When the Dutch pirates of whom we have spoken were condemned to death in Manila by the judges, the governor thought it well to entrust them to several religious, as they might perhaps abjure their errors and be reconciled to Holy Church.  It pleased the divine goodness to restore all, to the number of thirteen, except the admiral, who as an obstinate heretic was hanged and cast into the sea.  The others with so great sorrow for their crimes subjected themselves to the obedience of the holy Roman church that it seemed good to the religious fathers to admit them to the holy communion.  Of five commended to our Society I can affirm that they greatly edified all, for they made a confession of the sins of all their life and approached the holy communion with many tears, having previously made public profession of the Roman Catholic faith and abjured their heresies, being prepared to live and die in the said faith.  Two days later, with rosaries around their necks they were led forth to the place of execution in great joy of mind that they could atone for their sins by death.

Our Order has been no less occupied with the Indians in these regions than with others—­partly because there is a greater number of them gathered in this town of Manila than anywhere else, partly because they feel a greater good-will toward the members of the Society than toward any others.  They never lack some one of Ours to aid their confessions; and they would need old priests the year round, if there were so many who understood the language, to hear the confessions of all.  They greatly affect the holy communion, and report wonderful fruit from it.  Every week, on Saturday, very many hasten to perform their discipline with the others; and more would come if the city gates which separate the Indians from the Spaniards were not closed at nightfall.  Indeed many do not fear to creep through the little hole in the gates in order not to neglect that salutary penance.  They hasten, too, on the Sabbath to hear the sacrament of the mass of the Blessed Virgin, and in Lent to hear sermons, and that in such numbers that, although our church is of considerable size, they fill it completely.  And when it was overthrown by the earthquake, they all hastened together, down to the very children, to give their help in carrying stones away.  It was a delightful sight to see them swarming like ants upon the rubbish and the wall—­men and women, young and old, powdered with dust and lime, carrying baskets on their shoulders and vying with each other in carrying off the ruins so as to clear the space.

The girls’ sodality, recently introduced among the natives, has marvelously roused all the others.  Sometimes they have fed the poor with such liberality that much was left for the prisoners and other needy persons.  After the meal was over, they poured water for the hands of the poor persons, and kissed them; and then the poor persons fell on their knees and prayed God for their benefactors.  At another