ndness
the bitter crust of justice. For that reason of the Indians being
entirely well inclined to the Spaniards, the encomiendas of that great
island were very desirable to the primitive conquistadors. In spiritual
matters the island belongs to the archbishopric of Manila. In regard
to civil matters, it is governed by a corregidor and captain of war,
who generally has residence in it and extends his jurisdiction to
the neighboring islands of Marinduque and Lucban.

788. Let us now speak of its spiritual conquest, which is the principal
object of our consideration. In the year 1543 the Observant religious,
the sons of the best beloved Benjamin, our common father, San Agustin
(to whom fell the first and greater part of the possession for the
conversion of the heathen, so far as that archipelago is concerned)
made the Philipinas Islands happy by their presence by commencing
to establish their apostolic preaching; [38] and later in the year
1565, they settled in order to complete what they had begun. Like
stars rain-laden with the evangelical doctrine those most zealous
ministers fertilized their Philipinas inheritance with their voluntary
showers. So much did they do so, that when the new laborers, the sons
of the seraph Francisco arrived at the field, there was scarce an
island which had not produced most abundant fruit for the granaries
of the Church because of the work of the first sowers; as is shown in
several places of his history by father Fray Gaspar de San Agustin;
[39] and that lover of truth, father Fray Francisco de San Antonio
confesses it, thus honoring as he ought the Augustinian Hiermo
[sic]. The island of Mindoro also shared in this good fortune. In
its cultivation were employed fathers Fray Francisco de Ortega and
Fray Diego de Moxica. They, after having founded the village of Baco,
endured innumerable misfortunes in a painful captivity, hoping for
hours for that death, which they anxiously desired in order to beautify
their heads with a painful martyrdom. But in order that one might see
that although the former worked above their strength, much remained
to be done by their successors, I shall cite here the exact words of
father Fray Gaspar de San Agustin in his Historia. "The convent,"
he says, "that we had in that island [of Mindoro: added by Assis]
was in the village of Baco. Thence the religious went out to minister
to the converted natives. The latter were very few and the religious
suffered innume