanied them accepted from him those delicacies, refreshing their heated bodies and appeasing their hunger, this man displayed unusual satisfaction and joy, inviting them to partake of more, since what he possessed was theirs, and he was a servant of the Spaniards. With this they continued their journey (which otherwise would have been very wearisome), giving thanks to Him who had thus succored them in their dire necessity. Although at the time the father took little notice of this incident, afterward recalling the circumstances, as well as the gracious manner of the man, he became convinced that he must have been some angel. Nor was he far out of the way, considering the occasion on which he succored them, when they could not go any farther on account of the oppressive heat of the season, and the lack of food; the spot where they had encountered him, a place where it had never occurred that they found an Indian so solitary and, moreover, unknown; and then his gracious manner and serene countenance, and his generosity and liberality in sharing with them what he had, saying that it all belonged to the fathers, and that he was a servant of the Spaniards (at a time when there was not one Spaniard in the island): all this induces the belief that the incident was something more than ordinary, or, at least, a token of our Lord's especial providence. There can be no doubt that the incident was most pleasing to Him, on account of the unusual and extraordinary harvest which He permitted to be gathered in the village from which the father had that day set out. I shall not relate this in detail, in order not to repeat the same events, and to pass on to what yet remains to be narrated, which is much.

The many conversions to the Christian faith in Carigara and its district. Chapter LXXIV.

We deem it a special providence of our Lord that while the native language of the Indians of our various residences is the same, and it is easy for our workers to remove from one place to another, since they are not, in doing so, obliged to learn several tongues--there is, at the same time, such variety in the stations and missions. Some of them may be visited entirely by sea, such as those of Tinagon or Samar; others wholly by land, as the mission of Alangalang. Again, others may be reached partly by sea, partly by land, such as Dulac, Carigara, and Bohol. This is a great convenience, in assigning the missionaries according to the abilities and temperament of each, allotting to those who cannot journey by land, stations on the coast, and inland posts to those who can endure the hardships of the roads.

There is enough of such hardship in the residence of Alangalang, where four fathers and three brethren are employed, toiling in the vineyard of the Lord--journeying on foot (as is our custom there) under sun and shower, through swamps and rivers, with the water often waist-deep; yet with much consolation and joy in the Lord, for whose love are undertaken these and like hardships.

Our brethren live in those villages well content at seeing that our Lord is continually gaining souls to Himself, and inclining to His holy law the hearts of those who but a few years ago were living without God and without law. From the year 1600 to the year 1602, when I departed from those regions, two thousand six hundred and ninety-four persons had been baptized in that mission. They attend with great punctuality the sermons, masses, and other divine services, which in that mission are celebrated with greater splendor and more punctiliousness than in others, through the advantage which it has in three choirs of Indians, who [in this service] surpass many Spaniards. They are wont to sing the _Salve_ to our Lady; on some days, the litany; and on the Fridays of Lent the _Miserere_ to accompany the discipline--all of which indicates the faith which burns and glows in their souls.

To that residence of Alangalang are annexed those of Ogmuc and Carigara, with seven or eight other villages; through these our fathers have dispersed (having made their retreat, in the course of the year for the [spiritual] exercises), being assigned [to certain villages] to instruct their people. The superior, Father Mateo Sanchez, took charge of the newer villages, in order to build there churches and establish stations convenient for the affairs of those Christian churches--as he did in the village of Lingayon, and in others. On the way, he baptized in Barugo twenty-five adults, and in Carigara sixty-three.

At the residence of Ogmuc we had completed a church, one of the finest in that island, through the diligence and labors of Father Alonso Rodriguez, who spent a long time there. Father Francisco de Enzinas went to that residence, and baptized one hundred and two persons; of these eighty-one were adults, and among them some old men. These last asked for baptism, as it seemed, with reason, saying that they were already at the gates of death, and they ought to be most favored since they were most needy. They asked questions about the life eternal; and while the father was explaining to them the resurrection of the body he was aided, by a man recently baptized, with the simile of the serpent, which sheds and then renews its skin, and with other comparisons of that sort. On his road the same father visited a little village, called Baibai, and baptized there ninety persons, of whom eighty-seven were adults.

Father Alonso Rodriguez held another mission in a little village called Ugyao, where he baptized twenty-eight persons, among whom was the wife of the chief of the village; she was afterward an instrument for the conversion of many. He also sojourned in a village called Leite, whence he writes a letter to the father-visitor, which runs as follows: "The lord bishop was greatly consoled at the aspect of this village. The Indians seemed to him very tractable, and submissive to the things of our holy faith. They are continually in the church, morning and evening, frequenting the services to such an extent that the time I spent there seemed like a jubilee. I noticed among the chiefs much zeal in bringing me pagans that I might baptize them. During this visit and the next that I made there, I baptized one hundred and thirty-seven persons, who were children and old people. I was in Alangalang and was much pleased with the people there; indeed, everything in that island seemed to me to be from heaven. I cannot sufficiently thank our Lord for the signal favor that He has granted me in bringing me to this land, and employing me in this Catholic ministry--of which I feel myself most unworthy, often acknowledging this before our Lord, with tears and humiliation. I regard it as most lavish pay for many faithful services that our Lord should consent to employ one in these missions, and that one may behold His mercy toward these new Christians. I have just visited the people of Ugyao, and to live among them, enjoying the mercies which God conters upon them, seems to me like Paradise."

