ctorily; for there were many religious who
needed it. He sent excellent missionaries to the province of Bisayas;
and it seems that great pains were taken in this, and he did in this
what the province wished. For he sent it the best of the company,
and no error was made in the selection, since all of them have become
very devout religious and careful of their ministry.
He sent a procurator to Espana in the first year of his provincialate;
namely, father Fray Antonio de Ocampo, a very eloquent preacher, and
who was accordingly esteemed in the province for that, as well as for
the other offices which he had held. But he had little good fortune
on the voyage, for the flagship did not make the voyage that year,
because of having been detained in necessary repairing, and when it
reached the Embocadero there was no wind to carry it outside, and it
returned at the end of October. The almiranta had time in which to
leave, and made the voyage, although at great risk, reaching Nueva
Espana in a mastless condition.
After the second year of his triennium, the provincial sent another
procurator; for the first one, warned by the voyage, thought that he
ought not to embark again. This was father Fray Hernando Guerrero,
whom we have already seen, as he brought the finest company that
has been in or has entered these islands for many years. Making the
second voyage, he brought another company, that would have been no
less excellent if death had not snatched away its best members near
Manila. It seems as if death selected, among all, those of most renown,
although those who were left were distinguished. Let us conclude this
triennium with the fact that our father provincial--although it seemed
from his goodness that he would not try to declare himself too fully,
nor to influence the province against his will--at last, thinking that
he, because of his greater experience in its affairs than others had,
could arbitrate in a so important matter, accordingly set his eyes on
father Fray Antonio de Ocampo, whom we have already mentioned above--a
person certainly worthy of greater things, and a calificador of the
Holy Office. Our father thought it easy to accomplish his intentions,
for he found many who thought the same. But the one who opposed him
was of great account and a great giant, namely, the father master,
Fray Pedro Garcia, the brother of the archbishop, who did not lack
followers and partisans. The contention, if I do not say that it
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