Part 21
9. _Importance of Philippines_.--The same title as No. 7, but "años de 1565 á 1594; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 34." (Evidently misplaced.)
10. _Decrees regarding religious_.--(a) The same as No. 8 (a). (b) Also in the Sevilla archives; but we have followed Pastells's text in his edition of Colin (t. iii, pp. 760, 761). (c) The same as No. 1.
11. _Inadvisability of occupying Formosa_.--Simancas--Secular; Audiencia de Filipinas; cartas y espedientes del presidente y oidores de dicha Audiencia vistos en el Consejo; años 1607 á 1626; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 20."
12. _Report of appointments_.--The same as No. 3.
13. _Letters from Tavora_, 1628.--The same as No. 3.
14. _Reasons for suppressing silk trade_.--The same as No. 7.
The following documents are obtained from the "Cedulario Indico" of the Archivo Historico Nacional, Madrid:
8 (see No. 8, _ante_).--(b) "Tomo 39, fol. 185," and "Tomo 32, fol. 16," respectively.
15. _Letter from king to Tavora_.--"Tomo 40, fol. 56 verso, no. 69."
16. _Decrees regarding Chinese_, 1627.--"Tomo 39, fol. 87, and fol. 186 verso," respectively.
17. _Decrees regarding Chinese_, 1628-29.--"Tomo 39, fol. 188 verso, fol. 189 verso, and 190 verso," respectively.
The following document is obtained from MSS. in the collection "Papeles de las Jesuitas," in the Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid:
18. _Relations of 1628-29_--"Tomo 169, no. 3," and "Tomo 84, no. 13."
The following document is taken from a MS. in the British Museum:
19. _Military affairs of the islands_.--In a collection of papers entitled "Tratados Historicos, 1594-1639;" pressmark, "(693. h. 17) / 65."
The following document is taken from Pastells's edition of Colin's _Labor evangélica_:
20. _Royal decree aiding Jesuits_, 1625.--In vol. iii, pp. 754, 755, (See also No. 10, _ante_.)
The following documents are taken from the Ventura del Arco MSS. (Ayer library):
21. _Relation of 1626_.--In vol i, pp. 523-545.
22. _Relation of 1627-28._--In vol. i, pp. 551-615.
The following document is taken from _Recopilación de leyes de las Indias_.
23. _Laws regarding the Sangleys_.--In lib. vi, tit. xviii.
The following document is found in a pamphlet entitled _Toros y cañas_ (Barcelona, 1903), in which is printed a hitherto unpublished original MS. in possession of the Compañia General de Tabacos de Filipinas.
24. _Royal festivities at Manila_--pp. 9-25.
NOTES
[1] Our transcript reads "reals," but both in this and in other instances in the present document, this is evidently an error of transcription for "ducados." It would be very easy for the error to arise from the extremely bad handwriting of many Spanish documents, in which the Spanish abbreviations for the two above terms might bear a close similarity. "Ducados" is used later in the document, when speaking of similar instances.
[2] These expeditions against the Mediterranean Moors were undertaken because of their continual depredations on Spanish commerce and near Spanish coasts. In 1602 Spain and Persia united against Turkey, and in 1603 the marquis of Santa Cruz, with the Neapolitan galleys, attacked, and plundered Crete and other Turkish islands. Many operations were conducted against the Moorish states of north Africa, but no effective check was applied to their piratical expeditions. See Hume's _Spain_, p. 210.
[3] Spain has never recovered from the expulsion of the thrifty Moriscos, who were the descendants of the old Moors. The edict of expulsion against the Valencian Moriscos was issued on September 22, 1609, by the viceroy Caracena. Its political excuse was negotiations between the Moriscos and English to effect a rising against Felipe III. "With the exception of six of the 'oldest and most Christian' Moriscos in each village of a hundred souls, who were to remain and teach their successors their modes of cultivation, every man and woman of them were to be shipped within three days for Barbary on pain of death, carrying with them only such portable property as they themselves could bear." In six months one hundred and fifty thousand Moriscos were driven from Spain. In the winter of 1609-10 the Moriscos were also expelled from Aragon, Murcia, Andalucia, and Cataluña, and other places. See Hume's _Spain_, pp. 210-213.
