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. 44]

LETTER BY A SPANISH OFFICER

Cousin, friend, and sir:
At the coming of the galleon which arrived here
from Nueva Espafia at the end of July in last year,
1729, I received two letters from your Grace of the
same tenor, dated April 19, 1728. While they gave
me most special pleasure, on account of the consolation which is afforded me by all the letters from your
Grace which I am so fortunate as to see, I have not
been and am not able to express my feelings at the
news contained in them of the grievous illness, the
inflammation in the chest, from which your Grace
has suffered for so long a time; and I am very anxious that you should continue to improve, so that your
Grace may be entirely free from it (as I hope you
now are), and restored to the excellent health which
I earnestly hope you may experience for many years.
In the midst of so much vexation as has surrounded
me, God has been pleased to grant me the favor of
good health, so liberally that it seems as if He had
cast me in bronze; for He has preserved me in the
midst of so much trouble without the slightest headache, contrary to my usual condition, for which I
give thanks without number to His great goodness -
remaining, as I always shall, so devoted to your
Grace as you must well know.