f what they have attained and in their continual
desire, notwithstanding the many discomforts that they suffer, to carry
on their work, steadily converting new souls to the service of our
Lord and to the obedience of your Majesty. [We have also reported]
the great peace and quiet which they preserve among themselves so
that they have always been and are, one of the most acceptable and
well-received orders in these islands--although they are the poorest,
as all their missions are in districts very distant from this city,
and among the most warlike people that are in all the provinces of
these islands, as they are recently conquered; and the danger in
which, for that reason, the lives of those fathers are. Indeed, some
have already risked life, at times, when those people who appeared
to be peaceful have rebelled; and others have gloriously [met death]
at the hands of those who were not pacified, when the holy gospel was
preached to them--besides many others who have suffered martyrdom
in the kingdom of Japon, enriching with noble acts the church of
God and the crown of your Majesty. [We have reported] that no fleet
has gone out in which those fathers do not sail for the consolation
of the infantry, and that, in the emergencies that have arisen,
they have fought like valiant soldiers; and that they accommodate
themselves to everything with the angelic spirit that is theirs,
when it is to the service of our Lord and that of your Majesty. At
the present we inform you of the extreme poverty that the convent of
San Nicolas of this city is suffering; for with the earthquake which
happened on November 30 of the former year 1645, their entire church
fell, so that today they are living in great discomfort in cells of
straw which have been built in the garden. The sick are the ones who
suffer the greatest inconveniences; and they generally have sick
people, since the religious of the missions in their charge come,
when ill, to this convent to be treated. Consequently, this city is
constrained to petition your Majesty, with all due humility, to be
pleased to order that 250 pesos and 250 fanegas of rice be annually
contributed to them on the account of the royal treasury of your
Majesty--which amount was given them as a stipend for four ordained
religious (although there are always more)--as well as 150 pesos for
medicines. [We ask for] the continuation of the extension conceded
by the decree of May 3, 1643, without any time-limit be