43. Brother Fray Juan de Jesus, of Alcazar de San Juan, La Mancha.
915. All the above, minus the one named at number 22 who died at sea,
and those included under numbers 9, 12, and 14, who hid in Puerto
Rico, in order that they might return to their provinces, as they
did do, arrived with the great good-will of the fleet, at Vera
Cruz, June 1, 1683, whence they went to Mexico with all possible
haste. There they comported themselves with the greatest rigor,
observance, abstraction, and example, so that the hospitium appeared
a desert. Thus they succeeded in obtaining the favor of the viceroy,
the count of Paredes, [56] and the venerable archbishop Don Francisco
de Aguiar y Seyjas, who visited the fathers in the hospitium, and that
not only once. During that winter those who had not completed their
studies, continued them, and in that the father lector, Fray Juan de
la Concepcion and others who were not lectors, but were worthy to be,
worked with especial zeal. By the fifth of March, 1685, they began
to go out in bands to Acapulco, whence they set sail April 4, in the
almiranta, called "San Telmo." They anchored in the port of Sorsogon,
in Philipinas, on the fourteenth of July, and arrived in Manila some
time in August. There they were given a fine welcome and were allowed
some time to rest after so long a voyage. But they afterward began
another greater work in that vineyard with the fulfilment which was
hoped of not resting until they obtained their reward in glory.
[Chapter iv, treating of the general chapter of 1684, notes (p. 457)
that the first definitor chosen for Philipinas was father Fray
Francisco de San Nicolas, and the second definitor, Fray Miguel
de Santa Monica; as first and second discreets (p. 458), were
chosen father Fray Blas de la Concepcion and father Fray Nicolas
de Tolentino.]
[Most of chapter v is taken up with the life of father Fray Juan de la
Madre de Dios, called also Blancas. He was born in the town of Blancas,
Aragon, of honorable parentage, his family name being Garcias. From
his early years of a religious turn of mind, he at length attained the
height of his desires by professing (June 15, 1635) in the convent of
Borja. In 1650, after having preached very acceptably at the convent
of Zaragoza, he enlisted in the Philippine mission organized by father
Fray Jacinto de San Fulgencio. On his arrival at Manila he preached
at the convent in that city and engaged in other work (being also t
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