Such is the father's general account; I will illustrate the details by only two instances. While a father was sojourning in one of those seacoast villages, there arrived in a little boat a solitary Indian, to the astonishment of all, as he had neither feet nor hands. But God and his good angel aided him to steer the boat, and so he reached that place where the father was, and urgently asked him for baptism. The reason for this was, that he had heard a Spaniard say that those who were not Christians went to hell. The father baptized him with great satisfaction, and gave praises to our Lord that He had preserved this man on the sea, and had guided that little vessel and a man who was alone, and bereft of hands and feet. There were some persons--especially a Spaniard in whose charge he was--who earnestly desired that a certain Indian should become a Christian. This Spaniard sought to convert him by arguments and inducements, and by other efforts; but apparently he became steadily more hardened. At that time one of our brethren chanced (although it was not without divine Providence) to speak to him of the things of heaven; and all at once that soul turned in earnest toward our Lord. At his baptism the Spaniard acted as his godfather, and was much gratified at seeing his pious desire fulfilled.

Great benefits have resulted from the schools and the education of the children; for these pupils are, in their homes, teachers to their own parents, and in the villages through which they are scattered they arouse the people to devotion. A young boy, one of the singers in the church, thus replied to a Spaniard who communicated to him his evil desires, in order that the youth might help him to attain them: "Sir, I know of an excellent remedy for this temptation which thou art suffering. Do thou repeat a rosary to the Virgin Mary, and I will say another in thy behalf; thus thou wilt drive away these evil thoughts." Thus he who should by right have been the teacher was himself instructed by this new Christian.

Other events in the same residence of Alangalang and in Carigara. Chapter LXXV.

When a certain father was setting out from one of the villages that he had been visiting, in order to return to the chief town [of the mission], an incident befell him which the father himself relates, in a letter which is in part as follows: "In this village there was a sick man, an infidel, whom the father had visited, and provided with someone to instruct and catechize him for holy baptism. As the father thought that the malady was making but slow progress, he left the sick man thus. But God, who chose to comfort that soul so desirous for its salvation, caused such a change in the weather that, although the sky was serene and clear when they went to visit the sick man, a rainstorm suddenly arose, so violent that it seemed as if our Lord were constraining the father (as he did the glorious St. Benedict) to halt and abandon his journey in order that that soul might enter by the true way into heaven. With this he began to instruct the sick man very slowly; and, having taught him what was sufficient, gave him holy baptism, to the great consolation and joy of both. At once the rainstorm ceased, and the sky became so clear that the father, leaving that poor man much consoled--or, more correctly, rich in celestial gifts--made his journey very comfortably. A few days having passed without his making any inquiry about the sick man, an Indian came to the father, and said to him: 'Father, that Indian whom thou didst baptize, coming hither, our Lord has taken.'

"During Lent and Holy Week they performed their penances with great devotion, shedding their blood with such fervor that it became necessary to restrain them. So strong and ardent was their desire to do penance that those who could not procure woolen shirts would not go in the procession, waiting for those garments already stained with blood, in order that they might bathe these anew with their own. Nor was there less fervor among the children, who sought permission [to take the discipline], even at a very tender age, and became disconsolate indeed if it were denied them. These new Christians practiced another sort of penance during the last two weeks of Lent, which caused great edification. In the early evening they went out, clad in their woolen shirts; their hands extended in the form of a cross, were bound to a piece of wood; and from each hand hung a very heavy stone. In this manner they went about the village, halting finally at the church whence they had set out. There they remained a long time on their knees, offering their penance to God our Lord. The children had practiced this penance before; for during the Shrovetide festival (at which time there are so many disorders among our Christians of long standing) they formed themselves in pairs, and went forth with great devotion, having their hands extended, in the form of a cross, on a piece of wood, with heavy stones hanging at each side. For this purpose one child bound the other, accompanying him until he returned to the door of the church; there, unfastening the other's bonds, he himself took the stick and stones, and thus they again went forth, and he who had first borne the stones now accompanied the other. Thus did each one acquit his obligation to the other, with more devotion and understanding than the Shrovetide season demands from persons of greater age, judgment, and obligations. In this way does our Lord bestow upon them His mercy--as happened to a young boy, whose story, as it is very attractive, I am unwilling to omit. There was a child, about five or six years old, who was suffering from a disease of the eyes; the little one in his pain went to a father, to whom he tenderly made his plaint. The father, inasmuch as a few days before he had taught the child the _Ave Maria_, bade him enter the church, and on his knees to say that prayer and offer it to the most blessed Virgin, our Lady. The child did thus, and when his prayer was concluded went out from the church, and began to play contentedly with the other children of his age. The father, perceiving him so merry with the rest, called to him and asked him if he were well. He answered that as soon as he had said the _Ave Maria_ to our Lady, the pain left him and he became well."

