cos. At the approach of old age, he retired into the infirmary
of the Dominicans, with the permission of the archbishop, and died
there a religious. He renounced his encomienda, his house, and all
his possessions, in due form; and placed them at the disposal of
the Dominicans, on condition that they take charge of the rearing
of his orphans. According to the act that was passed June 18, 1640,
the house was erected into a college under the advocacy of St. John
of the Letran. The king added to it some revenues from the royal
chapel; and the students who left that college belonged to the king,
and had to enter his service, either in the military or otherwise. The
Dominicans have gradually changed those rules. The students of that
college, to the number of about fifty who are supported there annually,
are all or nearly all destined for the priesthood. Consequently they
study philosophy and theology in the university of Santo Tomas.

Opposite San Juan de Letran, on the other side of the street, stands
the royal community of Santa Catalina. It has undergone various changes
since 1695, the year in which it was founded. [85] The Dominicans
had charge of it at first; while now they have a mother superior,
they follow, nevertheless, the third Order of St. Dominic. They have
no church of their own, but the college of San Juan de Letran serves
them as one. Without celebrating there any office, they attend mass
there, being separated from it by the width of the street, where they
have a gallery which communicates from their cells with the church
of San Juan de Letran.

The Recollects arrived at Manila in 1606. They have built a fine
convent there, and so large that two hundred religious could be very
comfortable in it; however, they never have more than forty. They
have a dozen livings in the archbishopric of Manila.

The hospital Order of St. John of God obtained permission from the
king in 1627 to send ten religious to Manila. In 1656, the board of La
Misericordia made those fathers a present of their old hospital. The
king approved that gift, but the hospital has fallen many times. In
1726, the archbishop undertook to reestablish it, and to rebuild it
again on new foundations; and that has been executed. That hospital is
a vast and elegant building. The church is beautiful. The wards for
the sick are large, and filled with very comfortable beds, and there
are plenty of religious. Those fathers are very useful in Manila,
for th