Santo Thomas, founded about two years ago by the Order of St. Dominic.  As I say, they suffer so great poverty that I am assured that some cannot leave their houses because they have no cassocks to wear—­and that, too, in a country where cloth is generally so cheap.  This is a matter that is breaking my heart.  I have nothing with which to employ them, since the ministries are all managed by the religious.  The poor ecclesiastics have only eight benefices of Indians to administer, besides two Spanish curacies—­namely that of this city, which is administered by two parish priests [curas]; and that of Santiago, outside the walls—­and one other which has in charge the Indians and slaves of Manila.  Within the last few days two ecclesiastics, theologues, competed for a sacristy in the benefice of Nuestra Senora de Guia, which has a salary of only ninety pesos.  One of them had taken four years of theology, and is an excellent student, and not so fitting for other things.  They competed for it only in order to get a morsel of food, so they would not have to beg it from door to door.  Will your Majesty be pleased to have provided what is most suitable for the service of God and your own. [Marginal note:  “Since he has the case in hand, let him take what measures are advisable.”]

News reached this city in the month of January last of this year, of the death of the bishop of Nueva Caceres, Fray Diego de Guevara, of the Order of St. Augustine; he died while visiting his bishopric.  Inasmuch as that church has no cabildo, the task of its government devolved upon me, as does likewise that of Nueva Segovia.  As the bishop of the latter church, Don Juan de Renteria, has not arrived, I petition your Majesty to be pleased to have notice taken that greater competency is required for these bishoprics that are so distant from Manila—­in which counsel can [not] easily be taken on the troubles that confront the ministry at every step, and the bishop, like him who holds the office of magistrate, must alone determine these doubts of fuerza—­than for the very large bishoprics of Espana.  Will your Majesty please take the advisable measures. [Marginal note:  “Seen and provided.”]

The facility of these natives in going to law about marriage is very great.  In fact, they achieve their purpose by alleging obstacles arising from their own illicit intercourse, before the marriage, with the relatives of their wives.  Often they maliciously conceal this obstacle and are silent until, the wives after experiencing with the lapse of time, during their married life, not so good treatment as they expected from their husbands, and the husbands having less pleasure in the marriage than they had promised themselves, they advance their obstacles, and petition for the annulment of the marriage.  With the ease with which they find witnesses for any purpose, they succeed in carrying their desires into effect—­with the liability, if what they have alleged and proved