His lieutenant receives twenty-eight ducados of ten reals.

The other lesser officers and soldiers receive the pay of those of any company of the army.

The commandants of the forts of Nueva Segovia, the town of Arebalo, and the city of Cibu, receive each thirteen ducadoes of ten reals, plus three and one-third reals per month.  Will your Majesty decide, according to the clear statement of this relation, what you desire to be reduced, and the reduction will be carried out, in accordance with your royal order; and the said effort will be made immediately, in order to assure this expense, as it certainly shall be reduced from now on.

[Marginal note:  “Join to this section what was written to him, and bring them here this afternoon.  What you write in this section has been caused by some misunderstanding.  In order that you may understand it better, and that what is advisable be done, three points are to be noted by you.  The first is in regard to the number of men who have the title of officer.  If such offices are those of the old men—­that is, those offices that were introduced, and which have always existed, since the creation of the infantry [there], and which have always been filled by such men—­there shall be no innovation.  In case that other and supernumerary offices shall have been added, this is what you are to reduce, because this number of officers is costly and only serves for expense and the ambition that there be many to command, and that the infantry be in charge of many superiors.  All that is contrary to good military discipline.  Such is usually tolerated in temporary armies when they go out on a campaign, because of the special achievements and undertakings in which they are occupied, all of which is usual in the training of the militia.  In the reductions ordered or made in the armies of Flandes and other places, this order has always been observed.  The contrary is bad government, and means debt where there is no revenue, and causes the accounts to be always in arrears and to be never entirely paid—­especially to the common soldiers, to whom the officers are always preferred.  The second point concerns the pay, and what was ordered you by a section of the letter of December 19, 618, and what is contained in the relation of the secretary Juan Ruis de Contreras.  The pay of the ordinary officers shall not be entirely suppressed but only lessened and reduced in accordance with the old list; and the increase of pay that has been granted them shall be reduced for the just causes contained in the despatches where this is ordered to you.  In this consideration, also, you are ordered, by virtue of what has been given you in the said despatches, that if, besides what there might be of this reduction of pay, you should find any pay, even though of those long in service, that is not strictly necessary, and that will not detract from the necessary defense, it shall also be lessened and reduced, cautiously,