CHAPTER VOf the disasters which assaulted Manila during the five years from 599 to 604; and how the charity of the brothers of Santa Misericordia shone forth to the good of their neighbor.[The years 1599 and the first four of the seventeenthcentury prove very disastrous for the Philippines, for they are visited by many earthquakes, and suffer many other losses and misfortunes. The first earthquake of June 21, 1599, does much damage to buildings, and it is followed by other disastrous earthquakes in 1600. This year also are lost the two ships “Santa Margarita,” in the Ladrones, and “San Geronimo,” in Catanduanes; and the raid of Oliver van Noordt occurs. In 1601, two galleons are lost in a hurricane—“Santo Thomas” in Camarines on its way from Nueva España, and the second in the shipyard of Pañamao near Leyte. Two ships from Acapulco land at the islands in 1602 with goods wasted and rotten. In 1603, a fire causes the loss of more than one million pesos in goods; and the disastrous rising of the Chinese also occurs.]This is a brief sketch of what happened during the five years in this city of Manila—events which truly cannot be read without great horror. During that time the extreme necessity of many poor people was crying out for relief, especially that of many women, who were coming from Nueva España, and wretched slaves who because of the rigor of unsatisfied hunger were yielding up their lives. A good proof of this truth is a letter (the original of which this brotherhood preserves) from his Excellency, Don Diego Bazquez de Mercado, most worthy archbishop of the holy cathedral church of this city, who was promoted from bishop of Campeche to this church, where he had before been its dean, and had been at the foundation of this venerable brotherhood as the ecclesiastical governor of the vacant see of Don Fray Domingo de Salazar. Its date is August 15, 613, and it was written in duplicate to our most holy father, Paul Fifth, and is of the following tenor.[In this letter Vazquez de Mercado informs the pope of the growth of Christianity in the Philippines, much of which he attributes, in addition to the work of the religious orders, to the work of the Santa Misericordia. He asks the pope to confirm the enclosed rules and regulations of the brotherhood. He also asks for certain indulgences in order that the rules may be followed properly.]During this time of the most cruel miseries and disasters this venerable brotherhood made a rare show of the greatest strength of its burning charity, for it appears that, through this house of the Misericordia, God erected a new storehouse, well provided with every remedy for the consolation of invalids, the relief of prisoners, and the remedy of the sick. Thus the Misericordia attended promptly to what it considered most fitting, striving as much as possible to soften the lamentations and tears of so many poor people who begged relief in troops for their extreme need, by distributing among them daily, and when the cords of hunger pressed them more tightly, in the public places of this city vast alms, which exceeded three hundred pesos weekly. At the same time it took the most vigorous measures for the construction of new infirmaries or rooms, which were erected after the hospital of the Misericordia, in order to attend nearer at hand, and with greater and prompter assistance, the pains, treatment, and relief of so many poor women who refused to receive them anywhere else, as well as to the wretched slaves who were dying of hunger or sickness in the out-of-the-way places of this city. If this so Christian provision had been lacking those people could not have obtained spiritual or temporal consolation.With so powerful and Christian an example, this holy brotherhood moved and attracted all the city, not only to the imitation of so devout exercises but also succeeded in getting the free coöperation of many alms which were distributed for so pious purposes. All of the city was divided into three equal parts or wards, so that the deputies of the board, who were successively occupied in this, might distribute said alms, and many others which were given into their own hands in proportion to the necessity and rank of each one of the families. In this it was quite evident that the liberal hand of God was working in order to succor with so great piety so innumerable miseries. It appears that during the hard times of those five years, this brotherhood distributed more than 80,000 pesos to the benefit of all this community and its poor.This brotherhood seeing that for the fulfilment of its principal rule of relieving the necessities of its neighbor spiritually and physically, the brothers who composed the board [mesa] were not sufficient, thought it advisable to provide that, up to the number of forty, they should busy themselves in attending promptly to the greatest necessity that called to them, in order to furnish the most efficacious relief; that it would be well to take charge of the poor sick men and women, and bring them to the hospitals; that it would be well to gather the dead bodies and bury them; that it would be well for the assistance in hospitals and treatment of the sick, to watch and find in all the suburbs and wards of this city, the persons who needed physician, surgeon, and medicines. And upon the instant they gave advice to the treasurer and almsgivers appointed by the board, sothat they might attend to the most important remedy.One cannot imagine the work of this venerable brotherhood during the time of those disasters in attending to and providing for all the necessities in the two hospitals of the Spaniards and of the native soldiers of the country; to the two infirmaries of poor women, and of wretched slaves; and to the two prisons of the court and the city, which were also dependent upon the assistance and relief which their charity negotiated for them: since it is certain that besides the personal work of the brothers, in those first years, for the above purposes alone, and for other pious ends, there was spent from the year 599 to that of 650 a sum of more than 540,446 pesos, 7 tomins, which it has been possible to verify in the short time that I have had for it, and other liquidations that will be set forth hereafter. But this was done with such accounts and checks on the parts of treasurer and almsgivers of this house that a strict monthly or annual residencia was taken from them by the purveyor and other deputies, the balances resulting either against or in favor punctually. Their revision was entrusted to the purveyor and secretary of the board and immediately they proceeded to the satisfaction of the said balances of all parties.
