For the rest, as it would be difficult [to send] these present letters to all and singular the aforesaid islands, etc.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, under the seal of the Fisherman, April 18, 1591, the first year of our pontificate.

Articles of Contract for the Conquest of Mindanao

Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, governor and captain-general of these Philipinas Islands for the king, our sovereign, etc.: 

His Majesty orders and charges me, by his royal instructions and decrees, as the most worthy and important thing in these islands, to strive for the propagation of our holy faith among the natives herein, their conversion to the knowledge of the true God, and their reduction to the obedience of His holy church and of the king, our sovereign; and to this end and object his Majesty has given me commission to make the expeditions and pacifications that I think best for the service of God and his own, and likewise to give license and commission for making them.  By reason thereof, he also commissions me to make covenants and agreements with explorers and pacifiers who are willing to bind and pledge themselves, at their own cost, to make such expeditions and pacifications.  Moreover, the island of Mindanao is so fertile and well-inhabited, and teeming with Indian settlements, wherein to plant the faith, and of so great circumference—­namely, three hundred leagues—­and distant two hundred leagues from this island of Luzon; and is rich in gold mines and placers, and in wax, cinnamon, and other valuable drugs.  And although the said island has been seen, discussed, and explored (and even in great part given in repartimiento), no effort has been made to enter and reduce it, nor has it been pacified or furnished with instruction or justice—­quite to the contrary being, at the present time, hostile and refusing obedience to his Majesty; and no tribute, or very little, is being collected.  And the assignment into encomiendas made there has been null and void, as being made contrary to his Majesty’s ordinances contained in his instructions and articles on “New Discoveries,” as the land must be first entered and entirely pacified, and its rulers and natives must be reduced to the obedience of his Majesty, and given to understand the evangelical instruction.  Besides the above facts, by delaying the pacification of the said island greater wrongs, to the offense and displeasure of God and of his Majesty, are resulting daily; for I am informed that the king of that island has made all who were paying tribute to his Majesty tributary to himself by force of arms, and after putting many of them to death while doing it; so that now each Indian pays him one tae of gold.  I am also told that he destroyed and broke into pieces, with many insults, a cross that he found, when told that it was adored by the Christians; and that in Mindanao, the capital and residence of the said king, are Bornean