what concerns
it and what it needs. The second and chief point is concerning the
religious who through their favors and friendships affect the standing
of officials, and by altering the truth impose blame on the latter
or injure their reputation--reducing [public] affairs to their own
methods, which has pernicious and evil results. Since you see that,
and have experienced it, as you say, it would be your own fault if
you did not remedy that matter. I leave it to you to do what is most
fitting. What occurs to us to advise you is, not to allow any religious
to make charges or prove the innocence of any government official,
unless it should be in some very special and particular case, in which
his act may have occurred with the knowledge of such religious, and
can be investigated in no other way. You shall observe the same rule
in official investigations, in which if the religious do not form a
part of the court, certainty may thus be felt that affairs will proceed
with sincerity and truth, as justice requires. This that is told you,
you shall impart to the Audiencia in your meeting. You shall endeavor
to have the same course followed in the case of the government agents
and other persons who shall conduct similar investigations. Inasmuch as
the interpositions generally made by religious are usually effective,
as well as the means by which they intimidate some and encourage
others, you shall take measures, immediately upon receipt of this,
to inform the superiors of those religious, so that they may be
warned and advise their subordinates of it, so that they may not
perplex themselves or meddle in any case of these secular judicial
proceedings, or with claims of third parties. For their occupation
does not consist in this, but in the contemplative life, and in the
exercise of the spiritual activities; and, moreover, the gravest
disadvantages to the service of our Lord result from the contrary
course. You shall advise me of what you shall do and what you shall
have put into execution, so that I may know what occurs."]

10th. I have had no other advices of anything new, or of matters of
greater importance, in those forts [of Maluco] than the above-mentioned
entrance of the reenforcements. From the people sent thither, and from
those who wrote me from Japon, I have learned that the reenforcement
was very timely; for the Dutch had crews of Japanese, whom they hired
with the intention, as was understood, of attempting with the