us, were obtained. Then,
as appears from four letters of the definitory of that holy province,
which were written to our respective fathers vicars-general--the first,
June 20, 1646; the second, July 2, 1655; the third, June 14, 1658; and
the fourth, July 4, 1668--more than one thousand five hundred souls (at
the date of the last letter) had been drawn from the mountains, freed
from the darkness of the heathen, and illumined with the splendors
of the Catholic faith. And it has been impossible to discover who
were the illustrious laborers who obtained so wonderful trophies,
in order to enrich history with their names.

400. But the most abundant season of those fruits was seen to be during
the triennium of April 21, 1668, to 1671. Our father, Fray Christoval
de Santa Monica, governed the province during those three years. He
having heightened and ennobled the missions of Zambales, when other
superior employments gave him the opportunity, had placed there the
whole of his affections. On that account, in addition to the great
zeal that he had for the salvation of souls, from the very chapter,
he made up his mind that during the term of his government, the utmost
effort should be made to unfurl the standard of the faith in the
Zambales Mountains, and to have salvation carried to its inhabitants
on the wings of charity. For that purpose he managed to have father
Fray Joseph de la Trinidad, a native of Zaragoza, a religious born,
one would say, for the missions, elected prior of Bolinao. Later he
appointed him vicar-provincial of the jurisdiction of Zambales. That
man, then, together with fathers Fray Martin de San Pablo, prior
of Masinloc, Fray Agustin de San Nicolas, prior of Marivelez, and
six other religious, who were appointed as helpers, fought against
idolatry so tenaciously, that our holy faith was incredibly advanced.

401. He arranged the attack upon that proud Jericho (more impregnable
because of the obstinacy of its inhabitants, than by the wall of its
inaccessible mountains) by ordering that it be assaulted at the same
time by several parts by different soldiers of so holy a militia
with the bugles of the divine word. One began the conquest by the
side of Bolinao, another at Masinloc, two by Playahonda, and two
others by Subig and Bagac. The father vicar-provincial went to all
parts in order to direct actions, and to fight in person with his
accustomed success. The father provincial also, with his secretary,
the