rom there with a
decision as to whether to arrest him or not; and to confiscate here
the property of heirs and send it to the Inquisition of Nueba Espana,
with so great a risk of loss.

This is all at present that occurs to me to send to your Majesty. I
fear I have tired your Majesty with so prolix and unpleasant a
narration. I beg of your Majesty to pardon me and accept my wish,
which is to succeed in the service of your Majesty. If there is a man
in the world who has this desire, unmixed with interest, it is myself,
who am desirous to be of some use so that your Majesty may learn by
experience that I am more anxious to be the most insignificant servant
of your Majesty, merely because your Majesty is who you are, than to
possess all the treasures of the world. May your Majesty enjoy those
of heaven after the many years of life which are necessary for his
realms. Manilla, June 24, 1598. Sire, I kiss the feet of your Majesty,
your humble chaplain,

_Fray Ygnacio_, Archbishop of Manilla.

Sire:

Although I wrote another letter to your Majesty in which I give an
account of the affairs in this country, I am obliged to write this
one to give your Majesty an account of my own affairs, which cannot
be successful unless regulated by your royal hand, from which I
would receive death, if I deserved it, more willingly than life from
another. It has come to my knowledge that the governor of these islands
is writing to your Majesty and complaining of me. As everything which
I shall say now is true, I beseech your Majesty to give it credit. If
your Majesty should find that I do not tell the truth to the last word,
I charge your Majesty to visit upon me a heavy punishment.

I brought with me from Espana a son of one of my nephews. He is
a youth of great virtue and worth, with no manner of vice; and,
desiring that he should choose for a wife someone who was his equal
in worthiness, while coming on the ship my eyes fell upon a daughter
of the licentiate Tellez de Almansa, an auditor who was coming out
to this royal Audiencia of your Majesty. She is a very honorable and
good woman, and as it appeared to me that that was what was fitting
for the young man, rather than greater beauty or property, I made
known my desire to a doctor of theology, who was traveling in the
ship, in company with the said auditor, so that I might know whether
her parents were favorable to my intentions. As he told me that they
were pleased with it, but tha