Читать книгу The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898. Volume 24 of 55 - Unknown - Страница 9

Of the election of our father, Fray Jerónimo de Salas; and of other events in this province at that time.

The [time for the] chapter arrived in which our father Fray Vicente left his office, at which he would rejoice; for this matter of command, although it appears to be all honey, certainly contains much more of gall and confusion than rest. The father visitor, Fray Juan de Enríquez, received votes, and he was well liked in Pampanga. The father-provincial thought that father Fray Agustín de Mejía38 was needed for the government of the province, for he was of Manila, and had maintained that convent with great devotion and punctuality, and no one had been lacking in anything—and that in times so calamitous as his own. During that time the ships from España failed us for two years, and during all that period he had so great courage that he did splendid things in the convent of Manila, both for the church and for the house. The monument placed in our house is the best of all those belonging to the orders; it and many others are his work. Notwithstanding this, the religious did not consider him favorably. Consequently, our father provincial, seeing the difficulty, did not wish, as a prudent man, to venture upon a thing which would make face against him. For the religious alone are of this condition, that they play openly; as they look rather at the common good than that of their own particular interest. Consequently, he cast his eyes on father Fray Jerónimo de Salas, a man so well received that the other fathers agreed on him immediately, and he was elected without much difficulty on the twenty-ninth of April, 1617. That election was very pleasing to the province, for all were very sure that they would receive very great consolations at his hands. They were quite right too, for I could treat of that point, as a very large share of it fell to me, when I was in Bisayas acting as prior of Dumangas; for he sent me leave to come to Manila, as he wished me to become subprior.

Father Fray Jerónimo de Cabero presided at that chapter, as we had no letters-patent from our father general. As definitors, father Fray Juan Enríquez, father Fray Pedro de Lesarte,39 father Fray Alonso de Baraona, and father Fray Felipe de Tallada were elected. The visitors were father Fray Estacio Ortíz and father Fray Agustín de Mejía. All together assembled, they annulled preceding orders and enacted others for the good management of the province.

But little life was left for our father provincial, for a very slight accident occasioned his death, so that, without any medicine sufficing, he went away and left us on the seventeenth of May, leaving us disconsolate and very desirous of him.

Our rules, in such an event, summon the preceding provincial, who immediately took the seal. Persons were not lacking to advise him to leave the government of the province, saying that the province was not well affected toward him. And even persons outside of the order who were viewing things with some interest, said the same to him. But we are not to understand that any ambition guided him, but that since he had had experience in the government, which is not the least thing, he thought that he could govern better than another. He commenced to burden the province with mandates, for in his term there was too much of that. Thereupon, the fathers began to regard him less favorably than before, and to represent to themselves the evil of his having the command. There were meetings and discussions in which the coming evil was clearly presaged and announced. One old religious, who was such in all things, in order to avoid cavilings and inquisitions went to confess to him; and told him that he knew most positively that they wished to kill him, and that he should relinquish his office. He assented to nothing, carried away, doubtless, by his good zeal. A brother served him in his cell, a creole whom he wished well and whom he treated with affection. The latter, in return for the benefits which he received, gave him pounded glass in his chocolate, for he had been told that that was the most virulent poison which could be administered. But the provincial’s natural force resisted everything, for he was robust, though small of body.

During this time, which was June of the same year, 1617, as the ships which had been despatched the year before had put back in distress, the viceroy of Nueva España, in order not to leave the islands without succor, bought a small Peruvian ship called “San Jerónimo,” little but very staunch. Although they had but little comfort, the bishop, Don Fray Miguel García, embarked with his fine company of religious; and he brought them in safety to the port of Cavite, although they were almost wrecked among the islands, because the vendavals had set in early and with violent force. At last freed from this and other dangers by the mercy of God, and as they were laborers chosen by God for this His vineyard, He did not wish them to lack work in it; and so He placed them at the doors of the convent of Manila, poor from the lack of comfort in the voyage, but rich with their hopes and virtues. Their names were:

Father Fray Hernando Guerrero, who came as prior of them all.

Father Fray Antonio de Ocampo, a very eloquent preacher, and a Castilian.

Father Fray Juan de Trejo, a very eloquent preacher, and from Estremadura.

Father Fray Juan Ramírez, a preacher, from Burgos.

Father Fray Pedro Ramírez, a preacher, from Burgos.

Father Fray Diego de Robles, a Castilian.

Father Fray Diego de Avalos, from Toledo.

Father Fray Agustín Carreño, from Asturia, a Tagál.

Father Fray Francisco de Madrid, a preacher, and a Castilian.

Father Fray Lúcas de Aguilar, a Castilian.

Father Fray Juan de las Cuevas, from Madrid.