[4] Referring to the claim of Isabella, eldest daughter of Felipe II, to the province of Bretagne (or Brittany), in France, as an inheritance in right of her mother, since the Salic law was inoperative in that province.
[5] Francisco Crespo, S.J., was born at Ubeda, and entered the Jesuit order in 1598, at the age of fifteen. He preached for ten years and resided for some years at the court of Spain, in the capacity of procurator of the missions of the Indias. He died at Madrid, September 25, 1665. He was the author of two relations and the memorial mentioned in the decree. See Sommervogel's _Bibliothèque Comp. de Jésus_.
[6] This was Rodrigo Pacheco y Osorio, marqués de Cerralvo, the successor of Gelves (_Vol_. XX, p. 127). He reached Mexico in October, 1624, vindicated his predecessor in the public estimation, and quieted the disturbances in the country. He fortified Vera Cruz and Acapulco, to protect them against the Dutch, whose ships cruised in both oceans. Cerralvo was an energetic and able ruler, who did much for the welfare of his people. He held the viceroyalty until September, 1635, when he returned to Spain, and was given a place in the Council of the Indias.
[7] These festivities celebrated the accession to the throne of Felipe IV. Although they occurred in 1623, this account is placed here because written August 1, 1625.
[8] A reference to the celebrated university of Salamanca, and used synonymously with learning or skill.
[9] _El Gran Capitan_: an epithet applied to Gonsalvo de Cordova, commander-in-chief of the Spanish forces under Ferdinand of Castile, in recognition of his services in 1495-96 against the French armies in Calabria, Italy--defeating them there and elsewhere, and compelling them to withdraw from Italy. A treaty of peace between France and Spain was the result; it was signed at Marcoussis in August, 1498. The Neapolitan kingdom was divided between France and Spain in November, 1500; but quarrels soon arose between them, and their armies fought for its possession. Under the leadership of Cordova, Naples was conquered for Spain (1502-04). Cordova was born in 1453, and died in December, 1515.
[10] Evidently an allusion to the procession made at Manila, on certain occasions, in which the banner of the city was carried before the cabildo--to which allusions have been already made in various documents of this series.
[11] A kind of lance or spear, used by bull-fighters.
[12] The game of cañas was an equestrian sport engaged in by the nobility on the occasion of any special celebration. They formed various figures, which engaged in various contests. One side charged against the other, hurling their spears, from which their opponents guarded themselves with their shields.
[13] In olden times, empirical healers or physicians cured with this stone the pain or sickness called colic--_hijada_, as it was then written, now _ijada_.--_Rev. Eduardo Navarro_, O.S.A.
_Piedra de mal de hijada_: from the description, apparently made of some brilliant crystalline substance.
[14] In the Jesuit relation of 1619-20 (see _Vol_. XIX, p. 61), mention is made of a bull-fight in terms that would indicate that they had already become established in the islands. This fight of 1619 is evidently the one to which W. E. Retana refers in his _Fiestas de toros en Filipinas_ (Madrid, 1896). Huerta (_Estado_, p. 17), incorrectly states that the first bull-fight in the islands was on February 4, 1630. But Chirino mentions these spectacles (_Vol_. XII of this series, p. 182) as customary in both Manila and Cebú at least as early as 1602, which was the year in which he left the islands.
[15] A letter from the king to Governor Tavora, dated November 21, 1625, refers to the latter the question of further attempts to work the Igorrote gold-mines. Reference is made therein to the report of Alonso Martin Quirante on these mines; and the cost or his expedition thither is stated as forty thousand pesos.
[16] Ley xxix, lib. viii, tit. xxi, of _Recopilación de leyes_, relating to the sale of offices in the Philippines, is as follows:
"We order that all offices be sold in the Filipinas Islands, which are regulated and ordained in accordance with the laws of this titulo, as in the other parts of the Indias, observing the laws in regard to sales, and the condition of securing a confirmation--provided that, if any persons shall hold any of those offices comprehended in those islands, as a concession which shall have been made to them for life by us, or by the governors of those islands in our name, these must be sold, and shall be sold, as if they were rendered vacant by the death [of the incumbents]. They cannot resign them, for it is our will that they shall not enjoy that privilege, as they could have done had they bought those offices." [Felipe III, Madrid, November 29, 1616; December 19, 1618.]
