and its government, because
of the prohibition in their statutes, it is, through the common error
of the crowd, called "Las Beatas de la Compania" ["Devout women of
the Society"], for they hear mass, confess, and receive communion in
their church at the college of the Society.

575. The number of souls in charge of the fathers of the Society
throughout these islands and the Marianas, according to the latest
computation (of which the fathers have informed me), is one hundred
and seventy thousand.

This is all the total that I know from this point on, for the other
bishoprics, which are lacking.

St. Dominic

576. The first religious of the order of our father St. Dominic who
were known to have come to this archipelago were in the year 1581--the
first bishop, Don Fray Domingo de Salazar, and his associate, Fray
Christoval de Salvatierra, the only survivor of a very fine mission
that his Excellency brought. But the first mission that came to
establish itself in Manila consisted of fourteen religious, under their
vicar-general, Fray Juan de Castro, in the year 1587, on the eve of
[Mary] Magdalene. This holy religion has the merit of being more strict
in Philipinas than in Europa; for its members do not receive honorable
titles or its convents incomes. Their habit is of unmixed frieze, and
there is nothing to be asked for as a dispensation in their regular
observance. They have a very fine convent in the city of Manila, which
supports about thirty religious of virtue and learning. It is the
chief convent of this most religious province of Santissimo Rosario.

577. The pontifical and royal university of Santo Thomas, incorporated
in this holy province of Santissimo Rosario of our father St. Dominic,
must recognize as its origin that venerable servant of God, the most
illustrious and reverend Don Fray Miguel de Venavides, of the same
order, who while archbishop of Manila, planned this so noble a work in
the year 1610--giving all his library and about one thousand pesos,
which was the amount of his property, to begin its foundation. He
was followed by Don Fray Diego de Soria, of the same order, and
bishop of Nueva Segovia in these islands, who bequeathed all his
library and three thousand eight hundred pesos for the continuation
of this work. Consequently, by the year 1620 it already had lecturers
and masters for the public teaching of the sciences, by order of the
superior government and the Audiencia of these islan