Among the occasions when Ours have gone to make excursions into the country, and to despoil the enemy of his former possessions, there is one which Father Mateo Sanchez describes in a letter to the father vice-provincial, as follows: "The voyage of the fathers who were sailing for Ogmuc and Sebu proved to be unfortunate; for they suffered many hardships through contrary winds, being finally driven into a small bay, where they remained as long as their provisions lasted. When these were consumed, they determined, as the weather remained unfavorable, to return to Carigara. The two of us who remained had made, in the meantime, some important visits, especially in Tunga, where the village was in great excitement on account of some murders among the Indian chiefs. It pleased our Lord that our fathers should begin to calm and soothe the respective factions, and reconcile their differences, and establish friendly relations between them. Although this was not accomplished at once, the affair made gradual progress toward settlement; and even the murderers came to our fathers for protection, so that through our agency, peace might be restored and established. This affair was one of the greatest importance, for the island [of Leyte] was well-nigh in a state of insurrection, and overrun by bandits. Our Lord was pleased that by means of the gentleness and love with which we approached them, this condition of affairs should pass away like smoke, and the bandits be dispersed. There were twelve criminals, who, on account of the various murders that they had committed, were roaming in bands through the mountains and highways, sheltering the slaves and fugitives who joined them, as well as base women and notorious witches--who accompanied them either through love for evil, or in fear of punishment for their own heinous crimes. All these people have been reclaimed, and have come to our fathers--not only the men, but the women--asking for protection, pardon, and penance. Only one has failed to come, and he was the beginning and, as it were, the source of all this disturbance; but I hope that God, in His great mercy, will bring in this man. In truth, it will be very difficult for him to effect a reconciliation with the parties concerned and obtain a pardon, on account of their rank and wealth; for the murdered man (whose name was Humbas) was one of the most noted and valiant Indians in the island, and always had been, and was at the time, governor of the village of Ogyao [_sic_]. But since his sons were all Christians, and the eldest, Don Philipe Tipon, is an excellent man, greatly attached to us, and well instructed, and informed in the Christian religion, I promise myself that it will not be very difficult to obtain from him a pardon for this man, and reconcile them, and settle this affair as we have desired and sought for the greater glory of God." Thus writes Father Mateo Sanchez. [21]

The mission in Panamao. Chapter LXXVI.

Panamao [22] is one of the islands which lie adjacent to Leite, on its northern side, and is almost a continuation of the latter, since they are separated only by a strait so narrow that a ship can scarcely pass through it. As it contains a great abundance of trees, it is well adapted for shipbuilding, as are many others of these islands. On this account workmen were building there, in December of the year one thousand six hundred and one, the ship in which I departed from those islands, early in July of the year one thousand six hundred and two. As many Spaniards, Indians, and other peoples had gathered there for this work of construction, they furnished sufficient occupation to Father Francisco Vicente of our Society, who came from Carigara, or Alangalang, to visit them and provide for them spiritual consolation. The father arrived there at a juncture when our Lord had undertaken to prepare the hearts of all those people. They were indeed prepared, as by the Divine hand, by an occurrence which affrighted and horrified them. There was a Spanish speaking negro who entered the service of the captain there, and was accompanied by his wife. It became necessary for him to go away, to procure some articles necessary to the progress of the work. Returning one night, he found his wife with another man, and, maddened by jealousy, he killed the adulterer with a lance and wounded the woman, leaving her for dead. This was a deplorable occurrence, for the murdered man was a youth of comely parts and beloved by all; and to see him thus slain--a reputable man, without confession, and in such circumstances, by the hand of a negro--was sufficient to lead all to do penance. For assistance in this, it was necessary for Father Francisco Vicente to proceed to Panamao; and he, finding the harvest ready, was soon reaping, with his sermons, discourses, and confessions, the now ripened grain--as that father reports in one of his letters, which runs as follows: "I reached Panamao, on Saturday before the last Sunday of Advent, and we were welcomed by the captain with much affection and kindness. It is a large population which has been gathered there, of both Indians and Spaniards, and among them God our Lord gave us a goodly harvest of souls. On arriving there I sought to speak to them and show them my affection. At the outset, I undertook to have a church built; and this was done so that we said mass on the following day. I also preached to them on matters relating to sin, explaining to them its hideous and injurious nature--especially by recalling to their minds that recent example or sermon which our Lord had preached to them a short time before. They were all deeply moved, and resolved to ask me for confession and the cure for their souls. In order that so rich a prize should not be lost, I labored assiduously, preaching now to the Spaniards, now to the Indians. On that Sunday I preached three sermons, and tried, moreover, by special discourses to attract the headmen and chiefs, explaining to them how they ought to make confession. When they understood that I must go immediately after the first day of Easter, they entreated me to remain, if only until the third day, in order that they might make their confessions as they should. I consented to this; and from that hour, all the people, Spaniards as well as Indians, began to consecrate themselves with such devotion as to make me ashamed. I did not lose this opportunity--now encouraging and consoling them, now removing their difficulties, now instructing them; and striving most heartily to assist them. The confessions began before dawn, about four o'clock in the morning; and the people came with general confessions for a whole life or for many years, uttering them with tears and sobs. Indeed, it was necessary to loosen the reins and encourage them, for it was not necessary to seek, as is usually done, incentives to contrition and grief. During this mission some of the Spaniards were obliged to go away to another islet; some of them, in order not to lose this opportunity, hastened to confess, making up for the shortness of the time allowed them by their great devotion; others, who were deprived of even this satisfaction, deferred their confessions until my return, to their own great sorrow and with holy envy for those who remained. In truth, God knows best what went on in those souls: what I can say is, that I have never seen such tears, or conversions so sincere. There were persons who spent entire nights in weeping, with the crucifix in their hands. During the Easter season they were so withdrawn from worldly concerns that it seemed to be Holy Friday; and they did not leave their houses except to go to mass or to confer with me about the welfare of their souls. In their silence and downcast looks, and the grief which they felt within, they gave evidence of the mercies which our Lord had showed them, and the light which He was bestowing upon them, as they went from and to their houses. I experienced a thousand scruples in regard to calming and satisfying their consciences; but I gave a thousand thanks to God our Lord for having brought me to that place for the great good of so many souls. Certain persons assured me that they had never before seen the like. We continued to hear the confessions, so that they might be better prepared for Easter. Certainly, had I to purchase by dint of toil those moments of consolation, when I was administering to each one the sacrament of communion and seemed to read his very heart, a thousand journeys from España were little to give for that. I was to go on the fourth day of Easter, but that was impossible, for with earnest solicitations they entreated me to remain--and some, moreover, had not finished their confessions; it was therefore necessary to wait until Sunday. On that day we effected a reconciliation between the murderer and the adulteress, who embraced and pardoned each other and made their confession with much devotion. On Monday morning I was obliged, on account of my departure, to say mass shortly after two o'clock; and yet the service was not so secret as to prevent them from attending it, all being present, and manifesting great devotion. With tears and words they expressed their great regret at my departure, and made me promise that I would soon return to console them; and with this I came away, glorifying the Lord. I left, in process of erection, a little hospital for the sick and poor, which all aided with charitable offerings and personal attendance. Glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom proceed all things."