Father Fray Andrés de Prada, from Burgos.

Father Fray Antonio de Ulloa, a preacher, and a Castilian.

Father Fray Alonso Delgado, from Estremadura.

Father Fray Alonso Rodríguez, a fine organist, and a Castilian.

Father Fray Juan de Orasco, a Castilian.

Father Fray Martín de Arastí, a Biscayan.

Father Fray Félix de Villafuerte.

Father Fray Antonio Quintano, a preacher, from Burgos.

Father Fray Juan Gallegos, a preacher, from Mancha.

Father Fray Jacinto de Herrera; this was the second time that he has sailed for this land. He is a preacher and a Castilian.

Father Fray Pedro Mejía, a preacher, from Mancha.

Father Fray Jerónimo de Paredes, a preacher, and a Castilian.

Father Fray Martín Vázquez, a Castilian.

Father Fray Tomás de Villanueva, from Mancha.

Father Fray Alonso de Carabasal, reader, and who came the following year. He remained behind because of his poor health.

Father Fray Antonio de Mójica, a Castilian.

Father Fray Cristóbal Enríquez, a preacher, from Estremadura.

Father Fray Juan de Espinosa, a Castilian.

Father Fray Gaspar de Lorenzana, a Castilian.40

All those fathers who came here were from the province of Castilla. Their arrival was of great consequence, and with them the death of the father provincial, Fray Jerónimo de Salas, was, in some measure, corrected; for, in return for a person whom the Lord took from the province by that action, He gave it many workers in whom there were very great hopes.

Our father rector-provincial, as the matter devolved on him, divided the fathers among the four provinces of Tagalos, Pampanga, Ilocos, and Bisayas. He had ordered that father Fray Alonso Baraona, at that time definitor of the province, should take the religious who fell to its share to the Pintados; and that he should come to the province to govern it, since he was his vicar-provincial and visitor. The religious embarked, therefore, and with them, the father prior of Sugbú, Fray Luis de Brito,41 and the prior of Panay, Fray Miguel de Suaren.42 As the winds were adverse, because the vendavals were raging obstinately, they were unable to get away from the island of Manila for a long time.

Two ships were sent to Nueva España. One put back and the other, which was a Portuguese caravel, went to India and was wrecked. The ships for Castilla were being prepared, and were to sail by the first of August. Our father provincial tried to have father Fray Juan de Ocadiz sail in them, as he considered his return to España necessary for his own quiet; and since he was able to do so, he ordered that Fray Juan should go immediately to Cavite, for he suspected that, if anything evil was to occur, it would be perpetrated by that man. Finally, the religious left, after putting off his departure as long as possible. He said “goodby,” in order to go to embark in the morning, and permission was given him. That night, the first of August, 1617, one of the most tragic events that has ever happened in these islands occurred in our province—namely, that that same night our father rector-provincial, Fray Vicente de Sepúlveda, was choked to death, and was found dead in his bed at two o’clock in the morning, with clear signs of a violent death. In that most horrible crime were implicated three religious—one a priest, one a chorister, and one a lay-brother, namely, the creole who gave the poison to the father, and whom his relatives hid; and, as he had money, they helped him to escape out of these islands. The lay-brother was a European, and the father priest, Fray Juan de Ocadiz, an American. They [i.e., the last two] were hanged near the atrium of our church, in front of the well, after we had first unfrocked, expelled, and disgraced them. The two said men were buried beneath the cloister of our convent, near the porter’s lodge, before the altar of St. Nicolás de Tolentino.43

In the interval from the death of our father provincial, Fray Jerónimo de Salas, which occurred on May 17, until our father rector-provincial Sepúlveda was killed, a singular case happened in our convent, which was apparently a presage of the said fatality. It happened that in the fine infirmary of the said convent, which looks toward the sea, a white cat was found which was rearing three rats at its breasts, feeding them as if they were its own kind of offspring, and giving a complete truce to the natural antipathy of such animals. But after it had reared and fattened them well, it ate them, ceasing the unwonted truces in its natural opposition. Almost all the people of the community of Manila and its environs came to see such a thing, for scarcely would they credit the truth of it, and all affirmed that it must be the presage of some great fatality.

By the death of the said our father Sepúlveda (which was very keenly felt by our province, and which grieved the hearts of all the members individually), although the father definitors ought to have taken up the government, yet they made a renunciation of the right which pertained to every one of them. Accordingly, announcements were sent through the provinces to the effect that the provincial chapter should be held on the last day of October, the thirty-first, of the year 17.

