dispensing him for the
impediment of the lack of age, which was but little. That lack was
more than supplied by his excess of prudence.

The definitors elected at this chapter were the reverend fathers:
first, Fray Francisco Bonifacio; second, Fray Juan de Tapia; third,
Fray Vicente de Sepulveda; and fourth, Fray Estacio Ortiz. The
absolute provincial, father Fray Diego Gutierrez, received a vote. The
visitors who were elected in this definitorio were father Fray
Bernabe de Villalobos and father Fray Antonio de Porras [22], the
latter being _adito_. [23] All the above in assembly made excellent
regulations, and established for that time very good acts and laws;
and they charged our father provincial with the execution of them,
since on that depended the universal good of all the province.

It was proposed in this chapter, and, in fact, it was so ordered,
for reasons that were very apparent there, that the chapters in the
future should be held every four years, and the intermediary chapters
every two years. The main consideration that influenced them was the
great deficiency that the fathers create in their convents during the
time when they come to the election, and they deemed it advisable
to obviate this injury as much as possible, since it could not be
entirely remedied--concluding that the expenses, if they could not
be avoided, at least would be delayed as late as possible. This was
agreed upon at that time, but later it was considered unadvisable,
and consequently the enactment in this matter was repealed.

After the election, and the departure of the vessels to Castilla,
our father visitor undertook to go to visit the province of Bisayas,
which he did very slowly. He took as his associate our father Fray
Hernando Becerra, [24] then a recent arrival. He visited the island
of Panay very leisurely. When about to go to the convent of Sugbu, he
took as associate our father Fray Alonso de Mentrida, [25] then without
office, as he had refused any. He established an excellent system in
that convent, of which he had great care. He caused its annuities to
be raised, for it was very poor and overburdened. Father Fray Hernando
Becerra went to Manila to read theology. Although he did this only
for a short time, yet he became very renowned throughout the islands,
and in consequence was cordially received by the other orders. Thence
the father visitor came to Manila to assist in the superior government
of the province, altho