[105] Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians iv, 9.—Coco.

[106] Job iii, 3.

[107] Much more might be said about these points, which Father Medina treats with as much skill as delicacy.... Not to go into certain details, wearisome beyond measure, I shall only say, that even now were it not for the direct intervention of the Spanish priest in the collection of the cedula or tribute, the treasury would lose some hundreds of thousands of pesos. Many are the parish priests, especially in the Bisayas, who oblige the heads of barangay to deliver at the convent the result of the collection; for if they did not do so, not one-half of what the town should furnish would be deposited in the royal treasury. While the writer of these lines was in a certain town of Iloilo a few years ago, the parish priest had in his convent the sum of 15,000 pesos, belonging to the collection of the tribute. He petitioned the corresponding authority for an armed force to conduct the revenues of the state safely to the royal treasury. That authority considered it suitable to answer him that it was not part of the duty of the military force to act as a custodian for the conveyance of the state revenue....—Coco.

[108] Fray Juan de Villamayor took his vows in the Augustinian convent of Toledo, and was conventual and prior of Halaud in 1590 and 1593 respectively. He ministered at Aclan in 1596, at Jaro in 1598, at Sibucao in 1599, at Potol in 1603, and finally at Aclan, 1605-1608, where he died the latter year. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 38.

[109] The lay brother Fray Andres Garcia was assistant for some years at the mission at Aclan. He died in 1623. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 75.

[110] The island of Bantayan (province of Cebu) has now a population of 18,325, all civilized. See Bulletin No. I, ut supra.

[111] And of pearls.—Coco.

[112] Antique; in 1893 it was a province with twenty-one villages and a population of 119,322, under the charge of sixteen Augustinians.—Coco.

Its present population is 134,166, of whom 131,245 are civilized and 2,921 wild. The reports of population for several other years are as follows: 1818, 50,597; 1840, 48,333; 1850, 84,570; 1870, 108,855; 1887, 115,434. See Bulletin No. 1 (ut supra) and U.S. Gazetteer of the Philippine Islands.

[113] Father Fray Nicolas Melo, or Moran, Portuguese by birth, and the lay-brother Fray Nicolas de San Agustin, a Japanese, were sent on an important commission to Europe in 1597. They went to Malacca, and thence to Goa—where, not finding facilities to embark, they determined to make the journey by land. They journeyed toward Persia, in company with other Augustinian religious, who were going to our missions in that empire. Thence they went to Moscow, where Father Melo comforted the persecuted Catholics (to whom he administered the holy sacraments), and tried to convert the Calvinist heretics, for which reason they were imprisoned and suffered penalties without number. When they reached Nisna, near the Caspian Sea, brother Fray Nicolas de San Agustin was beheaded on the thirtieth of November, 1611, for refusing to apostatize from the holy Catholic faith. Father Nicolas Melo was burned alive in Astrakan, together with Princess Barbara Noski, a tertiary of our order, on the first of November, 1616.—Coco.

Father Melo was born of a noble family in Corinchan, Portugal. Going to Mexico at an early age, he took the Augustinian habit in the convent of Puebla de los Angeles, June 28, 1578. After becoming a priest he went to the Philippines, where he learned the Tagal and Bisayan tongues, and ministered at Aclan, Cagayancilo, Batangas, and Tanauan. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 27.

The lay-brother, Fray Nicolas de San Agustin, a Japanese, converted by the above, professed in the Manila convent in 1594. Ibid., p. 69.

[114] In 1893 Malolos had 14,635 inhabitants, without reckoning the villages of Barasoain and Santa Isabel, with 9,442 and 7,174 inhabitants respectively. The three villages, especially Malolos, had at the above date beautiful churches and convents of solid masonry.—Coco.

The present civilized population of Malolos (see Bulletin No. 1, ut supra) is 12,575; Barasoain, 8,047; and of Santa Isabel, 6,403. The first named is the capital of Bulacan province.

[115] Now (1893) the parish of Hagonoy has in charge 19,755 people, and has a very large stone church and convent.—Coco.

Its present civilized population (see Bulletin No. 1, ut supra) is 21,304.

[116] This town had 16,867 inhabitants in 1893.—Coco. It now has 13,469 civilized inhabitants according to the latest census. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[117] Pedaneo or gobernadorcilio, as he is called in the country.—Coco.

[118] Matthew x, 22.—Coco.

[119] "The iniquity of thy sister was pride, abundance, and sloth."