About this time the very illustrious Don Diego Vázquez de Marcado, archbishop of Manila, a most worthy prelate, died. He was the embodiment of learning, virtue, and prudence, and all grieved sorely at his death. Our bishop of Cebú, Don Fray Pedro de Arce, entered upon the government of the archbishopric, by a special bull of Paul V, and he was assigned one talega44 more salary than he received in his bishopric.

During this period occurred the persecution of Christians in Japón by the emperor Dayfusama, and the martyrdom of our blessed martyrs in that kingdom.45

Our enemy the Dutch also came with seventy [sic] vessels to Playa Honda in Zambales, seeing that they were unable to attain their designs—namely, to capture the port of Cavite, and change the minds of the natives, turn them from the service and homage of our Catholic monarch, and render them allies to themselves. But on Saturday, April 7, 1617, our fleet left Cavite under command of Master-of-camp Don Juan Ronquillo, who had the happiness and good luck to sink several of their vessels, burn another, and put the rest to flight amid the islands. Our fleet remained intact, except for two vessels which were roughly handled. May 8, 1618, the fleet returning to the port of Cavite, was received with great pomp and joy because of their happy victory, which they had obtained by the Divine favor. Salutes were fired in honor of Nuestra Señora de Guía [i.e., “our Lady of Guidance”], and Don Juan Ronquillo was acclaimed as the father of this land and its savior from the Dutch enemy, who were trying to conquer this archipelago.

Our religious who were assigned to the Bisayan provinces went to their respective destinations, and arrived safely, thanks to the Lord, notwithstanding the dangerous seas among the islands in the season of báguios and hurricanes. But they were courageous, and confided in the obedience that conquers all things.

In the beginning of the month of September, father Fray Juan de Rivera, prior of Octóng, and father Fray Francisco Bonifacio, prior of Passi, set forth in an excellent caracoa, and a good crew of sailor folk. As they were crossing from the island of Tablas to Dumalor, or the island of Mindoro, they encountered a large boat of Camucones and a little vessel. The Vizcayan prior of Octóng did not lose his head, but encouraged their men, and made them attack the enemy’s bark. They did it with great resolution, so that the pirate, imagining that they were a caracoa belonging to a fleet, began to flee. To do this more quickly, they abandoned the small boat, after taking off all its crew. Thus they rowed so quickly that our men could not overtake them. Ours took the little boat, which proved of no little use; for as they came near the island of Mindoro, they saw that the weather was growing very bad, that the clouds were moving more quickly, and that the wild waves of the swollen sea were running high. They took good counsel—namely, that of father Fray Juan de Lecea—to place themselves in a little house, and put ashore all their belongings, and beach the boat, which they could have done. But the Indians refused to work, a vice quite peculiar to them, and everything was lost. The elements began to rouse themselves, and the winds to blow with so great fury that no greater tempest has been witnessed in the islands. Our caracoa went to pieces and all its cargo was lost, except what was later cast ashore. During that same storm six galleons were wrecked in the islands; they were the best that the king has launched. Among them was that so famous galleon “La Salvadora.” When the fleet returned from Malaca, Don Jerónimo de Silva, who was in charge of the department of war, ordered those vessels to be taken out for repairs; and they were taken out, to their loss. Some sank, others were driven aground. Many men perished, both Spaniards and Indians, as well as Japanese, Sangleys, and workmen. It is a loss that Manila will ever bemoan. Therefore they say there: “In truth thou art welcome, Misfortune, when thou comest alone.”46 Manila had had a loss as great as that of the governor, Don Juan de Silva; and now that was followed by the loss of the galleons, with so many souls. I know, not how a babe at the breast was saved on the deck of a galleon, or rather in its hatchway. She was found by Admiral Heredia (who was going to the Pintados), on a beach, and he reared her as his own daughter. It was the mercy of God, and when it pleases Him to employ that mercy toward any of His creatures, there is no power to contradict it, nor any danger from which it does not issue safe and sound.

The little boat which the father vicar-provincial, Fray Juan de Lecea, captured from the Camucon enemy was useful to him. He embarked in it alone, and coasted along that island as far as Baco, a distance of more than twenty leguas. Thence he crossed to Manila, after having bargained with a champan of Baco to go for father Fray Francisco Bonifacio. But this diligence was not sufficient for him to arrive in time for the election, because of the weather. The Indians suffered more, for they returned to their villages singly, and some of them even were lost, as they did not know the way. The father prior of Aclán sought shelter in a port of the island of Hambil during the storm; and although he did his utmost to arrive in time, he was unable. But he arrived just after the chapter was concluded, and served for nothing else than to give it obedience and to return with the others. However, father Fray Francisco Bonifacio remained as prior of Tondo; although he had wished to go to Bisayas, the sea so frightened him that he was very fortunate to remain.