s." "Philipinas.--To the king our sovereign,
Philipe. From the master-of-camp and captains. June 24."]

Letter from the Manila Cabildo to Felipe II

Sacred Royal Catholic Majesty:

Section I. Last year, eighty-five, this city of Manila wrote to your
Majesty, sending a relation of affairs in these islands. Because of our
extreme and continually increasing necessities, and the magnificent
opportunities for your Majesty's service that are lost daily, and on
account of our having no one at court to look after our affairs, or
anyone to inform your Majesty, as is requisite, of matters pertaining
to this realm, we resolved to request Father Alonso Sanchez, a master
of sacred theology and a religious of the Society of Jesus, to go
to confer with your Majesty about all these things, as a man who is
experienced in all these matters, and one who will discuss them with
all sincerity and certainty. Therefore he agreed to undertake this task
for the service of God and of your Majesty, and indeed of this state,
having therefor the permission and order of his superior. In order
to decide what must be laid before your Majesty, and what petitions
made, many assemblies were held, composed of the president, auditors,
fiscal, bishop, superiors of the orders, cities, royal officials,
captains, and other men who were intelligent, and zealous for the
service of your Majesty. The said father is authorized by those men
and by this entire country; and we humbly entreat that your Majesty
be pleased to give him entire faith and credit, to listen to him, and
to show us the mercy and favor that we hope from the munificence of
your Majesty. Although we have charged him to petition your Majesty
for everything needful, yet we shall give a brief relation of the
most necessary, in which, if such be your Majesty's pleasure, you
may favor and protect this your city and these your vassals.

Section 2. It has been proved by experience that the royal Audiencia
cannot be maintained here without the total destruction of this state;
for in this city there are scarcely seventy citizens, and in all the
other settlements together not as many more. The military power,
which maintains this frontier, is totally disorganized, because
its usages are so at variance with the procedures and exactness
rendered necessary by the rigor of the laws forcibly enacted by the
Audiencia. Furthermore, our Portuguese neighbors imagine that this
tribunal has been instituted he