The death of Father Francisco Almerique, and other events in Manila. Chapter LXXVII.

At the end of that year, one thousand six hundred and one, Father Francisco Almerique ceased his labors, death claiming him while he was busily occupied, and full of joy and consolation therein. He had no illness save that occasioned by his very excessive labors, which for a period of almost twenty years had been so wasting and reducing his energies that the coming of hot weather carried him off, without strength to resist, in five days. At the time of his death he was engaged in forming villages, some of Indians and others of blacks. These latter are in Manila called Itas; he had lured them from a rugged mountain region, and persuaded them to settle in a lovely, peaceful spot, fertile and pleasant, about two or three leguas from Antipolo, giving to the new settlement the name of Santiago. First in Manila, and afterward in the mission of Taitai, he busied himself with the study of languages and the care of souls, to the very great satisfaction (as we have already said) of all those who had relations with him; for, on account of his great humility and gentleness, he was loved and sought for, followed and obeyed, honored and respected, and regarded as a saint. He never spared toil when the aid of souls was concerned, nor did he heed times and seasons; by day and by night, in rain or the sun's heat, and both far and near, forgetful of himself and his health, he indefatigably rendered his services to whomsoever called him. His most important occupation was to bring the people down from the mountains and thinly settled districts, drawing them by cords of love and gentleness. Such was his grace in this that as we have said, on more than one occasion entire villages would come to him; and, leaving to the care of others those whom he had already won, he devoted himself to winning and inviting other and new souls. Not a feast day or Sunday passed when he did not preach a sermon; and often he said mass twice and delivered two sermons, in two different villages. Inasmuch as those people usually had recourse to the father with all their affairs, it always happened at the end of mass that he remained to answer and console his Indians, with untiring patience, without touching food until past midday, or even two or three hours later. His soul went out toward some one of those poor creatures, and the meaner the Indian, the greater was his love. In this exercise and occupation, God our Lord communicated with him most familiarly and affectionately, the father holding Him ever before his mind by frequent and fervent prayer. This power he acquired in so high a degree that those who were in close intercourse with him affirm, in the words of the glorious St. Dionysus, that, _erat divina patiens_; and it called forth our admiration to behold in him the gift of prayer so lofty and sublime, united to a power of action so incessant and effective. In harmony with these characteristics was his peaceful and easy death, joyful and full of heavenly consolation. He died on the first Sunday of Advent at the college of Manila (whither I had taken him for medical treatment), after having received the most blessed sacraments with great devotion. His death occurred just as all the churches were ringing for the _Ave Marias_, on the second of December, 1601, the day of the glorious departure of the blessed father Francisco Xavier, whose true follower he ever was. His death was deeply felt and lamented, and his obsequies were celebrated with tears and solemn ceremonies; his body was deposited in the main chapel of our church at Manila, before the steps of the great altar.

