ould be such expedition as is desirable, without its being
necessary for the parties to go to the City of Mexico, in order to
carry on their cases--thus spending and consuming their means in these
long voyages, or else running risk of losing their rights. And also,
if you are disengaged from matters pertaining to justice, you will
have more time for matters of government and war; or in important
and arduous cases you may find it advisable to have those with whom
to take counsel, that matters may be considered with the requisite
continuity and by a sufficiently large body of advisers. For these
reasons, I have decided to reestablish an audiencia in that city of
Manila, as in former years. You shall be president thereof, holding
this office with the offices of my governor and captain-general. My
purpose in advising you thereof is that, having taken note of it, you
may do all that is requisite for the establishment of the Audiencia and
the receiving of my royal seal. This must follow the same procedure
which would be observed in the reception of my royal person. [27]
Accordingly, as soon as you shall hear of its arrival, you shall go
to receive the seal, accompanied by the auditors, the fiscal, all the
soldiers in military array, the citizen encomenderos, my officials,
and all others in public positions. The said seal will be contained in
a box borne under a canopy, the supports of which shall be carried
by the regidors of the city. The box will be borne by a horse,
richly caparisoned, and having on the two sides of its hangings,
which must be of brocade or silk, two shields bearing my royal arms,
the face [of the horse] being covered with cloths [a frontal] of the
same [material]. You, with your retinue, shall precede the canopy,
and the soldiers in military array, with their captains, under rule
and command of the master-of-camp as general, shall follow it. All
of you shall go straight to the cathedral with bared heads, where
the archbishop will be waiting, clad in his pontifical vestments,
together with all his clergy. He shall go to the door, where you and
all the people shall stop. Then you shall take the box in both hands,
and shall approach the altar, near which in the principal chapel
there shall be a chair of state. There you shall place the box, and
the archbishop shall repeat his prayers, beseeching our Lord to direct
the founding of the said Audiencia for His good service, and the pure
administration of justice.