than at present, to suppress it will be of great
service for your Majesty, and even necessary, as the poor auditors
are as much annoyed and molested as are other private persons. What
is worse, your Majesty's authority has been seen humbled by so many
nations who know that this Audiencia immediately represents your royal
person. It will be less troublesome for us private persons to suffer
than that so great authority be seen in such decay. I petition your
Majesty to be pleased to have the importance of a matter of so great
moment considered, as may be most fitting to your royal service.

It is a fact that this city of Manila, both at the instance of the
governor and by its own action, has caused representations to be
made in that royal Council, that this royal Audiencia should refrain
from making appointments in which the children and relatives of the
auditors occupy the best offices of war, without ever having fired
an arquebus in their lives. These men become captains at one stroke,
to the grievance of the old soldiers who have served, just as if your
Majesty had not provided for this by making such men incapable of
offices--in which intention, I consider, enter the offices of justice
and war. However, even though it is not agreeable to them, it should
be so understood; and if your Majesty be pleased to order this to be
declared, and that favors and rewards for services can be expected
only from your royal hands, this difficulty would be remedied. For I
avow that it is vastly prejudicial, since, when a man has an auditor
to defend his causes, and those inclined to him favor those causes,
his negligence comes to be rewarded. In a matter of war, the present
condition of things very often is wont to be of irreparable damage,
as we in these islands have experienced on various occasions. [August
15, 1624.]

ROYAL ORDERS REGARDING THE RELIGIOUS

_Regulating their privileges_

The King. Inasmuch as the king my sovereign and father (whom may holy
Paradise keep) was informed that the religious who resided in the
Philipinas Islands, busied in the instruction and conversion of the
Indians, were meddling in things that did not concern them, he ordered
Gomez Perez das Marinas, then governor and captain-general of the
Philipinas Islands, or the person in whose charge the government might
be--by his decree, dated June eleven, of the former year five hundred
and ninety-four--not to allow the religious to have prisons o