At that time we were still pursuing our occupations in Manila among our neighbors, where our Lord was continually forwarding the progress of all our ministries, not only in those that pertained to divine worship and the salvation of souls, but in those which concerned learning and letters. To the Latin studies was added a course in philosophy, which was begun in that year by Father Miguel Gomez, who had previously taught it in Gandia. At the first lecture, which served to open the studies of that year and which was itself grave and learned, there assembled a goodly number of students, clergy, religious, and persons of other ranks; and dignity was lent to the occasion by the presence of the governor, president, and magistrates. The course was continued, with a membership of many students, and with the theses, conferences and other exercises which are customary to that branch of learning, wherein the students gave excellent proof of their talent and ability. The two congregations of La Anunciata (composed respectively of students and laymen), who continually emulated each other in their devotion and service to the most blessed Virgin, celebrated together the feast of the Annunciation with great splendor and dignity, and much devotion on their part and that of the people. The youth of this city were in the utmost need of a seminary where they could be withdrawn from the world and reared in virtue. Although this had been desired for years, it had been impossible to carry out the plan until the preceding year [_i.e._, 1600], when, with the divine favor, a seminary was begun, which chose as its patron the glorious St. Joseph. The institution was placed in charge of two members of the Society, a father and a brother. On the day of its foundation were assembled the royal Audiencia, [those who direct] the vacant Bishopric, the religious orders, and many other people of rank in this city. The collegians were clad in mantles of husi, which is a thin fabric like picote, [23] inclining toward violet, with insignia of red braid extending to the feet. They went out at the gate of the college to receive the royal Audiencia, and soon afterward in the chapel the archdeacon of Manila said the first mass, the acolytes being two of the above-mentioned collegians, Don Pedro Tello de Guzman, nephew of the president, and Don Antonio de Morga, son of Don Antonio de Morga, auditor of the royal Audiencia. At the conclusion of mass, two other collegians made harangues, giving an account of what was intended in the foundation of this college; wherewith they were well satisfied, and pleased with the work which the Society had undertaken. The collegians at the foundation of the institution were thirteen. That number has continued to increase until it has reached twenty, as at present, which is not an insignificant beginning in so new a land. Many people came to visit the college and its apartments, admiring its good order and plan, and praising this work, so serviceable to God our Lord, and to this commonwealth. They attend with punctuality the devotional exercises and the divisions of time according to the arrangements of the college, and thus derive profit in letters and in virtue. The Indians, too, repair to Ours, as they would to parents; and with the confidence of faithful children they make known their doubts and give account of their affairs. For instance: An Indian, on the day of the birth of Christ our Lord, was in his house contentedly repairing his boat and preparing to make a voyage the next day for matters concerning his occupation, when a certain person chanced to pass his house, who said to him: "How now? dost thou dare to work on Christmas day?" The other answered him, in jest: "Oh, yes! I have permission from Jesus Christ to do this." But his chastisement was not long delayed, for just when he was making ready for his voyage on that very day a violent and mortal illness attacked his family, sparing neither wife nor children, and laying him at the door of death, so that for three months he could not leave his house. He came to us in remorse, and acknowledging his guilt; and after telling us these things asked for advice, made his confession, and prepared for communion, through the efficacy of which he recovered his health, and was able to accomplish those things which, on account of his sins, our Lord had prevented him from doing.

While one of our brethren was sojourning in an Indian village far from that city [of Manila], two incidents occurred whereby was seen and manifested the supernatural virtue of the holy _Agnus Dei_, so famed for many other great miracles. Two women were quarreling, as is usual among barbarians and vulgar people. One of them was a famous witch, and in anger and passion she threatened the other woman with summary vengeance through her charms. She went home; and the poor Indian woman, entering her own house without fear of evil, was seized with a violent trembling throughout her body. In this paroxysm she arose from her husband's side while they were eating their food and fought desperately to throw herself down from the window. The husband ran, in his consternation, to save her, and called loudly to his neighbors for help. Three persons ran to her, and were hardly able to hold her. Our brother sent to ascertain what this disturbance meant, and when he learned what had happened he called the husband and gave him a little piece of the _Agnus_ in a reliquary, exhorting him at the same time to have faith, and promising that his wife would soon be healed. Then, upon his knees, the brother prayed our Lord to deign to grant his request, for the greater strengthening of the faith of those new Christians. The husband went home with the _Agnus_, and no sooner had he applied it to his wife, than she was freed of the trembling and terror and remained quite calm. This occurrence soon became public, and another Indian, who had been bewitched by the same Indian woman, on seeing this marvel was convinced that God granted health to those who invoked Him; accordingly, he asked for the same relic, and the result was conformable to his faith. Thus the people were confirmed in their faith, and grateful for the benefits received from the bounteous hand of the Lord.

The number of villages in the mission of Taitai, and the events therein of the year MDCII. Chapter LXXVIII.

The villages of San Iuan del Monte, Antipolo, and others, were instructed by Father Francisco Almerique and Father Tomas de Montoya, with the help of another priest who desired to enter our Society, and who busied himself in assisting us in this work to the great profit of the Indians, of whose language he had an excellent knowledge. These fathers were joined by Father Angelo Armano, who had gone hence two years before and had been detained in Manila compiling the history of the saints, whose relics, as we have said, had been deposited in our Church--a work which this father made very learned and eloquent. Having completed this task, he went to Antipolo, where he began the study and practice of the native language, with admirable results in all of those villages. On the death of Father Almerique (who was stronger than the rest), the burden of work so exhausted the others that, falling sick one by one, the entire load fell upon Father Angelo, who bravely sustained it for several months. This mission contains three principal villages, all of which are capitals of their respective districts, other villages being annexed and subordinate to each of these three. Each one of these villages requires and needs at least two priests with their usual assistants, in order to give adequate care to so many souls. San Iuan del Monte, which is a village of about four hundred inhabitants, has near it Dalig and Angono. Antipolo contains seven hundred houses, and has the two villages of Santa Cruz and Maihai. Santiago was then being settled, with more than four hundred inhabitants, and had in its vicinity other villages, especially two inhabited by blacks, or Itas. All those people were in charge of Father Angelo Armano, who, during Lent of the year one thousand six hundred and two, maintained them in great devotion and fervor without their losing sight, on that account, of their devotional exercises throughout that season, especially in Holy Week. During the latter period, the divine services were celebrated with great solemnity, and there were processions of blood in the two churches of San Juan and Antipolo, with a goodly number of confessions and communions. Another father--a middle-aged man, who knew the language--came from Manila to help in this work, with orders not to remain more than one week, on account of the need of priests in Manila. However, on the second day of Easter, the rector of Manila came with two other fathers who knew the language, on their vacation, very opportunely for concluding the confessions and communions in those villages. During the month that we spent there, there was a notable concourse of people who came to confess, and great was the number of communions. At that time there occurred to Father Pedro de Segura, who was one of those who had gone thither from Manila, an extraordinary incident in connection with the image of our blessed Father Ignatius. One morning, at daybreak, he was summoned in behalf of a woman who lay in a critical condition from childbirth, and wished to confess with Father Segura. While the father was dressing himself to go, he sent for an image of our father, to whom he professed great devotion--which had been increased by the outcome of the shipwrecks which we have described, in which he himself had been present. There was some delay in bringing the image, so that the father reached the sick woman first; and after he had confessed her the image arrived. The poor woman was much exhausted, and, according to the midwife, in extreme danger. The infant was dead, and as it lay obliquely in the womb, the mother could not obtain relief by expelling it. The father exhorted her to have confidence in our Lord, and placing the image before her, left her calling loudly to heaven in her anguish. A second time they called him to hear her confession; and the father, having done so and encouraged her as before, went away. As he was descending from the house the woman expelled the infant, to the wonder of all at seeing the dead child, and the mother living and free from so great a peril.

