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. 24]

163o-1634]

MEDINA'S HISTORIA

31

expected. God is a Father of pity, and attends to
His children (and more to His servants) when they
find themselves most in need of Him. He was received in the convent of Manila by many people,
for all revered him as a servant of God, loved him
as a father, and respected him as a true prelate.
On the twenty-second of April, I602, the chapter
was convened in the house at Manila. Father Fray
Pedro Arce, who is now bishop of the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, and who has twice governed
the archbishopric of Manila, was elected in it.
Father Fray Mateo de Mendoza presided at that
election, while father Fray Juan de Montesdoza was
the absolute provincial, as we call it, or the freed one,
since now he is no longer provincial. The first
definitor was Fray Agustin de Tapia, the second,
Fray Bernabe de Villalobos, the third, Fray Diego
de Zerrabe, and the fourth, Fray Diego de Salcedo.
As visitors were elected Fray Juan Bautista de
Montoya and Fray Francisco Serrano.8 All, having
assembled, as our rules ordered, enacted very wholesome regulations, and provided for the province
with those mandates, which were seen to be more
a Fray Mateo Mendoza, born of noble stock, was intended for
the profession of arms. Having gone to the Philippines, he was
received into the Augustinian order at Manila in I575. He was
sent to Mexico to receive holy orders, as there was then no bishop
in the islands. He was missionary at Malolos in 1580, Arevalo
(in 1584), San Pablos de los Montes (in 1586), and Porac (in
I594). Although elected definitor-general in 1596, he resigned
that office to go to Japan. Returning to Manila in I598, he
became first definitor in I599, and presided at the provincial chapter in 1602; and labored at Parafiaque in I603, and Tondo in
60o5, dying that same year.
Fray Agustin de Tapia was a native of Burgos, and professed in the convent at the same city. He had charge of the
mission which arrived at Manila in June, 1595; was preacher and
confessor in September of the same year; preacher-general in 1597;