[17] The same instruction is given after nearly all the following statistics, namely "idem," _i.e._, that they be entered in the book. Consequently, we omit all following instances.
[18] This Dutch fort was on the southwestern coast of the island of Formosa. See Valentyn's descriptive and historical account (with map) of Tayouan (or Formosa), in his _Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indien_, at end of part iv. Boulger says (_China_, p. 132): The Dutch "had acquired their place in Formosa by the retirement of the Japanese from Taiwan in 1624, when the Dutch, driven away by the Portuguese from Macao, sought a fresh site for their proposed settlement in the Pescadore group, and eventually established themselves at Fort Zealand."
[19] Interesting accounts of Formosa and its inhabitants are given by George Candidius (a Dutch Protestant minister who began a mission among the natives in 1626), in Churchill's collection of _Voyages_ (London, 1704), i, pp. 526-533; and J.B. Steere, who traveled through the western part of the island, in _Journal_ of American Geographical Society, 1874, pp. 303-334. The latter states that the chief city of Formosa, Taiwanfu, is built on the site of the old Dutch colony near Fort Zelandia; and furnishes several vocabularies of native languages.
[20] La Concepción describes the Spanish expedition to Formosa (_Historia de Philipinas_, v, pp. 114-122) and the labors of Dominican missionaries there; he says that the Spanish fort was erected on an islet which they named San Salvador, near which was an excellent harbor called Santissima Trinidad. Apparently these localities were on the northeastern coast of the island.
[21] This officer was a relative of Governor Juan de Silva. A full account of this unfortunate expedition and his death in Siam is given in the "Relation of 1626," _post_.
[22] This order of nuns, commonly known as "Poor Clares," is the second order of St. Francis. It was founded by St. Clare, who was born at Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, and she was received by him into the monastic life in 1212; she died in 1253. The order soon spread into France and Spain; and a written rule was given to these nuns by St. Francis in 1224, which was approved by the pope in 1246. Some modifications of this rule--which was exceedingly austere--crept into various convents; and a rule, approved by Urban IV, was drawn up in 1264, similar to that of St. Francis, but somewhat mitigated. It was adopted by most of the convents in the order, this branch being known as Urbanists; the minority, who followed the stricter rule, were called Clarisses. The government and direction of the order were at first divided between a cardinal protector and the superiors of the Franciscans; but, early in the sixteenth century, Julius II placed the Poor Clares entirely under the jurisdiction of the general and provincials of the Friars Minors. (Addis and Arnold's _Catholic Dictionary_.)
[23] Geronima de la Asunción, daughter of Pedro Garcia Yanez, was born in Toledo in 1555, and entered the Order of St. Clare in August, 1570. With seven nuns of her order, she embarked from Cadiz on July 5, 1620, and arrived at Manila August 5, 1621, where she founded the convent of La Concepción. Within two months, she received twenty girls into the novitiate, notwithstanding the rigorous and austere rules of this order. The provincial of the Franciscans strove to modify this strictness, for the sake of the nuns' health in so trying a climate, but Mother Gerónima refused to yield, and finally triumphed, in the appeal made to the head of the order--although after this victory she permitted some relaxations of the rule. Opposition arose to the seclusion of so many young women of Manila in the monastic life; and even the diocesan authorities endeavored to restrain their zeal--even excommunicating Mother Gerónima for a time--but with little result. She died on October 22, 1630. See La Concepción's account of her and the entrance of this order, in _Hist. de Philipinas_, v, pp. 1-17.
[24] This man undertook, as a work of charity, to rear and educate orphaned or poor Spanish boys, for which purpose he collected aims; and later he secured from the crown the aid for which these letters ask. Having spent his life in this work, Guerrero at his death (being then a Dominican friar) placed this school in charge of the Dominicans, who accepted it--on June 18, 1640, organizing it as the college of San Juan de Letran; it became a department of their university of Santo Tomás.
[25] Evidently referring to the city of Cebu, of which Christoval de Lugo was then alcalde-mayor; this officer conducted an expedition against the Joloans in 1627, in which the Spaniards inflicted heavy losses on these pirates.
[26] Apparently meaning that he came with Governor Fajardo in 1618; for the present narrative must have been written as early as 1624.
[27] That is, "the spirit of the Lord came rushing."
