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. 13]

152

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. I3

march through the streets. We began, too, in the
church to give instruction and ask questions, which
so pleased them that the chiefs answered them, and
were offended if we did not question them.
"During our stay several incidents occurred which
I shall relate. An Indian woman, wife of the governor of the village, and of high rank, lay sick. One
night her malady grew so violent that it left her without power of speech. Believing her to be dead, they
hastened to summon us late in the night. When we
arrived she was speechless and unconscious, and they
were bewailing her as one dead. It grieved me that
the woman should die in that state; for she had been a
Christian for some years, and yet had not attended
confession (although she led a blameless life) because there was no priest who knew her language. I
was anxious that she should, if only by a sign, ask for
confession, but she could not do even this. We repeated the gospel to her, sprinkling her with holy
water; and God, the Father of mercy, gave such
efficacy to these means that we had not finished reciting the holy gospel when the woman regained consciousness and asked for confession, saying: 'Jesus,
have mercy on me.' Many people were present on
this occasion, and we gave thanks to our Lord.
Within ten minutes the sick woman was as well as
before her illness; accordingly, I would not confess
her in her own house, but left her, directing her
people to bring her to the church the next day. This
was done, and on the following day she confessed, to
her great consolation. Another woman, also of rank,
was attacked by an illness so violent that she could not
be held, and even dashed herself against the walls
Finally, she was dying, and they hastily summoned