made, and that he would petition your
Majesty on their behalf not to sanction the finding of the said act;
or, in event of this being done, to extend the same grace also to the
Society of Jesus, in opposition to whose growth it was not right or
within reason (with due respect) to have the question decided through
the expenditure of money, and that the petty amount of two thousand
pesos. Because of the harm to the public welfare and the service
of your Majesty, besides other cogent reasons, any similar proposal
should be regarded with disfavor and refused a hearing. Moreover, it
[i.e., the Jesuit college] was sought for and granted on the fiat of
the Conde de Castrillo, through whose agency this grant was secured,
and confirmed by the Council. This they secured and obtained fully and
sufficiently, and their warrants have been put into effect; whence it
results that (even though the intent [of these] had not prevailed and
been put into execution, as it has been; even though the res judicata
bars further action, as it does) no recourse is open to them [i.e.,
the Dominicans], nor means that can be of use for introducing the said
claim, nor ground for complaint--especially since in virtue of the bull
they enjoy many and valuable prerogatives which were not contained in
the temporal privileges which they exercised in former times. Then
the archbishop gave them their degrees, which were recognized only
in the Indias, while now these are recognized everywhere, being
conferred by the rector of the college, which has other officials,
insignia, and preeminences of special import. Nor do they [i.e.,
the Dominicans] refrain from nor content themselves with disparaging
in every way the degrees and students of the Society of Jesus, whom
they deprive and despoil of their just titles and rights. Such is
the reason wherefore your Majesty should not give them a hearing were
the subject one entitled to a hearing; such the reason wherefore the
Council, although wrongly the contrary is maintained, has not declared
the college of Santo Tomas to be a university--since what it did do,
as is evident in the acts, was to order and declare that both colleges
use their bulls. Thus the opposing party is deprived of nothing; nay,
especially since, as is stated in the petition and prayer drawn up for
that purpose, it was in order to obtain such powers as are held by the
universities of Avila and Pamplona. They should not now seek, because
of the illegal