[28] The only Jeronimo Rodrigues, and who was probably the one in our text, mentioned by Sommervogel was the Portuguese born at Villa de Monforte. He went to the Indias in 1566, and became visitor of the provinces of China and Japan. He died while rector of Macan. He left several letters and treatises, some of which have been printed. See Sommervogel's _Bibliothèque_.
[29] The old capital of Siam was Ayuthia (also written, in early documents, Yuthia and Odia). It was founded in the year 1350, and was built on an island in the river Meinam--the proper name of which, according to M.L. Cort's _Siam_ (New York, 1886), p. 20, is Chow Payah, the name Meinam (meaning "mother of waters") being applied to many rivers--seventy-eight miles from the sea. Ayuthia was captured and ruined by the Burmese in 1766, and later the capital was removed to Bangkok (founded in 1769), which lies on the same river, twenty-four miles from the sea. Crawfurd, writing in the middle of the nineteenth century, gives the estimated population of Ayuthia at 40,000, and that of Bangkok at 404,000--the latter probably much too large. See his _Dict. Indian Islands_, article, "Siam."
[30] Pedro de Morejon was born in 1562, at Medina del Campo. He entered his novitiate in 1577, and set out for the Indias in 1586, and spent more than fifty years in the missions of the Indias and Japan. His associates were Jacques Chisaï and Juan de Goto, who were martyred. In 1620 he was sent to Rome as procurator of Japan, became rector of the college of Meaco in 1633, and died shortly after. San Antonio (_Chronicas_, iii, pp. 534, 535) gives a letter written by him to the Franciscan religious martyred in Japan in 1596 while on the road to execution; and he was the author of several relations concerning Christianity in Japan. See Sommervogel's _Bibliothèque_.
[31] Antonio Francisco Cardim was born at Viana d'Alentejo, near Evora, in 1596, and entered his novitiate February 24, 1611. He went to the Indias in 1618, where he visited Japan, China, the kingdom of Siam, Cochinchina, and Tonquin. He died at Macao, April 30, 1659. He left a number of writings concerning his order and their work in the Orient. See Sommervogel's _Bibliothèque_.
[32] The name Manados (now Menado) was applied to a province (now called Minahasa) in the northernmost peninsula of Celebes; see Colin's description of it in his _Labor evangélica_ (ed. 1663), pp. 109, 110. Jesuit missions were early established there (Colin, _ut supra_, p. 820), from the island of Siao.
[33] There is apparently some defect in the text at this place, as if the royal comment or decision on Tavora's request had been omitted.
[34] This officer had been appointed to the post of warden, without any salary, by Fernando de Silva (see the latter's report of July 30, 1626); but Tavora soon replaced him by another.
[35] This law, dated Ventosilla, April 15, is as follows: "Notwithstanding the claims of the alcaldes-in-ordinary of Manila, as to trying jointly the suits and causes of the Parián, on the ground that it is within the five leguas of their jurisdiction, it is our will that the governor of the Parián alone try in the first instance it suits and causes, with appeals to the Audiencia; while in respect to the government of the Parián, ley iv, título xv, libro ii, shall be observed."
This latter law, dated November 4, 1606, is as follows: "Inasmuch as the auditors of the royal Audiencia of Manila, under pretext of a decree from us dated December eighteen, one thousand six hundred and three, meddle in affairs touching the Parián or the Sangley Chinese, and in giving orders and licenses so that they may reside in the Filipinas Islands; and inasmuch as the cognizance and ruling in these matters should concern our governor and captain-general, in whom the defense of that land is vested: therefore we order that matters concerning the Parián of the Sangleys be alone in the charge and care of our governors and captains-general, and that our royal Audiencia abstain from discussing or taking cognizance of anything touching this matter, unless it be that the governor and captain-general commit something that concerns him to them. And in order that the advisable good relations should be held among all of them, and the Parián be governed with more unanimity and satisfaction, the governors and captains-general shall be very careful always to communicate to the royal Audiencia what shall be deemed advisable for them [to know]."
Law v of the book and titulo, from which the above laws of the regular text are taken, and which was promulgated by Cárlos II and the queen mother, provides that "in the government of the Parián, and the jurisdiction, communication, and all the other things contained in ley lv, título xy, libro ii, what was enacted shall be observed."
[36] See this law, _ante_, note 34.
