and the pure administration of justice.  After the ceremony, the archbishop and his assistants, and the clergy, shall remain there, while you shall take the box again and place it on the horse, which must always be led by the chief constable of the Audiencia, in person and on foot, and with head bared.  You shall then proceed with the same assemblage to my royal houses, where you shall deposit the said seal in a suitable place.  Then you shall enter upon the proceedings for installing the Audiencia, and together with the auditors and fiscal you shall establish it.  This day shall be occupied solely with examining the ordinances of audiencias, with taking the oath from the said auditors, fiscal, and assistants, and with an address from you, in which, in my name, you shall charge them to exercise their offices faithfully, and to maintain peace and harmony among themselves; and you shall enjoin the inferiors to observe respect, secrecy, and diligence.  Thenceforth you shall proceed according to the usual form of the other audiencias of these kingdoms and of the Yndias.  Given at El Pardo, November twenty-sixth, one thousand five hundred and ninety-five. [28]

I The King

By order of the king: 

Juan Ybarra

Signed by the president and members of the
Council.

[In the margin at the beginning of this document: 

“To Don Francisco Tello, governor of the Philipinas Islands, in regard to the establishment of the Audiencia, and the receiving of the royal seal.”]

Letter from Luis Perez Dasmarinas to Felipe II

Sire: 

By the ships which sailed for Nueva Espana in July of this year 95, I wrote at length to your Majesty, giving account of some things which, in my poor judgment and opinion, would be to the glory and service of God and of your Majesty; and very necessary, important, and fitting for the common good, preservation, and increase of these towns.  Therefore I felt myself urged and obliged to break silence; and I would not now refrain from referring to those matters, if I did not fear and doubt that this present letter would not reach the royal hands by this way, and did I not believe that several of those I have written by another way, namely by Nueva Espana, have arrived there.

The present occasion for writing to your Majesty is to inform you of the arrival of the religious and ministers whom your Majesty was pleased to send here.  This was of great moment and importance, because of our great need of them.  I am writing also to say that the fathers of the Society of Jesus have taken under their charge the island of Leyte, one of the Pintados, which has hitherto had no instruction.  Although but four fathers went there, so great good has resulted from their labors, within six months or so, that two days ago the father vice-provincial told me that he had received a letter saying that the fathers now preach to the Indians in their own language.  The good results and benefits are so great that there are now more than five thousand four hundred catechumens—­who, without being at all compelled to do so, have themselves destroyed and cast down their false idols.  This gives no little encouragement and occasion to praise God; and shows how important, necessary, and beneficial is the presence here of good ministers.