you will
join with the archbishop, and both will summon the provincials; and,
telling them the information that I have of this matter, you will
charge them to make the reformation which is in every way obligatory
upon them, since it is so greatly to the service of God our Lord and
the public good, as may be seen. Madrid, December 19, 1618.

_I The King_

By the command of the king our lord:
_Juan Ruiz De Contreras_
Signed by the members of the Council.

The King: To Don Alonso Faxardo de Tenza, my governor and
captain-general of the Philipinas Islands, and president of my royal
Audiencia there. You were advised by a letter of mine, of the same
date as this, of the arrival of your letters written at the port
of Acapulco; and we answer this separately because the matter is
a more serious one than can be treated of in connection with your
government. It has seemed best to advise you of the state of affairs,
and of what, as now appears, will be the only possible remedy for
the preservation of all those regions.

You are well aware, through the information that you carried from
Espana, of the embarrassed condition of my royal inheritance, wasted in
the defense of our holy faith, and unavoidable expenditures to oppose
its enemy and others who have attempted to cause its decline--whom
it has been necessary to oppose, in order to preserve the faith, thus
causing enormous expenses. As aid for the conservation of my kingdoms,
it has been necessary and unavoidable to use the wealth brought by
the people of Nueva Espana; but the supplies and expenditures drawn
from my royal exchequer for those islands are so consuming and reducing
that account and fund, to such an extent, and with so injurious effect,
that it hardly comes in but it must be paid out. Considering that what
is carried in exchange for the quicksilver [35] is revenue derived
from the same merchandise that was sent, while the receipts from the
bulls for the crusade are (as you know) but moderately successful,
you are accordingly informed of this in such detail, so that you may
understand how assured is the loss that is set forth to you. This
loss would become greater if the account were measured by the demands
that are sent from Filipinas; for then the proceeds of neither the
quicksilver, nor the crusades, nor anything else would be enough even
for the maintenance of those islands and those of Terrenate, according
to our experience thus far. The result is th