ile their vices [in D.--"coldness"] do not make this
a desirable diversion."

[296] M. and D. add: "anything is entrusted to them." The remainder
of San Agustin's letter is omitted in D.

[297] M. and D. add here: "for thus does the Holy Spirit advise us."

"One day a friend of mine ordered a servant in my presence to go to a
certain house to ask in his name for the last gazettes from Europa. I
advised my friend to give the servant a note, since the latter would
doubtless give expression to some bit of nonsense. He took no notice
of me, and sent the servant. In fact, the man understood "aceite"
[i.e., "olive oil"], for "gaceta" [i.e., "gazette"], and returned
with a bottle of olive oil. His master was very much put out, while
I burst into a roar of laughter. A peculiar thing is often observed
in servants, namely, when one of them is ordered, 'Go to the house
of Don Antonio,' before the message is finished the servant begins
to go; and one has to call him back and say to him, 'But, man alive,
where are you going?' and, if he is allowed to go, he reaches his
destination and says that he has been sent there, and then returns
whence he came, or utters some foolish remark." (Mas, p. 133.)

[298] In the Vulgate, the last word of the Latin in this citation
is eum.

[299] i.e., "at least in passing." This is not in M.

[300] M. reads "denude themselves of their customs."

[301] M. reads: "For the Indian who is ordained does not give himself
a trade because of the more perfect estate."

[302] M. has instead of "from the oar," "from handling a bolo."

[303] Spanish, la cuna del mismo palo; another application of an old
Spanish proverb.

[304] M. adds "and those farthest from Manila, where also the remedy
is very far away."

[305] Spanish, sobre quitame alla esas pajas--literally, "regarding
'carry away these straws from me,'" defined by the Academy's dictionary
as, "about a thing of little importance or value."

[306] Picota: "a column [the insignia of jurisdiction] or gibbet of
stone, which is usually placed at the entrances of towns or villages;
on which are ignominiously exposed the heads of persons executed or
of criminals" (Barcia, Dicc. etimologico).

[307] M. adds "to the father cura." The reason for this letter may be
found possibly in this paragraph, in the hostility of the religious
orders to admitting the Filipinos to the priesthood.

[308] M. reads "How well it could be subdued and composed."

[309]