mes from never having sufficient religious
instruction, which in this part of the world is most necessary, among
these unfortunate people who in but few places have seen one happy
day. Your Lordship also suggests where the priests may be placed. To
this I reply that, as we leave it to the superiors to govern their
religious, it would be right for your Lordship to leave it to me to
govern my priests, as I leave it to you to look after your captains
and soldiers; for I know what each one of my priests is for, as your
Lordship knows of your men. Your Lordship must understand that I am
not so careless of the life that the priests lead that I am not on the
watch, and they know this well; and if sometimes they come to Manila
it is with my permission, or on business which cannot be avoided. In
this I know that there is more to be remedied elsewhere than in my
priests. If the scattering of these ministers in so many regions is,
as your Lordship suggests, that the king and the encomiendero may
collect their taxes, it seems to me that this is not a good means for
it; because where there is not sufficient religious instruction, as
there is not where there is one minister in an encomienda, neither the
king nor the encomenderos can receive as much as your Lordship wishes
to give them. And I know well from the Christian spirit of our king
that, if he were informed of the truth which I know and have told you,
he would never consent that any money which was so ill gathered should
enter his treasury. Some day this truth will be known and we shall
see who will weep for not having believed it. His Majesty understood
this very well when, in an article of the letter which he wrote to me,
he bade me to try to provide sufficient religious instruction; for his
Majesty sees clearly that what is actually done is rather to neglect
than really to provide the Indians with what they need. Would to God,
as I know that what I say is true, that I might satisfy my conscience
by not saying what I am going to pass over in silence, and that I
might be in peace; for I desire this more than to see myself in the
midst of disputes and hard feeling. But the obligation which I have,
to fulfil the duties of my office, does not allow me to keep silent,
but I have to speak and say what I feel.

I do not understand what your Lordship says about the Augustinian
fathers and do not wish to reply to it until you have explained it
to me, because it never entered my thoug