and from each one could be cut no more than four small sheets; and they cost three pesos.  They could not have so high a price in Espana.  I bought a small piece of linen of fourteen or fifteen varas for four reals.  Now they measure by varas, and it is very cheap at one real per vara.  And thus in everything else, this appears now, whether the Sangley, the Spaniard or the Chinese pays the trickery.  But it is a singular thing, how poorly the Spaniard governs himself.  Wherever he halts, immediately all prices go up; and even when he is able to get food gratis, he clothes himself and obtains his food at excessive rates, because of his lack of consideration or his heedlessness.  And when he happens to bethink himself, it is too late.

The Dominican fathers have another station of married Sangleys, near Manila, and adjoining Tondo, so close that their houses and those of Tondo are contiguous.  This station belonged to us, but we generously gave it to them, so that they might agree to make a compact in regard to the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi. [87] We ourselves celebrated it on the Sunday that came after the principal feast, when the cathedral celebrates it, with great solemnity.  The fathers of our father St. Dominic came and entered their suit.  Journeys were made to and from Roma at great expense.  At the end, it was decided that the festival should be celebrated ad invicem [i.e., “in turn"], one year in one place and the next year in the other, in the following manner.  When it should be celebrated in Santo Domingo, we were to perform the services at the altar; and when it was celebrated at our house, in the same way they should perform the service.  Let them consider that it was important whether to celebrate the feast immediately on the following Monday.  Some things on which we lay particular stress have no importance whatever; and, regarding some that we ought to lay stress on, we allow them to stand without any care whatever.  This is well known and a trite saying in our holy order.  But it is a matter of greater importance to that convent than to ours that the feast should be celebrated today rather than tomorrow.  The Dominican fathers have built in the convent a very strong stone church, which would be considered substantial in Espana.  One has only to cross the bridge over the river to go from this church to their church in the Parian.  A short distance farther, and also near there, they possess the hospital for sick Sangleys.  But I maintain that but few are treated there, for these nations would rather be left to die in their own houses, with their relatives, than to regain their health in the hospital.  Besides the Sangleys have very excellent physicians among themselves, even better than those from Espana—­I mean those in Manila, who serve rather to take money and to bury people than for any other purpose, and gain their experience at the very dear cost of the Spaniards.