And in order that this navigation may be accomplished by the medium of merchants, which is a matter truly important for your Majesty’s royal service, and in order to avoid the increased expense of the port of Acapulco, I have today ordered that every tonelada of cloth brought in your Majesty’s ships shall pay a duty in conformity with those paid on the Northern Sea.  This is done to oblige the merchants, by incurring this duty, to turn their attention to buying ships, in order to economize and enjoy greater profits; also in order that in the interim, while this is being established, it may prove of some help for the great expense incurred by the ships.  For hitherto—­as I have written to your Majesty in section 9 of my letter of February 23, 86—­they had not paid and were not paying more than nine ducats per tonelada; now they will pay from thirty-two to thirty-four.  Your Majesty will order all according to your will.

[Endorsed.  “Sections from the letter of Marques de Villa Manrrique, viceroy of Nueva Espana, to his Majesty.”]

Brief of Sixtus V

Erection of the custodia of the Discalced Franciscans in the Philippines into a province

Sixtus V, Pope: 

In perpetual remembrance of the affair.

While with our mental vision we regard the fruitful results, which, with the aid of God, religious persons—­especially the Friars Minor of Observance [56] known as “Discalced” ["barefoot"], of the custodia of St. Gregory in the Philippine Islands of the Western Indias—­are zealously gathering by their own toil, as so many workmen in the field of the Lord, busy for the glory of God and the spiritual health of peoples dwelling in those very remote regions so far away from us, we think it right—­nay, even their due—­that we should graciously impart the favor of our apostolic love for their comfort and increase.

In truth, our very dear son in Christ, Philip, Catholic king of the Spains—­in his own name, as well as in that of our beloved sons the guardian and the other brethren of the custodia of St. Gregory in the aforesaid islands—­has represented to us, that the brethren of the province of St. Joseph of the same order, established in the kingdoms of the Spains, whereon the aforesaid custodia of St. Gregory was dependent, in chapter held lately in the town of Cadahalso, in the diocese of Toledo, prudently being of opinion that they no longer could maintain the said custodia otherwise than with notable loss ... unless the aforesaid custodia were erected into a province, resolved that they should humbly petition us to deign of our apostolic bounty to confer the title of province on the aforesaid custodia, and provide whatever else might be needed in the premises.