[18] Baltasar Fort was a native of Moto in Valencia, though some say of Horcajo in the diocese of Tortosa.  He studied Latin grammar at Villa de San Mateo.  At Valencia he studied philosophy.  He took his vows at the Dominican convent of San Esteban at Salamanca, May 2, 1586.  After serving as prior and as master of novitiates in Aragonese convents, he went to Manila in 1602.  Mart of his ministry there was passed in the province of Pangasinam.  He served as prior of the Manila convent, and then as provincial, after which he was sent to Japan as vicar-provincial, whence he was exiled in 1614.  He was definitor several times and once rector of the college of Santo Tomas, after which he was again prior of the Manila convent.  He died in that convent without the last sacraments, October 18, 1640, being over seventy years of age.—­See Resena biografica, part i, pp. 311, 312.

[19] Francisco Minayo was a native of Arevalo.  After arriving at the Philippines in 1598, he labored extensively in Cagayan, where his ministry had good results.  He was accused of the sin against nature, but after arrest and trial was released.  Later he was prior of the Manila convent, and after his three years’ term returned to Cagayan, where he died at Lallo-c, August 25, 1613.  See Resena biografica, part i, pp. 302-303.

[20] The following law was passed at Lerma July 23, 1605; and at Madrid December 19, 1618, and is found in Recopilacion de leyes, lib. iii, tit. x, ley xiv:  “The governor and captain-general of the Filipinas Islands shall take care to reward the soldiers who shall have served us there, and their sons, with the posts and profits that shall fall to his appointment, in accordance with the ordinance, and with full justification, so that they may have some remuneration, observing in everything the laws issued upon this matter.”

[21] Father Gregorio Lopez was a native of the town of Alcocer, in the bishopric of Cuenca.  He studied theology at Alcala de Henares, but took the Jesuit habit in Mexico.  He filled in Mexico the chairs of the arts and of theology, and was master of the novitiates.  After sixteen years’ residence in Mexico he went to the Philippines, where he became a teacher of Christian doctrine, and rector of the seminary at Manila.  He was later vice-provincial and then provincial of his order for eight years, being the first provincial.  He died at the age of fifty-three, on July 21, 1614.  He spent fourteen years in the Philippines.

[22] La Concepcion says (Hist. de Philipinas, iv, p. 284) that the Dutch unexpectedly encountered at Panay a Spanish force, on its way to the Moluccas, who compelled the invaders to retreat.

[23] Francois de Wittert.  See Vol.  XV, pp. 323-328.

[24] “The bells of the churches were cast into heavy cannon” (La Concepcion, Hist. de Philipinas, iv, p. 286).

[25] Vino de Mandarin; literally, “mandarin wine.”