The people of Antipolo celebrated with great solemnity the feast of the most blessed sacrament, which was attended by the people of our mission as well as of many others. A dialogue in the Tagal language was spoken by the children of the seminary with much cleverness and indication of ability, and to the satisfaction and pleasure of the hearers. This seminary is making great progress in both spiritual and temporal affairs. It is aided by the Indians, with generous alms for its maintenance; and (what is of even greater value) they act with such harmony and edification that they may well serve as an example to the Spanish youth. Some of these pupils are of signal virtue, and our Lord shows them many favors. Every day they go to hear mass, or, in case there is no one to say it, to commend themselves to our Lord in the church. They regularly go from their houses reciting aloud the Christian doctrine; and, upon reaching the church, they conclude it upon their knees. They celebrate the feasts with much solemn pomp and music (for the seminary can furnish good music); and they practice there reading and writing, and other honorable and virtuous exercises. The hospital is making excellent progress, and the Confraternities assign each week those of their members who are to care for the service of the sick, doing this, as I have said, with great alacrity and devotion.

The new residence of Silan and its Christians. Chapter LXXIX.

This new field of Silan was assigned to the Society of Jesus from the year 1599, as the people of those villages, among whom were some Christians, were without a priest to minister to them, although they were but a day's journey from Manila. [24] There are five villages, which contain about one thousand five hundred inhabitants, besides the many other people who, as is their custom, are separated and dispersed through the country districts, in their cultivated lands. These villages are in the tingues, as they call them, of Cavite, among some mountains; the climate there is very moderate, and in no season of the year is there excessive heat--rather, the mountains render it cooler. The people are simple, tractable, and well inclined toward all good things. The first members of the Society who went expressly to instruct them and to settle there were Father Gregorio Lopez and Father Pedro de Segura, who went in the year 1601. In previous months and years some of us had gone there for a short time, as we had visited other places, on a mission or by way of recreation; and by the friendly reception that they gave us and the results which, by Divine grace, were accomplished among them, we were encouraged to establish among them in that year a regular mission, stationing there the two fathers whom I have mentioned. Through the teaching and good example of those fathers they abandoned some of their evil practices, and applied themselves to the Christian customs with good will and pleasure; and many (for there were no Christians among them) received holy baptism.

Not only do they attend their own mass and sermon on Sundays (never missing one of these services), but on Saturdays they go to hear that in honor of our Lady, which is said for them with as much solemnity as that on Sundays. They were greatly encouraged in the observance of these masses and feasts by the following incident which occurred at that time: A woman, who was very eager to finish the weaving of a piece of cloth, sat down at her loom one Sunday to work thereon; afterward, upon returning to her task, she found the cloth all eaten away by moths. She herself made this known, with the full knowledge that it had been a chastisement and penalty for that offense of hers. To assist us in instructing the large number of catechumens in those villages, and in teaching the doctrine to the innumerable children who assemble at the mission from all the settlements, our Lord provided for that work an Indian blind in body but truly enlightened of soul, who, with great faith, charity, and love for the things of God, instructs those who wish to be baptized, catechizing them morning and night in the church. He is so expert in the catechism that none of us could excel him therein. Consequently, they come from his charge marvelously well instructed; and, although he is blind, he is so watchful over the large number of catechumens in his charge, that he notes if even one person is absent, and reports it to the father. The first time when he received communion, which was on the feast of our Lady, he displayed such profound respect and reverence that his body trembled while receiving the holy sacrament, and so great devotion that the sight of it inspired that emotion in others. This man deserves all the greater credit for what he is doing, for having gone from one extreme to another; formerly he was one of the heathen priests, whom they here call catalones, and now he has become a preacher of our holy faith. This he relates, while uttering fervent thanks and exalting the great favors and benefits which God has bestowed upon him.