CHAPTER VOf the disasters which assaulted Manila during the five years from 599 to 604; and how the charity of the brothers of Santa Misericordia shone forth to the good of their neighbor.[The years 1599 and the first four of the seventeenthcentury prove very disastrous for the Philippines, for they are visited by many earthquakes, and suffer many other losses and misfortunes. The first earthquake of June 21, 1599, does much damage to buildings, and it is followed by other disastrous earthquakes in 1600. This year also are lost the two ships “Santa Margarita,” in the Ladrones, and “San Geronimo,” in Catanduanes; and the raid of Oliver van Noordt occurs. In 1601, two galleons are lost in a hurricane—“Santo Thomas” in Camarines on its way from Nueva España, and the second in the shipyard of Pañamao near Leyte. Two ships from Acapulco land at the islands in 1602 with goods wasted and rotten. In 1603, a fire causes the loss of more than one million pesos in goods; and the disastrous rising of the Chinese also occurs.]This is a brief sketch of what happened during the five years in this city of Manila—events which truly cannot be read without great horror. During that time the extreme necessity of many poor people was crying out for relief, especially that of many women, who were coming from Nueva España, and wretched slaves who because of the rigor of unsatisfied hunger were yielding up their lives. A good proof of this truth is a letter (the original of which this brotherhood preserves) from his Excellency, Don Diego Bazquez de Mercado, most worthy archbishop of the holy cathedral church of this city, who was promoted from bishop of Campeche to this church, where he had before been its dean, and had been at the foundation of this venerable brotherhood as the ecclesiastical governor of the vacant see of Don Fray Domingo de Salazar. Its date is August 15, 613, and it was written in duplicate to our most holy father, Paul Fifth, and is of the following tenor.[In this letter Vazquez de Mercado informs the pope of the growth of Christianity in the Philippines, much of which he attributes, in addition to the work of the religious orders, to the work of the Santa Misericordia. He asks the pope to confirm the enclosed rules and regulations of the brotherhood. He also asks for certain indulgences in order that the rules may be followed properly.]During this time of the most cruel miseries and disasters this venerable brotherhood made a rare show of the greatest strength of its burning charity, for it appears that, through this house of the Misericordia, God erected a new storehouse, well provided with every remedy for the consolation of invalids, the relief of prisoners, and the remedy of the sick. Thus the Misericordia attended promptly to what it considered most fitting, striving as much as possible to soften the lamentations and tears of so many poor people who begged relief in troops for their extreme need, by distributing among them daily, and when the cords of hunger pressed them more tightly, in the public places of this city vast alms, which exceeded three hundred pesos weekly. At the same time it took the most vigorous measures for the construction of new infirmaries or rooms, which were erected after the hospital of the Misericordia, in order to attend nearer at hand, and with greater and prompter assistance, the pains, treatment, and relief of so many poor women who refused to receive them anywhere else, as well as to the wretched slaves who were dying of hunger or sickness in the out-of-the-way places of this city. If this so Christian provision had been lacking those people could not have obtained spiritual or temporal consolation.With so powerful and Christian an example, this holy brotherhood moved and attracted all the city, not only to the imitation of so devout exercises but also succeeded in getting the free coöperation of many alms which were distributed for so pious purposes. All of the city was divided into three equal parts or wards, so that the deputies of the board, who were successively occupied in this, might distribute said alms, and many others which were given into their own hands in proportion to the necessity and rank of each one of the families. In this it was quite evident that the liberal hand of God was working in order to succor with so great piety so innumerable miseries. It appears that during the hard times of those five years, this brotherhood distributed more than 80,000 pesos to the benefit of all this community and its poor.This brotherhood seeing that for the fulfilment of its principal rule of relieving the necessities of its neighbor spiritually and physically, the brothers who composed the board [mesa] were not sufficient, thought it advisable to provide that, up to the number of forty, they should busy themselves in attending promptly to the greatest necessity that called to them, in order to furnish the most efficacious relief; that it would be well to take charge of the poor sick men and women, and bring them to the hospitals; that it would be well to gather the dead bodies and bury them; that it would be well for the assistance in