The third decree states that there are many ecclesiastics in this bishopric who trade and carry on traffic, to the great scandal of and bad example to both Spaniards and Indians.  He who wrote your Majesty told the truth in part, since two ecclesiastics from Nueva Espana furnished this bad example, although I did what I could to prevent them.  Nevertheless, God punished them more severely than I did; for all the property of one was taken away by the Englishman, [40] and the other died here, and lost what he had sent to Nueva Espana.  Those ecclesiastics who are under my government, however, have not exceeded their duty in this respect as much as your Majesty has been informed.  Moreover, they are not so many as has been said in Spain, for there are not more than five who are stationed among the Indians, and these are so poor that they do not even have enough to eat.  More than one and one-half years before this decree came, I had taken measures to correct the excess which might result, having ordered that no ecclesiastic should carry on traffic.  This appears by the ordinances which I had made concerning this.  That your Majesty may order them to be considered and amended, I enclose them with this letter.  In the future this order will be more rigorously observed, according to your Majesty’s command.

In the fourth decree, your Majesty says that the president of this Audiencia wrote that when he came to this land, he agreed with me as to the order [of precedence] to be followed when the Audiencia and I should encounter each other in public.  He further says that, disregarding this arrangement, I sat in the place which did not belong to me, and turned my back on the Audiencia.  I would be very glad to meet the president before your Majesty, and hear his reason for daring to inform your Majesty in such a manner.  It is very certain that no such agreement was ever made between him and me, except that, when there was to be a procession in the church, the president should go with the auditors, and I with my clergy; for he claimed the right hand, and I did not have it to take.  Thus we came to this agreement.  The place, however, was not discussed, nor was there any excuse for doing so, as it is well known that the Audiencia is always seated on the gospel side in the body of the chapel; and, although the bishop is usually in the choir, he may, when he wishes to do so, sit on the gospel side, above the steps.  Wherever I have been, this has been the practice; and I sent an account thereof, with the testimony of an eye-witness, to the Council of the Indias.  Your Majesty provides and commands by this decree that I shall take the place belonging to me.  This order means that I take the same place which I took then, as that is the proper place belonging to a bishop, without giving any cause whatever for the Audiencia to feel injured, as the places are very distinct from each other.  Although the vexation ceased, because of the suppression of the Audiencia, the injury done me by the president, in writing to your Majesty, has not yet come to an end.  I ought not to fail to reply to what is so unjustly imputed to me.