The increase of this mission has been very great, although it requires arduous labors on the part of the fathers, who have been obliged to go forth among mountains and rugged cliffs seemingly inaccessible; for they go to seek the people in their huts and grain-fields, where it seems as if the devil, in order to deprive them of instruction and gospel truth, had persuaded them to seek wild and rugged places which can be reached only with the greatest difficulty. In this work the fathers have spent the greater part of their time, and have gathered into settlements (to the consolation of their own souls) a great number of people, of all classes. Old persons who seemed the living and fearful images of death, men, women, and tender little children, of all ages, have in this way become acquainted with gospel truth; and as they see that we act disinterestedly in all things, even aiding them in our poverty, they are attracted to us, and soon are ranked in the number of the faithful.

The fathers have succored them in their sickness; and during a pestilence which was prevalent in one of the places visited from this mission, they went there twice to confess the people, although the distance was great, and the roads so difficult that in the going to that one place one must go through nine or ten precipitous ravines, to pass which, as it was then the rainy season, they must walk barefoot, the mud in many places being knee-deep. The fathers heard the confessions of all the sick, some of whom our Lord soon took to Himself. While returning from this village the father passed through a little hamlet of Christians not dependent on this mission, which lay within some very rugged ravines; and among all its people there was not one who had in all his life made confession. They welcomed the father with great joy, going more than a quarter of a legua out of the village to meet him; and when he departed from the village they accompanied him to a like distance. He heard the confessions of some, and all were desirous of removing to our mission-village; they put this desire into execution, at the end of four months, by breaking up the entire village, and proceeding with their families to Silan. This and other beneficial results from that residence of Silan are well described by Father Gregorio Lopez in a letter written by him for the father-visitor, thus:

"Early in my stay there, the people told me that in Caibabayan was a catalona, or priestess; and in order to cut the thread of evil, and to gain a knowledge of those distant fields and peoples, I went thither, desiring to act toward them as a father rather than as a judge; and the Lord, who is the true Father of all, fulfilled my desire. Finding no present evil, but only the report of past things, I sought to reëstablish the reputation of the person whom they defamed. I found in one of the most distant fields, an old man about seventy years of age, who was crippled and had been sick for days. I baptized him, giving him the name of Ignacio, and invited many others who had not even been baptized--encouraging in them the desire for so great a good, helping them to learn what was necessary, to which they commonly give attention. Word was sent from one to another among those mountains and plantations, and those people followed me about with tokens of love and offered to entertain me. Afterward were baptized there many persons of all ages--children, youths, and old men. A few days ago I was informed that in the villages of Malabag, Balete, and Dinglas there were many sick persons who needed help. I set out in the morning after saying mass, thinking to return in the evening; but when I arrived there and saw the needy condition of the people, I changed my plan, for I found in Malabag many sick persons. After I had cared for them I heard the confessions of many who were infirm and old, and those who wished to guard against the malady which was attacking many of them--and perhaps not a few that they might profit, at little cost, by the presence of the new confessor in their village. I passed on to Balete and found that it had become a hospital. I went through all the houses to hear confessions, but could not finish them on that day; so I continued this task on the following day, and then went to Dinglas, where I found the same needs. All, both the sick and those in health, were greatly consoled by my visit; and finally I returned to Silang in the night, with the fiscal and others, who accompanied me. I had occasion to make other and shorter trips among the plantations in the vicinity of Silang, as they contained sick persons who were in need; I also desired to ascertain what houses and persons were in those country districts. Moreover, I thus did something to further my plan of removing them to the village and to have them carry thither their rice and their little possessions, desiring to accomplish what your Reverence so desires, and which is so expedient for the proper instruction of those people. The great activity and solicitude of the father, who is my companion, was of great value to me in this as in all other matters; and the coming of the father rector and Father Diego Sanchez, who assisted us here until Lent, was most valuable, adding more energy and ability to our forces, and consoling and encouraging those people with suitable instruction.

"After Christmas I was summoned back to Manila, but in Lent was sent again to the village of Silang. At that time I found the mission greatly increased by the many natives whom the fathers had recently brought together; they were coming to us each day from other villages (the entire village of Indan had joined us), all of them very needy, and almost half of them unbaptized. On the feast of St. Gregory I baptized twenty-five persons, only one of whom, a sick woman, was of adult age, and on the feast of the Annunciation twenty-one, of whom nineteen were adults; at present another goodly number of them are being prepared. The number of those baptized this year is about two hundred, and the confessions very numerous; and the number of those admitted to communion is about fifty, the choicest of whom are members of the confraternity. We erected our altar of the sepulchre [25] as skilfully as we were able, and celebrated the offices [appropriate to the occasion], by the help of which this new people gained new light upon the services of Holy Week. Those who took the discipline, going forth in a formal procession, were on Holy Monday, the singers, who did this by way of preparation; others desired to march on Holy Tuesday, but, as the day was stormy and the winds violent, I forbade them to do so. They had their procession on Holy Wednesday; and others, in greater number, marched on Holy Thursday. Our most important procession was on Holy Friday, in the evening; two images were carried--one, a small crucifix (for we had no larger one); the other, an image of our Lady--while the choir sang the litanies. When this procession ended, people gathered in sufficient number to form another; this was caused by the lack of [woolen] tunics, which were removed by their wearers and lent [to those in the second procession]. In all the processions except the principal one, the music consisted of the Christian doctrine, sung by the children as they walked.

