exist for opening
the way for preaching in Japon, for such religious as may be approved
by their superiors and the Council; and therefore he should ask for
the revocation of the briefs which oppose this object, leaving it
to the general disposal of all the provinces of the world. They also
suggest that your Majesty should order that from no part of his kingdom
should religious go to Japon without first making port at the city of
Manila in the Philipinas Islands, where the governor of the islands
and the superiors of the orders, as those who manage this business,
shall ascertain at what time and opportunity, and what religious, it
is expedient to send over to preach in Japon; and these and no others
shall go. The said governor should command that the religious who are
to go to Japon shall go in ships belonging to the Japanese themselves,
as it is understood that those who have gone up to the present time
have done, without permitting that other ships than those of the
crown of Castilla should go, under this pretext, to the provinces
and realms of Japon--severely punishing those who violate this order.

Your Majesty will order what shall be most for the royal
service. Valladolid, May 30, 1606.

_Report from the Council of the Indias_

Sire:

The Duke de Lerma has written to me, the Conde de Lemos, that your
Majesty orders that the enclosed report from the Council of Portugal
be examined in this Council, in regard to the order that there should
be no passing to Japon by way of the Philipinas, and that your Majesty
be advised of what seems best. In this report the principal purpose
seems to be that commerce should be prohibited, by your Majesty's
command, in order that the Philipinas may not maintain it with China
or Japon. This matter depends very much on what the same Council of
Portugal has claimed, and now brings forward as foundation for its
claim, which is the prohibition of the entrance of Castilian religious
into Japon to preach. At your Majesty's command, the Council replied,
in the past year, to another report from the Council of Portugal,
in which it proposed in detail the arguments on which it founds
its claim. Therefore it seemed best to return the report to your
Majesty, together with a letter written to your Majesty by Francisco
Pena, auditor of Rota, from which it is apparent how this matter is
considered in Rome, and how much that opinion is in conformity with
what this Council has advised your Majes