as it is a matter that touches the fiscal, he defies the laws entirely.  A few days ago Juan Cevicos, an ecclesiastic and presbyter, presented to the royal Audiencia a decree of your Majesty directed to the audiencias.  In it you prohibit offices of justice to the sons, brothers, or brothers-in-law of auditors and fiscals, under penalty of a fine of one thousand pesos in gold.  He petitioned that, in observance of it, the said sargento-mayor Alcazar should not exercise the office of warden of the Parian of the Sangleys, or Don Fernando Centeno, [20] general of the galleys, also a brother-in-law of the said fiscal, that of alcalde-in-ordinary of this city.  The Audiencia ordered that the decree be obeyed; and that the said governor be informed, so that he might appoint someone to fill the office of the Parian.  He was so angered by that, that he expressed himself in unmeasured language; and especially, in the meeting held July 23, did he treat the auditors very harshly, chiding them for having meddled in his government.  And inasmuch as they had ordered him by an act to fulfil the said royal decree, [he said] that the Audiencia had exceeded their authority, since such action did not belong to their duties.  He told them not to show thereafter similar discourtesy, for he vowed to God that he would proceed against the auditors, and would not allow his office to be taken from him before he had exercised it.  He paid no attention to the said royal decree and act, or to the ordinance of the Audiencia that prohibits such appointments, because he [i.e., Fernando Centeno] was an encomendero; there is, besides, another very great objection, namely, that the fiscal his brother-in-law has hitherto been protector of the same Sangleys, until now when he leaves it for the post of admiral.  Luis Rivero having appealed from the sentence of death passed by the governor, and orders having been issued by the Audiencia that he should appear to state his case (inasmuch as he had presented himself to the Audiencia), and that the warden of the prison should not deliver the prisoner under penalty of two thousand ducados—­of which the warden himself took notice, and refused to deliver him over—­the sargento-mayor went with a detachment of arquebusiers and, after taking away the keys from the warden, took the prisoner out by force and executed on him the sentence of death.  Auditor Don Alvaro de Messa having proceeded against the warden by commission of the Audiencia, the governor suppressed the case, and handled the auditor with rough speech.  Without being ordered by the Audiencia, on his own authority he takes the prisoners from the jail and mans the galleys with them, even though their cases are actually pending at the time in the Audiencia; and it has been impossible to conclude them, notwithstanding that it is the Audiencia that causes all criminals to be taken from jail and placed in the galleys for which authority is granted them.  He suppresses the secular offices of justice at will, before their