cruelty, in order to be more certain [that he was dead] they twisted his neck against the bed in such a way that they disjointed the bones, no that the head fell from one side to the other as if he had been a dead fowl.  All this tragedy was committed in the dark, so they went for a light, cleansed the provincial’s body of the blood that had gushed from his mouth, changed his bed-linen and garments, and set everything in good order, that it might appear that he had died of some sudden accident.  They did not take into consideration the many discolorations upon his body, or the twisted neck, that must soon give testimony of the hideous crime.  Fray Andres Encinas took all the bloody clothing and threw it into the closets.  The others closed the door from within, with a cross bar, and jumped through a little window.  Although the provincial had given many loud cries, and other friars lived near the apartment, nothing was heard in the convent—­a thing that seems impossible.  After the crime was completed the bells rang for matins, for which it was now time.  The murderers, or rather parricides, with great craftiness went to prayers.  Morning came, and the hour arrived at which the provincial was accustomed to open his apartment; but he did not open it.  They waited a little, but he did not come out.  They knocked at the door, but he did not respond; they knocked louder, but in vain.  The prior and the other friars, who were ignorant of the affair, determined to break down the doors.  They did so, entered, and then beheld the crime, and saw that the provincial had been killed with violence.  The prior, a certain Fray del Rincon, [18] hastened to the president of the royal Audiencia and to Don Geronimo de Sylva, captain-general, in order that they might give him help of which he was destitute because there was so great a tumult in the convent.  They soon came with men.  First the president ordered that all the friars should go one by one to kiss the hand of the dead man, in order that he might note the countenance of each.  Finally they buried the provincial, and every one can well infer what would be said of the whole order; for people will forget that in the apostolic college there was a Judas and in Heaven a Lucifer, and yet the other apostles and the angels did not fall on this account.  Reports of the affair were transmitted to the bishop of Zebu, Don Fray Pedro de Arce, of the Order of St. Augustine, and at that time governor of the archbishopric of Manila.  He imprisoned some and tortured others; and in a short time, and with little trouble, the criminals were discovered.  He made all the investigations, prepared the case, and handed it over to the definitorio, which, as they said, had by right jurisdiction in the matter.  The definitorio, which was composed of nine of the most prominent friars of their order, advised with the other orders as to whether, without consulting the pope, it could condemn the criminals to actual degradation and deliver them over to the