not anything, it is a matter of necessity that they cannot give us even that little.  I can only acknowledge that as we were the first [to enter here], our houses ought to be, at the end of sixty-six years very strong in this regard.  But the fact is that there is no community in Manila that does [not] excel us in this; and we remain only with the name [of being well-to-do], which does us no little harm.  For, with the title of powerful ones, no one remembers us, except to beg from us and take away our lands; and, as they say in Espana:  “What matters it to me if my father is called hogaza [i.e., “large loaf of bread"], if I die of hunger?” But, finally, the little that covetousness influences us will be evident to all, even if I am not pleased at the abandoning of what belongs to us lawfully; as says our great father:  Et ideo quanta amplius rem communem, quam propriam curaveritis, tanto vos amplius proficere noveritis. [54] Yet am I glad that in such manner are we so greedy of the rich patrimony of poverty, and such masters in it, that we cannot keep anything.  For, after all, we are all sons of one father, of whom it is written that, although he was a bishop, he made no will at his death, for he had nothing. Testamentum nullum fecit; quia unde faceret pauper Christi non habuit. [55] I made the above remarks, for later an occasion so apropos may not arise.

Chapter XVI

Of the assembly held by our religious in these islands, where they elected a provincial; and of other events.

[With the increase of their numbers, the missionaries felt the need of electing a provincial.  Accordingly a general assembly was called, and in the early part of May, 1572, Martin de Rada was elected provincial—­“a person of whom we have said so much and of whom we shall say much, and of whom there is plenty to say; for he was a subject worthy of all things, and his memory is as green today in the islands as if he were alive; and his achievements are extolled by Spaniards and Indians, who hold his sayings as prophecies....  In this assembly the priests had a vote, for as there were no fixed convents, and all were participating in the same labor, the responsibility of voting was divided among them all.  The first thing that they discussed after the election was the despatching of a religious to Nueva Espana, and thence to Espana, to give account of the condition of the province, and of their ministry; and to request religious for the continuation of the work, and permission for our most reverend father to divide the province among them with full authority of proceeding in their elections and government, as in the other provinces which are not dependent.”  Diego de Herrera was chosen for this mission, and left Manila in the beginning of August, 1572.  The new provincial set vigorously to work, “correcting, if there were aught to be corrected, anything in those first laborers that