[120] In regard to what is mentioned of the character and nature of the Indian, all the authors, native and foreign, whom I have read are unanimous in this, with the exception of Father Delgado, S.J., who for reasons unknown to me, although not difficult to infer, dissents from the others. See the attempt at refutation (!) which the above father, with more good will than success, has tried to make of the so well known letter of Father Gaspar de San Agustin—a letter which in my opinion should never have been published (as in fact it was published in the first volume of this "Biblioteca," p. 273, et seq.). No Spaniard or foreigner who has lived for some time in the islands and has had intercourse with the natives will agree with what Father Delgado asserts, but which is so opposed to the facts. To speak truly is not to offend, but to depart from the truth is injustice; and in the present case, he who writes thus would merit another epithet.—Coco.

The letter mentioned in the preceding paragraph will be published later in this series.

[121] That is, the vicar-provincial and definitors, who governed the province.—Coco.

[122] This letter is given in full by Gaspar de San Agustin in his Conquistas, pp. 395-409.—Coco.

This was the father master, Fray Alonso de la Vera-Cruz, one of those in Mexico to whom the bishop wrote. See San Agustin, ut supra, p. 395.

[123] Fray Diego Alvarez was master of novices in the Manila convent in 1580, and minister at Taal in 1581, and at Bulacan in 1582. He was elected prior provincial in 1584, and definitor and minister at Taguig in the provincial chapter of 1587. In 1590 he took charge of the Manila priorate and was elected provincial for the second time in 1593. He died in the convent of San Pablo in Manila, in 1601. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 20.

[124] Ecclesiasticus xix, 1.

[125] The city of Vigan is not now [1893] in so poor a state as Father Medina says. It is well inhabited, and presents a good appearance, having many stone edifices.—Coco.

It is the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, and has a civilized population of 14,945 (See U.S. Gazetteer of the Philippine Islands and Bulletin No. 1, ut supra); and from its position on the railroad from Manila it is a town of importance.

[126] Now [1893] called Balaoang, and with 8,260 inhabitants.—Coco.

Balaoang is now in the province of La Union, and has a civilized population of 10,008. See ut supra.

[127] In 1893 the three provinces of La Union and South and North Ilocos had, in the lowlands, forty-two villages with a total population of 349,205; and in the mountains fifteen missions in Abra, Lepanto, and Benguet, with a population of 43,044, or a total of 392,249. All were under charge of the Augustinians.—Coco.

Ilocos Norte now contains 178,995 (2,210 wild) inhabitants, Ilocos Sur, 187,411 (13,611 wild); and La Union, 137,839 (10,050 wild). The province of Abra contains 51,860 (14,037 wild) inhabitants; Benguet, 22,745 (21,828 wild); and Lepanto-Bontoc, 72,750 (70,283 wild). See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[128] Fray Francisco Mercado took his vows in the Manila convent in 1611. He was a missionary at Laoag (1614, 1626, 1635) and Batac (1620, 1641), provisor of the bishop of Nueva Segovia (1623), and definitor (1632). He gave generous alms to the province from his own funds, showing special favor to the convents of Guadalupe and Bantay. In the latter he acquired a fine estate, with the intention of building a hospital for the Ilocan friars; and at that convent he collected a good library, which was later removed to Manila. He died at Batac in 1642. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 194.

[129] "Ilaoag" is the capital of the province of Ilocos Norte and is today called Laoag. It has a civilised population of 34,454. See U.S. Gazetteer of the Philippine Islands, and Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[130] It does not exist now. Its demolition was ordered by the general government, after Manila was evacuated by the English, who used it as a fort, as they likewise did the convent of the Recollects, in the siege of Manila in 1763.—Coco.

[131] Ermita has a present population of 12,246. It is the seat of the observatory of Manila, and of the normal school. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra; and U.S. Gazetteer of the Philippine Islands, p. 189.

[132] Now [1893] this is in charge of the Recollects.—Coco.

[133] Spanish, ni hay padre para hijo, ni hijo para padre—"there is neither father for child, nor child for father."

[134] Now [1893] there are 1,805 inhabitants; and the village of Pineda, with 8,196 inhabitants, was separated from it. The Virgin de los Remedios [i.e., "of the remedies"] is still highly reverenced.—Coco.

Malate has now (see Bulletin No. 1, ut supra) a population of 8,855.

[135] In 1893 Tanauan had a fine stone church with three naves and a convent.—Coco.

See ante, note 58.

[136] The Order ceded it to the Franciscans.—Coco.

