to enter, ordered each one to be given a certificate
granting him life; and had them told that he who did
not have one of these would be regarded as one who
had come from the enemy’s camp. After this
resolution the governor and Audiencia left the Parian
on Monday at noon. On the morning of that day,
some Spaniards and four hundred Japanese had left the
city, at the governor’s orders, to attack the
enemy. They did so and killed more than fifteen
hundred men, and burned all their food. This obliged
them to break camp and to return toward the city, marching
in three squadrons, numbering fifteen hundred men.
Every moment they were joined by bands of two hundred
and three hundred. They assembled in a town called
Dilao, situated about three musket-shots from the city,
at twelve o’clock in the morning. They united
all their forces, and carried on operations from a
very strong large stone house, which was the chapel
of Nuestra Senora de Candelaria. Two days before,
her image had been carried into the city in most solemn
procession. On that day it rained heavily, and
as those in the houses were fearful lest the enemy
would set fire to their dwellings, they had removed
the nipa [20] with which they were covered. In
the houses built of stone and tile there was not standing-room,
as all or most of the people gathered there, both
women and children, and those incapable of bearing
arms. All was confusion and lamentation, because
of this, and since more than sixteen hundred Sangleys
were in sight of the city. Most of the people
distributed themselves along that part of the wall;
and in the cavaliers and ravelins were mounted pieces
of artillery. Until now no resolution had been
taken whether to put to the sword those Sangleys who
remained in the Parian, or to set the Parian afire,
or to let the people benefit from the sack of it,
which was worth more than eighty thousand pesos.
However there was no opportunity for this, as the
enemy’s camp was so near, that now those Sangleys
in the chapel were communicating with and going to
those in the Parian, and those in the Parian to the
chapel. Consequently it was resolved to burn
it. This was done with great haste, for Divine
justice was apparently showing that such sins as were
committed there were deserving of such a penalty.
When the Sangleys who had remained in the Parian perceived
that it was burning, they packed up as much of their
possessions as possible and went to the other side
of the river, where stood the residences of the wealthy
merchants. That afternoon a council of war was
held in the enemy’s camp. They determined
to send late that night Sangleys in pairs to the walls,
to ascertain whether we had any artillery, and whether
all the people manning the walls were Spaniards; for
they thought that this was not possible, unless we
had brought the images of the saints which were in
the church. They did not think wrong, either
way, for they were a thousand holy religious, who
had laid aside their holy habits for such an occasion,