[21] This officer was a relative of Governor Juan de Silva.  A full account of this unfortunate expedition and his death in Siam is given in the “Relation of 1626,” post.

[22] This order of nuns, commonly known as “Poor Clares,” is the second order of St. Francis.  It was founded by St. Clare, who was born at Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, and she was received by him into the monastic life in 1212; she died in 1253.  The order soon spread into France and Spain; and a written rule was given to these nuns by St. Francis in 1224, which was approved by the pope in 1246.  Some modifications of this rule—­which was exceedingly austere—­crept into various convents; and a rule, approved by Urban IV, was drawn up in 1264, similar to that of St. Francis, but somewhat mitigated.  It was adopted by most of the convents in the order, this branch being known as Urbanists; the minority, who followed the stricter rule, were called Clarisses.  The government and direction of the order were at first divided between a cardinal protector and the superiors of the Franciscans; but, early in the sixteenth century, Julius II placed the Poor Clares entirely under the jurisdiction of the general and provincials of the Friars Minors. (Addis and Arnold’s Catholic Dictionary.)

[23] Geronima de la Asuncion, daughter of Pedro Garcia Yanez, was born in Toledo in 1555, and entered the Order of St. Clare in August, 1570.  With seven nuns of her order, she embarked from Cadiz on July 5, 1620, and arrived at Manila August 5, 1621, where she founded the convent of La Concepcion.  Within two months, she received twenty girls into the novitiate, notwithstanding the rigorous and austere rules of this order.  The provincial of the Franciscans strove to modify this strictness, for the sake of the nuns’ health in so trying a climate, but Mother Geronima refused to yield, and finally triumphed, in the appeal made to the head of the order—­although after this victory she permitted some relaxations of the rule.  Opposition arose to the seclusion of so many young women of Manila in the monastic life; and even the diocesan authorities endeavored to restrain their zeal—­even excommunicating Mother Geronima for a time—­but with little result.  She died on October 22, 1630.  See La Concepcion’s account of her and the entrance of this order, in Hist. de Philipinas, v, pp. 1-17.

[24] This man undertook, as a work of charity, to rear and educate orphaned or poor Spanish boys, for which purpose he collected aims; and later he secured from the crown the aid for which these letters ask.  Having spent his life in this work, Guerrero at his death (being then a Dominican friar) placed this school in charge of the Dominicans, who accepted it—­on June 18, 1640, organizing it as the college of San Juan de Letran; it became a department of their university of Santo Tomas.

[25] Evidently referring to the city of Cebu, of which Christoval de Lugo was then alcalde-mayor; this officer conducted an expedition against the Joloans in 1627, in which the Spaniards inflicted heavy losses on these pirates.