The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 36]

1649-1666] RECOLLECT MISSIONS, I646-60

II3

and where those who fell sick from the long and
troublesome journey could be treated. The Order
petitioned it from the king our sovereign, Felipe
Fourth, who, exercising his wonted charity, issued
his royal decree in this year of 1647 for the founding
of the said hospice; and it was actually founded. It
does not belong to this history to relate the conditions
that were then accepted; we have only thought it best
to give this notice of it here.
[The remainder of this book does not concern
Philippine affairs].
[The following is translated and condensed from
Diego de Santa Theresa's Historia general de los
religiosos descalzos, being vol. iii in the general history of the Recollect order.]27
27 The title-page of this book, translated, reads as follows:
"General history of the discalced religious of the Order of the hermits of the great father and doctor of the Church, St. Augustine,
of the congregation of Espafia and of the Indias. Volume third:
which was written by the very reverend father Fray Diego de
Santa Theresa, pensioned lecturer, ex-definitor, and chroniclergeneral of the said congregation; arranged and enlarged by
Father Fray Pedro de San Francisco de Assis, pensioned lecturer,
calificador of the Holy Office, definitor of the holy province of
Aragon, and chronicler-general. Dedicated to Nuestra Seiiora
del Pilar [i.e., "our Lady of the Pillar"] of Zaragoza. Containing apologetic additions to the first volume in defense of the
discalced Augustinians, in answer to what was written against
them by the father master Fray Alonso de Villerino; and one
decade, namely, from the year I65I to that of I660. With license.
In Barcelona; at the press of the heirs of Juan Pablo and Maria
Marti, under the management of Mauro Marti, in the year
I743." The heading of the dedication is as follows: "To the
sovereign queen of heaven and earth, on her throne of the pillar
in Zaragoza" and it is followed by a long and curious letter of
dedication. We translate and condense from a copy owned by the
Library of Congress, which bears the following inscription: