DECREES REGARDING THE RELIGIOUS

Concerning lawlessness of Augustinian religious

The King.  To the president and auditors of my royal Audiencia of the city of Manila of the Philipinas Islands:  In a letter written to me by Don Francisco de Caravajal Campo Frio, dated August two of the former year six hundred and twenty-five, he declares that while alcalde-mayor of the province of Balayan, he heard that Diego Larias Maldonado had arrived there, who had run away with the wife of a certain man.  He had them arrested in the town of Batangas, a mission of Augustinian friars.  He declares that Fray Antonio Muxica, prior of the said order, at the head of his fiscal and choristers, broke open the gates of the prison, and loosed the prisoners, after maltreating the government agents.  And although he drew up a report about this action, and informed their superior of it—­sending the latter a copy of the report, while he kept the original, in order to give you an account of it—­the superior did not inflict punishment, but on the contrary exerted himself to get hold of the original report.  But as he did not succeed in this, two religious, accompanied by over one hundred natives, went to Caravajal’s house, surrounded it, went up stairs where he was, and took away the said [original] report from him, after having bound him and maltreated him by word and deed.  Although he informed you of it, that crime has not yet been punished.  Inasmuch as it is not right that such a crime remain without punishment, I have considered it fitting to send you a copy of the said letter, so that if the relation made by the said Don Francisco de Caravajal Campo Frio be true, you may enact justice, in order that, in the future, it may serve as a warding.  For this you shall have recourse to the provincial of the said order.  Given in Madrid, May twenty-one, one thousand six hundred and twenty-seven.

I The King

Countersigned by Don Juan Fernando Ruiz de Contreras, and signed by the members of the Council.

[Endorsed:  “To the Manila Audiencia, sending it a copy of a letter written to your Majesty by Don Francisco Caravajal Campo Frio in regard to the outrage committed against him by certain religious of St. Augustine, so that, if his report be true, justice may be done.”]

Granting alms to the Augustinians

The King.  To the officials of my royal treasury of the Philipinas Islands:  You know already that it was ordered by a decree of the king my father (who is in glory), dated August seven, of the former year six hundred and one, that a ration for two additional religious be given for four years longer to the convent of St. Augustine, of that city of Manila, in the manner that it is given to four religious in that convent; and that he prolonged the said time for another four years by another decree of six hundred and sixteen,