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]

I649-I666] RECOLLECT MISSIONS, 1646-60

14I

to him, petitioning him to advise the convents of his
coming so that the religious might in that way learn
of the opportunity presented to them to go to employ
their talents in the new world. Our father vicargeneral attended to that with the so holy zeal that he
was known to possess. His pastoral letter was filled
with the flames of divine love; for he inspired the
souls of the religious in such a manner that, in a few
days, he had the signatures of more than fifty of
them. At that same time his Reverence received a
paper from the convent of San Carlos de Turin
(which belongs to our Recollect congregation in
Italia) in which father Fray Celestino de San Christoval, lecturer in theology, father Fray Bruno de
San Guillermo, and father Fray Archangel de Santa
Maria petitioned him very urgently to admit them
in that mission, binding themselves to get the permissions of their prelates. But, praising their good intention, our father vicar-general refused to admit
them on the ground of the royal decree that forbids
the passing [to the Philippines] of foreigners.
331. While all the above was happening, the
father-commissary, Fray Jacinto de San Fulgencio,
delivered to his Majesty the letters of the royal Audiencia, the city, and the most illustrious cabildo of
Manila, which were given above for another purpose. He obtained a royal decree to take back
eighteen religious. The king our sovereign gave
him three hundred and sixty-two thousand three
hundred and ninety-two maravedis for the journey,
beside what his Majesty had assigned for the maintenance and transportation of the missionaries in
Cadiz, Vera-Cruz, Mexico, and Acapulco. His
Majesty also continued the alms for the four minis-;, *@ s.: