to show naught but good to all, and ill to
none. Since I am proceeding to confer with you openly and publicly, I
notify you that I am not coming to plunder or to harm you, but to prove
of use to you; for the king, my sovereign, orders thus, and accordingly
I gladly notify you that I am going to you. My sovereign, the king of
Castilla, spends his money through us, the Castilians, and sends us
into all parts of the world, in order that we might proclaim the law
of the true God. For this purpose I came hither; and now I am going
to confer with you, chiefly that you may know your God and Creator,
and to teach you the true law. I wish to do you no ill, nor to seize
your possessions; on the contrary, if you are our friend, I will aid
and defend you, according to the orders of the king, my sovereign. To
this end I offer you peace and friendship on our part, in such wise,
that there may be mutual security, on both sides, to go and to come,
to see one another, to trade and traffic, as is usual among friends.

What you are to do is to admit preachers of the holy gospel, who may
preach the law of the Christians in your lands in all security; and
likewise that any person whatever of your country may have entire
liberty and permission to attend the preaching of the law of the
Christians, and that he who wishes to become a Christian may do so
without any ill befalling him.

Further, I desire that you shall send no preachers of the
sect of Mahoma to any part of these islands, nor to the heathen
among the Tingues [hill-people], nor into other parts of your own
island--inasmuch as the doctrine of Mahoma is a false and evil law,
and the religion of the Christians alone is true, holy, and good.

Further, I desire that you send me a Christian Spaniard, called
Diego Felipe, whom I am told you have there, as well as others if
you have them; and two Visayans, natives of Cubu, Christians whom
we know that you have, and who were captured from their own country;
likewise whomever else you have in your power. You must give to the
heirs of Raxa Soliman and Lacandora, natives of Lucon--vassals of the
king, my sovereign, and his subjects, in his royal name the slaves and
property that you have retained there belonging to them; and whatever
belongs to any other vassals of the king, my sovereign. This I would
do myself, if I had anything of yours or of your people, and would pay
and return it, and would do justice to them in that regard very openly