r examination, if such is your
pleasure. May God guard the Catholic person of your Majesty. Manila,
June twenty-sixth, of the year 1588.

The licentiate _Santiago de Vera_

[_Endorsed_: "Examined, with the other letter."]

Letter from Domingo de Salazar to Felipe II

Sire:

In a letter which your Majesty had written to me from Madrid, on the
eleventh of January of the year 87, I see the reprimand which your
Majesty gives me, on account of information that you had received that,
on certain occasions which had arisen, I had had controversies with the
royal Audiencia here; also that this has finally resulted in scandal
and comment in the town, and that there was fault on both sides. I
receive this reprimand as from my king and lord, but, although it
comes from him, it is very serious and is sufficient to cause much
pain; nevertheless, I have not allowed myself to feel hurt, since your
Majesty judges according to the information that you have received. He
who so informed your Majesty that I was made to appear guilty will
give account to God for his good or bad intention, since for my own
satisfaction the testimony of my conscience is all-sufficient. It is
well-known in the city, and outside of it, that if I had not entered
as mediator neither the president and auditors, nor the auditors
alone, would have had peace. It would not have been possible for me
to establish peace if there had not been friendly relations between
them and me. Since they were pacified through my intercession, peace
has lasted until now; and in order that this peace be lasting, and
that there be no occasion for violating it, I humbly beseech your
Majesty to be pleased to command the president and auditors not to
interfere with me in affairs which concern my privileges--since my
life is a very open one, a fact known to all. They have no cause for
complaint because I sat down in my own church on the gospel side;
for, besides my being the father and pastor of this state, and having
in charge the souls of the auditors, it is a very usual thing for
bishops and archbishops to seat themselves in that very place in the
presence of viceroys and presidents, without that act exciting any
surprise. For the sake of peace, I have overlooked the matter, and
have not again taken my seat in that place, hoping that your Majesty
would send commands concerning this and what ought to be done, since
it is not right that I should leave to my successors the disput