[137] Fray Hernando Cabrera took his vows at Cordova in 1601. Upon going to the Philippines he filled the following positions: sub-prior at Manila, 1609; missionary at Batangas, 1611; at Taal, 1613; at Paranaque, 1614; at San Pablo de los Montes, 1618, 1626, and 1629, where his efforts resulted in an excellent and well equipped church and convent; definitor, examiner, and definitor-general. He died at sea in 1630, while on his way to Nueva Espana. See Perez's Catalogo, pp. 78, 79.

[138] Fray Diego Munoz was born in the town of Zafra, of the province of Badajoz, and took his vows in the Augustinian convent of Mexico in 1571. He was renowned for both his learning and his virtues, and on his arrival at the Philippines in 1578 was given the chair of sacred theology in the convent of San Pablo at Manila. He was the first commissary of the Holy Inquisition in the islands; missionary at Pasig and Malolos in 1580 and 1584 respectively, and of the Tondo Sangleys in 1581; definitor in 1584; provincial in 1587, when it was necessary to obtain dispensation from Rome, as he had not reached the required age. During his term as provincial the regulations of the order were received, and the present Manila convent begun. He died in 1594, leaving sermons in Castilian and Tagal, one volume each. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 22.

[139] The last census before 1893 gave Apalit 11,563 inhabitants.—Coco.

Bulletin No. 1 (ut supra) shows the present civilized population to be 12,206.

[140] Fray Juan Quinones was born at Sevilla about 1551 of a noble family. He studied in the university of Mexico, and took the habit in that city in 1575. He went to the Philippines in 1577, where he threw himself fervently into the missionary work. In 1578 he was named minister to Bay and extended his efforts to Taal and Pasig. He was definitor in 1581 and 1587; prior of Manila in 1586, and vicar-provincial in 1587, dying that same year at the convent of San Pablo in Manila. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 19.

[141] This is the date of the text, and if true, the date of the title-page (1630) must be either a misprint or an equivocation on the part of the author. Or this instance and the several others similar to it may have been added by Medina to his manuscript after he had completed it to the date of the title-page; or they may be due to a later hand.

[142] In 1893 there were 12,858 inhabitants.—Coco. The present civilized population of Arayat is 12,904. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[143] Information regarding this father is very slight. He was admitted as confessor to the Spaniards, as appears by an Augustinian record of November 12, 1602 after having been examined, and having presented his licenses to confess, which had been given him in Goa. In 1604, he returned to be approved. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 185.

[144] In 1893, one of the best towns in Iloilo, with a population of 15,842.—Coco.

Bulletin No. 1 (ut supra) gives the civilized population for 1903 as 20,964.

[145] Now Dingle, and not connected with Pototan. It has a population of 9,769.—Coco.

Also in Iloilo province and with a present civilized population of 12,129. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[146] Spanish, lamentado; thus in printed text, but this word seems of dubious accuracy.

[147] It now has [1893] a beautiful stone church, and a population of 5,281. Its modern name is Duenas.—Coco.

Also situated in the province of Iloilo, with a present civilized population of 6,700. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[148] This is a very important town in Iloilo. In 1893 it had 15,151 inhabitants. It had a beautiful stone church, built very high, and in the form of a Greek cross, crowned with a fine cupola.—Coco.

Its present civilized population is 14,464. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[149] Ibahay in the district of Aclan, of Capiz Province—Coco.

[150] This is Fray Alonso Baraona, a native of Quintanario, in the province of Burgos. He took his vows in the convent of that city in 1596. He became prior of Santo Nino in 1607, and was missionary at Dumangas in 1608, Batan in 1609, Jaro in 1610, Aclan in 1613, and Passi in 1614. He was definitor and prior provincial in 1617, and missionary at Bay in 1633. His death occurred in 1626. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 77.

[151] In 1893 it had 7,623 inhabitants.—Coco.

The civilized population in 1903 was 8,503. It is in the province of llocos Sur. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[152] In 1893, a parish chart showed 12,180 inhabitants.—Coco.

Also in llocos Sur, and with a civilized population of 18,828. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[153] Dingras with 11,113 inhabitants in 1893.—Coco.

The present civilized population is 15,792. This village is situated in the province of Ilocos Norte. Narvacan (the Nalbacan of the text), in Ilocos Sur, has a present civilized population of 19,575. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[154] Caruya or Caruyan, now Bigaa was in 1893 a parish, as was also Quingua, in the province of Bulacan. They had populations in 1893 of 7,108 and 7,787 respectively, and good stone churches and convents.—Coco.

These two villages have present civilized populations of 8,000 and 7,229, respectively. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

THE END