ined with the temporal management, and our province
with the spiritual management, of the hospital, which from that time
began to be called the Misericordia [_i.e._, "House of Mercy"] of the
Franciscan fathers--which before had been cared for by the venerable
Leon and our venerable Fray Juan Clemente; and the erection of the
said hospital in proper shape was considered.

555. They built a church with the title of "Presentacion de Nuestra
Senora" [_i.e._, "Presentation of our Lady"], and a house and seminary
with that of Santa Isabel, in order to rear Spanish orphan girls with
thorough instruction in Christian doctrine and with good morals. It
had a rectoress to care for and govern it, and a portress. Thence
the girls go out with dowries sufficient for the estate [of marriage]
to which they naturally tend, for which purpose the holy Misericordia
appropriates sixteen thousand pesos. The girls who study there, who
all the time are supported with whatever is necessary, number about
sixty, besides some pupils, six slave girls, and other servants. For
their expenses and those of their chaplains ten thousand seven hundred
pesos are appropriated. It is a seminary of so great reputation and
honor that, although it has been used from its beginning as a refuge
for girls--the daughters of poor Spaniards, whom the brothers obtain
from various houses and from Santa Potenciana--the best citizens
of the community do not hesitate today to send their daughters
there. Thence they go out to assume the state of matrimony, or as
nuns of St. Clare. Their church is very capacious, of beautiful
architecture, and very richly adorned. It was used as the cathedral
(as above stated) until the year 1662, when the cabildo took possession
of its new church.

556. Not only does this brotherhood have in charge today the support
of this girls' seminary, and of the hospital of the Misericordia
(although the latter is at present under the charge of the hospital
order), but there is no class of persons which does not experience
the charity of this holy house, through the generous alms that its
executive board distributes. If the royal Misericordia of Lisboa boasts
that 30,000 ducados of private alms and other sums, which are spent
nearly every year for the redemption of captives, were distributed in
one year, there is not a year that this great charitable institution
does not spend 70,000 pesos in various purposes of charity, such as
those already mention