rictions in this
matter, and as a safeguard against irregularities which may occur in
future--because there have been commissaries who have taken fewer
religious than the king provided for, thus defrauding his royal
treasury by spending on a few that which was allowed for many. To
this I reply, first, that there is no fraud upon the royal treasury,
inasmuch as the allowance made by it for four is insufficient for
the support of three, as appears from the previous statements of what
happened to me in Sevilla. Hence there is not in this the evil design
which seems to exist. The second point is that, as a result of these
oppressive orders, the condition of things is sure to be much worse,
since many mare friars are certain to remain in Sevilla and Nueva
Spana, even after they have received money from the royal treasury
for their ship-stores. After this has once been paid none of it can
ever be restored to the treasury, even if a great excess were left;
since whatever would be restored to the treasury, of all this which has
been obtained from it with so many documents and precautions, would not
go to it but to its officials. This would be the more true inasmuch as
they, however justified they might be, would be unwilling to accept the
things in kind, for fear of being obliged to give an account of them
afterwards. This might subject them to great danger of loss. Above
all, if the commissary were to reveal this matter to the officials,
they would put an embargo on the whole affair, and he would undergo the
risk of being unable to undertake the voyage. This happened to me once,
for, being very fond of following truth and honesty, I told the royal
officials of this City of Mexico that two religious of my company had
received my permission to remain here, as that was expedient for the
service of God and of his Majesty, and declared that I did not require
living expenses and ship-stores for them. The officials, in place of
trusting me at seeing that I proceeded without fraud or falsehood,
cut off the provisions for all of my company, refusing for more than
twenty days to give me what his Majesty commanded to be allowed for
the support of the religious. Thus I was almost on the point of being
unable to make the journey; for I used up on their living in Mexico
all of the ship-stores which I had provided for the sea. Accordingly,
in their desire to prevent two from remaining here, they incurred the
risk that all of us might be compe