"I must continue the account which in other letters I have written to your Reverence of the favors which the Lord communicates by means of a print of our blessed Father Ignatius; for He is continually bestowing these favors upon those new Christians, on account of their strong faith in Him. A woman was brought in to us, sick and unable to speak, and was dying before us without our being able to obtain from her a word or sign so that we could give her absolution; the statement of her friends, moreover, that she had asked for confession, was doubtful. I was therefore anxious and grieved, until I brought her an image of our blessed father, and I said mass for the sick woman, and when I returned she was able to speak, and made a good confession; but utterance again failed her, and she died in peace.

"When I returned the second time, I was called in haste to visit a sick woman, great with child, who was suffering violent pains and torment. We went to see her, and it aroused our compassion to behold her in convulsions of pain, both she and the infant (which was entering the ninth month) being in danger of death. I sent for the image of our blessed father, and then left the sick woman with Diego, our good blind man, and his wife, who performs the duties of a midwife. So good service did they render, in conjunction with the intercession of our blessed Father Ignatius (to whom they were greatly devoted), that very soon they sent for me to baptize the child, which was born alive. I baptized it, but it died; and the mother regained her health.

"On Holy Saturday a young man came to me in alarm, saying that a demon was trying to choke his sister. I went to her house and found her suffering from an oppression in her breast and throat, and distressed by fear. I asked for the image, and when it was brought, I heard the sick woman's confession; she was at once relieved from the oppression and anxiety. For her greater consolation I left the image in order that she might have good company.

"On the following day, the Lord accorded us a most joyful Easter Sunday. In the morning there came to me a man, but recently arrived from Indan, who said that his wife was in a very exhausted condition from the pains of childbirth. I sent him with a boy to take the image of our blessed father and carry it to his home. He departed at once, and when the image was carried into the house his wife brought forth her child. It seems that the Lord has chosen to confirm this newly-converted people in their recent coming to Him, and in their faith. A few days ago, a Bilango came to us in haste to ask for the image in behalf of a woman who was in childbirth; and as soon as it was brought to her, she gave birth to a child. In Santiago also the fiscal, remembering what he had heard about our blessed father, entreated his aid, as his wife was in a like critical condition, and her life in great danger. Immediately her infant was born alive, and, while receiving the water of holy baptism, passed on to the bliss of eternal light." Thus far I have cited the letter of Father Gregorio Lopez; he could easily have related therein many other unusual events and marvelous incidents which occurred among those new believers. He omitted them probably for the sake of brevity, and because many of them are quite similar--for which reason I too omit them. But I must not fail to mention one incident which occurred during the absence of Father Gregorio Lopez, at which time his companion, Father Pedro de Segura, remained in Silan. Two Indians came to this father one night, seeking relief for a woman who was the wife of one and a relative of the other. She was suffering violent pangs in childbirth, and was in a most critical state, being unable to expel the child. The two Indians earnestly entreated the father, in their simplicity, for some blessed beads. He gave them his own reliquary, and as they were carrying it away he bethought himself of the image of our blessed Father Ignatius. Immediately he summoned the fiscal (who is always a man of mature years and trustworthy character), and gave him the image to be carried to the sick woman. The Indian woman, when she beheld the image, took it in her hands with devotion and love, and at the same moment gave birth to a child as beautiful as an angel, to her own great joy and the wonder of those who were present. Soon afterward she named the child, on this account, Maliuag, which signifies "difficult;" and again, at the baptism, Ignacio, in memory of so signal a favor. The name which this woman gave her child at its birth gives me occasion to describe the custom of these people in giving names.

The manner in which names are conferred among the Filipinos. Chapter LXXX.

When a child is born, it is the mother's duty to give it a name; and whatever appellation she gives it must remain its name. The names are most often conferred on account of certain circumstances--as, for example, Maliuag, which means "difficult," because the child's birth was such; Malacas, which signifies "a man of strength," because the mother thinks that the child will be strong, or desires that it be so. At other times they name it, without any symbolism or special reason, by the first word which occurs to them--as, for example, Daan, which signifies "road;" Babui, which means "pig;" or Manug, which signifies "fowl." All persons are called by these names from birth, without using surnames until they are married. The first-born son or daughter then gives his or her name to the parents; for until they die they call the father Ama ni Coan, "father of So-and-so," and the mother Ina ni Coan, "mother of So-and-so." The names of the women are distinguished from those of the men by adding "in." Thus, while the name of a man and of a woman may be practically the same, that of the man is left intact, and to the woman's is added the [termination] "in;" for example, Hog (which means "river") being the name of two persons of different sex, the man is called Hog, the woman Hoguin. In naming children they use diminutives, just as we do; but in order not to exceed the limits of my narrative, or to enter those of grammar, I shall not enumerate these, or the other appellations more personal, more intimate, or more elegant, which those people use for nearly all the degrees of relationship. For instance, _ama_ means "father;" thus the son, in speaking of him to a third person calls him _ang amaco_, that is, "my father." But the son in addressing his father directly does not call him _ama_, but _bapa_, which is a more intimate and affectionate term; nor does he address his mother as _ina_, but _bai_. On the other hand, the father and mother in familiar intercourse call their sons, brothers, uncles, and other near relatives, not by the common appellations of such relationship, but by others more intimate and personal, which signify a like connection. This is but another illustration of the fertility, elegance and courtesy of the Tagal language, which we described in