[37] This same law, with slightly different wording, is found in libro viii, título xxix, ley xi, under the same date as the first one above. The only material difference is in the additional words at the end: "concealment of any quantity; and very exact account shall be taken of everything, and the balances struck."
[38] This is but one clause in the royal decree of November 19, 1627 (which see, _post_); and it would seem that the date here given, June 14, must be an error for that just cited. This and the following matter from the _Recopilación_ show clearly the slipshod manner in which that work was compiled.
[39] See this decree in full, pp. 164-166, _post_; it contains important matter which is here omitted.
[40] Referring to William Adams, an Englishman who landed in Japan in April, 1600, and soon became a favorite with the ruler Iyéyasu. He was in the employ of the East India Company from November, 1613, to December, 1616; and at other times rendered various services to Iyéyasu, traded on his own account, or acted as interpreter to the English and the Dutch in Japan. He remained in that country until his death, May 16, 1620. See Cocks's _Diary_ (Hakluyt Society's publications), i, pp. iii-xxxiv.
[41] i.e., the Chinese, not understanding scientific navigation, are not able to direct their course across the sea to points on the Philippine coast where they could be safe and escape the Dutch who were lying in wait for them; but they cross from island to island, by devious routes, making their way as their partial knowledge of sailing enables them, and thus cannot avoid die enemy.
[42] La Concepción states (_Hist. de Philipinas_, v, p. 131) that Tavora desired, through martial ardor, to undertake some important expedition (for which he had made all possible preparations during the winter and spring); and that in a council of war three such were proposed--"to dislodge the Dutch from the port of Taiban [i.e., Taiwan, in Formosa]; to Maluco, from [the fort of] Malayo, to punish their insolent acts; or to obtain satisfaction from Siam for the death of Don Fernando de Silva"--of which the first was chosen. But, through various delays, Tavora's voyage was begun too late, and defeated by the stormy weather that ensued.
[43] The following note is a part of the original document:
"_Note_. While writing this relation, these forty Spaniards arrived in a ship, less four sailors who wished to remain in the kingdom of Camboja, whither went all those who remained in the lanchas after the galleons left them. That king of Camboja protected them; and, although he suspected that they were spies, they were welcomed cordially and sent to Manila, where they arrived July first."
[44] This cruise by the Spanish galleons is of much the same piratical character which the Spaniards themselves ascribed to the Dutch and English adventurers of that time; nor did they hesitate to attack peaceful trading ships, even those of nations against whom they had no grievance.
[45] In 1627 the emperor Tienki (a grandson of Wanleh) died, and was succeeded by his younger brother, Tsongching, who was the last of the actual Ming rulers. In the latter part of his reign he was almost constantly at war with the Manchus, who were ruled by Taitsong, fourth son of Noorhachu. In 1640 a revolt occurred in China, headed by Li Tseching, who four years later captured Peking. Tsongching, seeing that his cause was lost, committed suicide. Taitsong, who had died in 1643, was succeeded by his son Chuntche; the latter, after the fall of the rebel Li Tseching, became the first emperor of the Manchu dynasty in China, and established his capital in Peking.
[46] This noted relic was dug up in the Chinese city of Singanfu, in 1625. It is a stone slab, containing various inscriptions in Chinese and Syriac; it was erected in the year 781, and is a monument of the early existence of the Nestorian church in China. See Yule's account of it in his _Cathay_, i, pp. xci-xcvi, clxxxi-clxxxiii.
[47] Evidently referring to the Manchu chief Noorhachu, who from 1591 had harassed the northern frontiers of China; he died at Mukden in September, 1626.
[48] Nicholas Longobardi was born in 1566 at Caltagarone, Sicily, and admitted into the Society in 1580 (Sotwell says that he entered his novitiate in 1582, at the age of seventeen). He became a teacher in humanities and rhetoric. In 1596 he went to China, and settled in the province of Kiang-si, where he was appointed general superior of the mission from 1610 to 1622. He died at Peking, December 11, 1655, according to Sotwell. Father de Machault says that he died September 1, 1654, according to a letter written May 7, 1655, by Father Francois Clement; but the inscription on his tomb gives the first date. He had written a number of treatises, some of them apparently in the Chinese language. See Sommervogel's _Bibliothèque_.