Two Letters from Dasmarinas to Felipe II

Sire: 

Immediately upon my arrival last year, I wrote your Majesty what I observed in the disposition of the licentiate Pedro de Rrojas, my counselor—­in the little while in which I could study him—­that he was very fond of his own opinion, and of meddling with what did not concern him.  This resulted from his office, since he wished to reduce everything pertaining to war and administration to justice.  I also stated that he considered his commission and mine as identical, with no distinction between them; and that I thought him moved by and wedded to his opinion.  Now that by intercourse with him, I know him better, I am able, in accordance with what I owe your Majesty’s service, again to [break in the original MS.] he is indeed so sure and certain of his opinion that it appears to him that with four courses at Salamanca [[break in MS.] other letters or judicature but his; and that he knows everything, and others nothing.  Regarding this, he uses very free and disrespectful language, shutting himself up in his resolution, from which there is no drawing him.  And hence there happened to me one day with him what your Majesty will see by the enclosed investigation, [34] which I send, only that your Majesty may know what passed, and the liberty with which he talks and acts.  It is not a new thing, since he antagonized and quarreled with President Sanctiago de Vera, as is evident by the investigation I send thereof; he certainly has very little fondness for peace, and is inclined to disputes and arguments.  As the royal Audiencia was here so haughty and domineering, he retains that authority and harshness, with which he tries to reduce all others as his vassals.  In the matters of justice that he discusses, he is unable to be impartial, but is in many matters very biased.  This is because of his trading and trafficking, which the president and all the auditors carried on from the time of their arrival—­and with so great avidity, trying to secure it all to themselves, that I find no rich men here beside them.  This is the reason why Rojas (as I inform your Majesty in a separate letter) and the auditors opposed the pancada, [35] in order that the consignments of money sent by them to China for merchandise might not be known—­which, at last, have come to light.  Moreover, as they were unwilling to pay, on the present shipment to Espana, the two per cent that I levied as a tax for the wall, they opposed it; and they stirred up on both questions the bishop and friars.  I inform your Majesty of these things in another letter, and of the manner in which I have cleared up all doubts regarding them, and ascertained the investments of the present year, as appears by the accompanying paper.  If the matter of inspection and the residencia held here had fallen to my order and commission, as it fell to that of the viceroy of Nueva Espana, I would have proved