ount, the above-mentioned convents do not now belong to the order,
and the villages of the Contracosta are not in our charge. But the
narration of the so plausible readinesss practiced by our oldtime
heroes has been deemed indispensable. In due time, namely, the year
1703, when the prodigious life of the venerable mantelata [16] Juana
de Jesus, whose virtue sprang from the teaching of our religious, is
related, one will see that with that fruit alone all their evangelical
attempts can be considered as well employed.

[The second and last section of this chapter deals with the life of
Fray Agustin de San Ildephonso, who died in the convent of Toboso,
Spain, during this year 1662. He was never in the Philippines.]

[Section i of chapter iii treats of the seventh general chapter of the
order, which was held in Alcala de Henares in 1663. Sections ii and
iii narrate the life of Fray Juan de San Antonio, an ex-provincial of
the Philippines. Born of a noble family in Granada, he early showed
great precocity and attained proficiency in his studies while very
young. Being strongly called to the religious life he entered the
Recollect convent at Granada, September 13, 1617, at the age of
twenty and professed the following year. After a short course in
theology he went to Mexico in 1619, whence after another course in
theology in that city he was sent to Manila, where he was ordained
priest after a third theological course, in 1621. The following
year found him master of novitiates in Manila convent. Although his
parents obtained permission for him to return to Spain, in 1624, he
preferred to remain in the field which he had chosen. That same year
he was prior of the convent of Igaquet and was later occupied in many
missions, especially in Calamianes. In 1635 he was elected definitor,
and desirous of preaching the gospel in Japan, made two attempts
to penetrate that empire, both of which were failures, the second
time sickness not even allowing him to leave the Philippines. He was
elected prior of Manila convent in 1638 and after his three years'
term worked again in the missions of Calamianes and composed two
hooks in the language of that district, one of moral sermons and
the other an explanation of the catechism. In 1644 he was elected
provincial almost by acclamation. His term was a busy one, and a
number of churches and convents were erected during it. During the
disastrous earthquake of 1645, he rendered distinct service. H