near Manila.  It seems as if death selected, among all, those of most renown, although those who were left were distinguished.  Let us conclude this triennium with the fact that our father provincial—­although it seemed from his goodness that he would not try to declare himself too fully, nor to influence the province against his will—­at last, thinking that he, because of his greater experience in its affairs than others had, could arbitrate in a so important matter, accordingly set his eyes on father Fray Antonio de Ocampo, whom we have already mentioned above—­a person certainly worthy of greater things, and a calificador of the Holy Office.  Our father thought it easy to accomplish his intentions, for he found many who thought the same.  But the one who opposed him was of great account and a great giant, namely, the father master, Fray Pedro Garcia, the brother of the archbishop, who did not lack followers and partisans.  The contention, if I do not say that it was greater than the former one, was not less.  It is a remarkable thing, and certain to befall a monarchy, that when it is about to come to an end it slips and totters.  Consequently, it was always suspected that those appointed by the province were announcing some new method of governing.  The governor also—­who was then Don Fernando de Silva, of the habit of Santiago, and who had been sent by the viceroy of Nueva Espana—­took a part in it, so that the affairs of the order should not go outside of its limits.  Finally, it was our Lord’s pleasure that they should settle upon a third person, namely, our father Fray Hernando Becerra, a person very deserving of what the order has given him.

CHAPTER XL

Of the election of our father Becerra

We have already related that our father, Fray Hernando Becerra, from the time that he set foot in Filipinas, was always climbing the rungs and going from good to better.  He came to the islands in the company brought by our father visitor, Fray Diego de Guevara; and as soon as he was ordained, that same year of 1610, he was sent to Ilocos to be minister in that province.  Beyond any doubt at the time of his arrival, he made so good an impression on those in authority, and they regarded him as so worthy of eminence, that almost immediately he was given the chief priorate of that province, called Bantay.  He came to vote, therefore, at the following chapter, and remained in the province of Tagalos, with the title of reader of theology.  Soon after that the bishop of Camarines, then visitor, selected him as his associate in the general visitation.