The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898. Volume 24 of 55. Unknown

      Upon the arrival, then, of the nineteenth of the month of May, 1614, the date upon which our chapter fell, our father Fray Vicente de Sepúlveda, a person who, one would think, had entered these islands for eminence in everything, was elected. For coming in the company of the bishop Solier (I mean the company which he himself brought to this land), in the year 1606, as soon as the said Solier was elected provincial, he made him [i.e., Sepúlveda] prior of the convent of Macabebe in Pampanga, one of the best of all the convents. Later, while our father Fray Miguel García was provincial, he was elected definitor, and now we see him provincial; and in the succeeding triennium we shall see him return to the office because of the death of the holder of it, which is in accordance with the rules. Within a little more than a month after he had taken the office, we shall see him choked to death. Thus he served as an official in the province for scarcely one and one-half years before he was at the head of it. But so great fortune in temporal affairs announced such a misfortune.

      At that chapter presided the definitor, namely, our father, Fray Francisco Bonifacio; for, by the resignation of our father visitor-general, the rules summoned him for it. As definitors were elected in the chapter: our father Fray Juan Enríquez, father Fray Pedro García;29 second, our father Fray Alonso de Méntrida; third, father Fray Alonso Ruiz;30 and fourth, Fray Juan Cabero.31 The visitors were Fray Jerónimo de Salas and Fray Nicolás de Alreybar. All of them assembled, they enacted carefully what they deemed most suitable for the province.

      As prior of the province and definitor of Roma was elected our father Fray Miguel García; and, as discreto of the general chapter, father Fray Hernando Guerrero, with sufficient authority so that in case our father [i.e., García] should die he should enter upon his duties.

      Leave was also given to our father visitor-general to go to España. They made him prior of Manila. His voyages were fortunate, although in the following year, when they went to España, the fleet was overtaken by great danger and obliged to put in at Lisboa. But affairs went so well in the court of España, that after only a short wait his Majesty appointed them as bishops—our father Fray Miguel García, of Cagayán; and our father visitor, of Camarines. They arrived at their bishoprics, and died in the islands, where they furnished an excellent example.

      Our father Fray Vicente, as one who found himself with the province in charge, and who took especial care of its increase, managed its affairs with great assiduity. He visited all the provinces personally. He went to that of the Bisayas, which even yet bewails the cost to them of that visit. And if we must confess that the prelate’s zeal was proper, we have not to confess that the province which has ever enjoyed an austere reputation had grown so careless as to need so bitter medicine. And since those who were removed from their priorates were given others, this rigor could well have been avoided, in my opinion, although perhaps it ought to be considered proper, as the government of the prelates is paramount. The provincial returned to Manila, leaving Fray Alonso de Baraona as his vicar-provincial.

      During this period the islands were passing through very great dangers; for the Dutch from Maluco were vaunting themselves more than was proper, and every day brought news that the Mindanaos were assembling to destroy the islands—fears that made the people timorous and too anxious. Finally their fears came to a head with the arrival in great force of the Dutch off the coast of the town of Arévalo, whose purpose was to prevent the aid which was to be sent from that port to the forts of Térnate. The enemy had ten galleons, of varying capacity; and it was even told as truth that they were bringing lime and the other supplies for settling in Ilong-ilong. But later, when the matter was better considered, it must have been seen that their residence there would not be productive of any profit, but rather of a very great expense. Besides, it would be very difficult to send them aid; while our troops could easily oust them, as the island is ours. The commandant of the town of Arévalo, also its alcalde-mayor and overseer-general, without mincing words, was no more a man than is a hen. Even in bravery, a hen is more than he; since the hen, upon seeing the approach of the kite, is aroused, and becomes a lioness in order to guard her chicks. But this person, by name Antonio de Jaréz de Montero, did no more than to run away, although he had troops to meet the enemy face to face. He had assembled more than two thousand Indians from those encomiendas; he had more than two hundred Spaniards. And so when the Indians saw, the night before, the signal which had been made from the island of Imalus,32 they fled, and not one was to be seen next day; and all of the Spaniards who could, went also. In the morning, Monday, on such and such a day of October, the enemy appeared, and came straight to the port of Ilong-ilong, as if they had frequented it for many years. Thereupon, the alcalde-mayor fled inland, without taking thought for anything. Thus the field—where had four Spaniards remained, they would have performed great deeds—was left to the enemy. I was living at that time in Otóng, where father Fray Juan de Lecea33 was prior, a most exemplary religious. Father Fray Silvestre de Torres,34 who had come from Japón, was likewise a conventual of that place. We did the same as the others. We stored aboard a caracoa the most valuable things of the convent, and buried the rest. We ordered the Indians to remain with the caracoa among those creeks, of which there are many. They did so, and hence all the things aboard the caracoa and those buried were found afterward. The enemy, not meeting any opposition, landed, came to the town of Arévalo, and set fire to it all. They burned our convent, which was quite fine and built of wood They burned that of Salog also, an excellent convent, which even yet has not been rebuilt. The enemy suffered greatly on the road, for that season in the islands is the rainy season. We went to the convent of Baong, one day’s journey inland from the town, although we spent more than two in reaching it. I, although sick, was first to arrive. The prior of that convent was Father Diego Oseguera.35 Although the convent was poor, yet they acted as if they were wealthy. They shared all the rice and beef of the convent with all [the fugitives] who kept coming every moment, without taking account of anything. The convent of Otong, besides its building, lost a ranch of cattle which it owned then of more than five hundred head and others of mares of more than one hundred head. For as the cattle were tame and came to their usual resorts, the enemy caught some and shot others. The fathers of the Society lost much also. The rector of their college there was, at that time, Father Encinas,36 a man of uncommon holiness. He also came to Baong, by short relays, and lived in our convents until his order summoned him.

      The commandant and lieutenant-governor of the Pintados, Don Juan de la Vega, was in Sugbú with two companies of infantry. The news of the enemy’s coming was told to him; accordingly he embarked his men and brought them thither, but, when he had arrived, the enemy had burned everything, and were away up the point. Thus the troops, went to the convent of Passi—one-half day’s journey by land—by the river of Alacaygan. That same day I arrived at Passi, for I went from Baong to Laglag, and from Laglag to Passi. The Indians were already vaunting themselves very insolently, and refused to render any aid; but it appears that with the arrival of those two companies, whom they had in the heart of the country, they began to become calm. Who can tell what these convents did, and what they gave and supplied? It is incredible, for almost from their shoulders hung all those troops, yet without curtailing anything [of the convent’s usual bounty]. The convents were hostelries for those soldiers and captains, until their substance was gone. But when that commandant could have collected more than three hundred Indians (or rather, soldiers), and gone to meet the enemy and could have inflicted great damage upon him, he spent the time in scandalous feasting. Afterward he went to Dumangas where all the people of the town of Otóng and the other soldiers were gathered; and there, by surfeiting themselves with cocoa-nuts and sugar-cane, and committing other acts of hoggish greed, more of them died than if they had fought with the enemy. That commandant was the son of an auditor, and must have been a brave man, although he caused grief to everyone; and his blunders must have been fine bits of prudence. He also lost for the king a galleon named “San Márcos,”

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