so great odds; and willed that the enemy should abandon the undertaking, and depart—­to the wonder of all, after they had been firing at that rampart for nearly two days.  In that time they must have used more than five hundred large balls, the reverberations of which sounded on the heights of that island like thunder.  On the departure of the enemy, our men must have found themselves in great need of everything, for whatever houses and stores were there were all burned; for the Dutch have done this three times on that point.  Help came then from Baong, and father Fray Hernando de Morales came overland with two hundred Indians.  He was an angel to the people, and, with the Indians, aided them in their greatest necessity.  By this means they had one who served and accommodated them, which was no small achievement.  He brought them as much food as he could, and remained with them until the natives began to aid; for all had been frightened greatly at the uproar that they had seen.  This was a great matter for the natives, for they all said, “The Dutch have been beaten.”

Captain Don Diego, seeing that the enemy would go there constantly, began, with the consent of the Audiencia, to build a fort, and constructed a rampart, furnished with some excellent pieces, which arrived the same day when the enemy left, and were almost captured by them.  Afterward the fort was completed.  It consists of four ramparts, and is the best in the Filipinas.  I have related the above, because it shows how our religious attend to the service of our Lord.

CHAPTER XXXVI

Of the election of our father, Fray Jeronimo de Salas; and of other events in this province at that time.

The [time for the] chapter arrived in which our father Fray Vicente left his office, at which he would rejoice; for this matter of command, although it appears to be all honey, certainly contains much more of gall and confusion than rest.  The father visitor, Fray Juan de Enriquez, received votes, and he was well liked in Pampanga.  The father-provincial thought that father Fray Agustin de Mejia [38] was needed for the government of the province, for he was of Manila, and had maintained that convent with great devotion and punctuality, and no one had been lacking in anything—­and that in times so calamitous as his own.  During that time the ships from Espana failed us for two years, and during all that period he had so great courage that he did splendid things in the convent of Manila, both for the church and for the house.  The monument placed in our house is the best of all those belonging to the orders; it and many others are his work.  Notwithstanding this, the religious did not consider him favorably.  Consequently, our father provincial, seeing the difficulty, did not wish, as a prudent man, to venture upon a thing which would make face against him.  For the religious alone are of this condition, that they play openly;