Majesty, that they might aid in procuring relief therein,
as it is a thing so important for the royal service.
For the establishment of the said college and seminary
was accomplished at a time when the king of Japon
so rigorously prohibited the preaching of the holy
gospel in his kingdom, as is explained in the said
royal decree; and [his resentment] had reached such
an extreme that, when ambassadors were despatched
in the past year to negotiate on behalf of these islands
for friendship and good understanding with the said
king, he showed himself to be so ill disposed against
them that he did not allow the said ambassadors to
enter his court during the eight months and more which
they passed in his kingdom, seeking an audience in
order to give their message and embassy. According
to the letters and relations received, his resentment
was the result of having found certain religious in
his kingdom in secular clothes, and of having learned
that they had been brought from these islands to his
land in disguise and secretly. On this account,
and in order to prevent them from entering Japon,
he has ordered all Spaniards who are in his said kingdom
to leave it, and has forbidden and discontinued traffic,
and he will not consent that Japanese ships come to
these islands, as they used to come, to bring provisions
and other military stores for the royal warehouses;
this can only result in the ruin of this country,
on account of the lack which this may cause in its
armament, trade, and maintenance. If the king
of Japon, who has already ordered that religious cannot
dwell in his kingdom, by not consenting to allow Spaniards
in it, as has been said, should get word that Japanese
are being educated and instructed in the said seminary,
to go and continue the said preaching, it is certain
that he must experience even greater displeasure and
annoyance, and adopt more strenuous measures to stop
all communication and passage from these islands to
his said kingdom. As a result, the Spaniards will
suffer the greatest need through the want of provision
which is brought to these islands from there.
It might even be the cause that he would unite with
the Dutch enemy, whom he admits peacefully into his
said kingdom, and that they would come with a great
number of troops and vessels against these islands,
and cause great losses to them, as we have no forces
sufficient to resist them successfully. On this
account it is expedient to use prudent measures and
acts, and not to continue this, which in all certainty,
and evidently, as is generally known by all the religious
orders and serious persons of this city, must result
in harm to the service of God and of his Majesty,
and in notable loss to this commonwealth—both
because the said seminary cannot bring about the good
results claimed for it, on account of the little inclination
of the Japanese for it, and the different objects which
it is presumed have been aimed at by it; and because
in this case the argument does not exist that holds