rivately. The Franciscans and Theatins did not
attend the conference, nor did they send their opinions--excusing
themselves by letter, with various pretexts, which did not taste like
honey to him. The archbishop wrote to the guardian of St. Francis
an ill-tempered letter, threatening him with vengeance; but the
guardian was not asleep, nor did he forget the rule of "interrogation
and reply," etc. At the said conference were present the Troyan,
the Augustinian and Recollect provincials, and the two Dominicans
Marron and Verart, the axletrees of the other cart; these last and
the Troyan said that poor Vargas could not be absolved. Father Duque,
the Augustinian provincial, declared that he could and ought to be
absolved, and that privately, saying: "As for the offences of Vargas,
either they are or are not committed against the faith; if they are
against the faith, as is being assumed, they do not belong to your
illustrious Lordship or to us, and it is not allowable to discuss them
here." Verart sprang to his feet like a flash, and began to argue
with the Recollect. In such debates the entire afternoon went by,
without their reaching any decision. At the end of a week the sentence
was uttered, and Vargas was notified that for four months he must do
what follows: During the first month, he must go on every feast-day
to divine worship in the cathedral, clad in the sackcloth robe of
a penitent, and with a halter round his neck; and in this guise,
he must listen in public to mass. The second month, he must do the
same at the convent of San Domingo; the third month, at San Gabriel;
and the fourth, at Binondo--and this, when it had been decided in the
conference that he should be "absolved privately," which are the formal
terms of the sentence! When he was notified of this, he appealed from
that decree to the court where this matter legally belonged; [126]
but as all the bishops were Dominicans, where could he go where they
would not confirm his sentence? Accordingly, Vargas came before the
royal Audiencia, asking a laymen's decree. [127] His petition was
considered in the session of that court, and [afterward] shown to
the fiscal of his Majesty, who [at the time] was absent, inspecting a
Chinese ship. In this state (which is not one of innocence) the affair
remains at the time of this writing; but if it shall be decided before
the ship sails [for Acapulco] I will write further.

I only omitted to state that the first sentence o