a cathedral and metropolitan
church, and there is not a village church in Castilla so ill served,
so lacking in ornament as this--to such an extent that although the
quality of the ornaments is inferior, there are so few that they have
not even the necessary colors for the feast-days, although they are
in a place where silks are so cheap, as they are here. [12] Thus it
is with all the rest, and it seems as if ecclesiastics had never
lived in this country. It is served by four secular clergy alone,
to whom your Majesty orders a salary paid. The rest, although they
have the title of canons and canonates, do not serve at all, except
in their allotments and curacies. Accordingly, even on an apostle's
day there is no one in vestments at the altar for the epistle and the
gospel, which is highly discreditable. I have asked the governor,
conformably with what your Majesty charges him in the third clause
of his original instructions, to provide for this matter. But either
he is unwilling to listen to me, or, if he listens to me, he does not
wish to do so. Your Majesty will know what is fitting, but it would be
expedient to add four other salaries to the four which your Majesty
pays--namely two canonries and two half canonries, the incumbents of
which could be vested before the altar for ministration. I must inform
your Majesty that no one will be found to take them if your Majesty
does not increase the stipend; for this country is not now, as it used
to be, a cheap place to live, but the most expensive in all the Indias,
on account of the irregularity in its government. Everything has been
left in the hands of infidel Sangleys, who rob the country and sell
us things at their own price, without there being any one to check
them or keep them in bounds; in return for this, they are able to
gratify and keep content those who ought to provide for it. I do not
wish to complain of my grievances to your Majesty, but to leave them
in your royal hands. But, although our house is so small that we have
only fourteen persons, it is impossible to live for half a year and
provide for the rest, with the salary which your Majesty orders to be
given to me. Your Majesty will be informed of this by those who are
going there. If your Majesty desires that I should go about seeking
money as alms, I shall do so, so far as that would not be derogatory
to the pontifical dignity among these heathen. Again I say then,
Sire, that your Majesty's church is so