hospitals and treatment of the sick, to watch and find in all the suburbs and wards of this city, the persons who needed physician, surgeon, and medicines. And upon the instant they gave advice to the treasurer and almsgivers appointed by the board, sothat they might attend to the most important remedy.One cannot imagine the work of this venerable brotherhood during the time of those disasters in attending to and providing for all the necessities in the two hospitals of the Spaniards and of the native soldiers of the country; to the two infirmaries of poor women, and of wretched slaves; and to the two prisons of the court and the city, which were also dependent upon the assistance and relief which their charity negotiated for them: since it is certain that besides the personal work of the brothers, in those first years, for the above purposes alone, and for other pious ends, there was spent from the year 599 to that of 650 a sum of more than 540,446 pesos, 7 tomins, which it has been possible to verify in the short time that I have had for it, and other liquidations that will be set forth hereafter. But this was done with such accounts and checks on the parts of treasurer and almsgivers of this house that a strict monthly or annual residencia was taken from them by the purveyor and other deputies, the balances resulting either against or in favor punctually. Their revision was entrusted to the purveyor and secretary of the board and immediately they proceeded to the satisfaction of the said balances of all parties.
CHAPTER VOf the disasters which assaulted Manila during the five years from 599 to 604; and how the charity of the brothers of Santa Misericordia shone forth to the good of their neighbor.[The years 1599 and the first four of the seventeenthcentury prove very disastrous for the Philippines, for they are visited by many earthquakes, and suffer many other losses and misfortunes. The first earthquake of June 21, 1599, does much damage to buildings, and it is followed by other disastrous earthquakes in 1600. This year also are lost the two ships “Santa Margarita,” in the Ladrones, and “San Geronimo,” in Catanduanes; and the raid of Oliver van Noordt occurs. In 1601, two galleons are lost in a hurricane—“Santo Thomas” in Camarines on its way from Nueva España, and the second in the shipyard of Pañamao near Leyte. Two ships from Acapulco land at the islands in 1602 with goods wasted and rotten. In 1603, a fire causes the loss of more than one million pesos in goods; and the disastrous rising of the Chinese also occurs.]This is a brief sketch of what happened during the five years in this city of Manila—events which truly cannot be read without great horror. During that time the extreme necessity of many poor people was crying out for relief, especially that of many women, who were coming from Nueva España, and wretched slaves who because of the rigor of unsatisfied hunger were yielding up their lives. A good proof of this truth is a letter (the original of which this brotherhood preserves) from his Excellency, Don Diego Bazquez de Mercado, most worthy archbishop of the holy cathedral church of this city, who was promoted from bishop of Campeche to this church, where he had before been its dean, and had been at the foundation of this venerable brotherhood as the ecclesiastical governor of the vacant see of Don Fray Domingo de Salazar. Its date is August 15, 613, and it was written in duplicate to our most holy father, Paul Fifth, and is of the following tenor.[In this letter Vazquez de Mercado informs the pope of the growth of Christianity in the Philippines, much of which he attributes, in addition to the work of the religious orders, to the work of the Santa Misericordia. He asks the pope to confirm the enclosed rules and regulations of the brotherhood. He also asks for certain indulgences in order that the rules may be followed properly.]During this time of the most cruel miseries and disasters this venerable brotherhood made a rare show of the greatest strength of its burning charity, for it appears that, through this house of the Misericordia, God erected a new storehouse, well provided with every remedy for the consolation of invalids, the relief of prisoners, and the remedy of the sick. Thus the Misericordia attended promptly to what it considered most fitting, striving as much as possible to soften the lamentations and tears of so many poor people who begged relief in troops for their extreme need, by distributing among them daily, and when the cords of hunger pressed them more tightly, in the public places of this city vast alms, which exceeded three hundred pesos weekly. At the same time it took the most vigorous measures for the construction of new infirmaries or rooms, which were erected after the hospital of the Misericordia, in order to attend nearer at hand, and with greater and prompter assistance, the pains, treatment, and relief of so many poor women who refused to receive them anywhere else, as well as to the wretched slaves who were dying of hunger or sickness in the out-of-the-way places of this city. If this so Christian provision had been lacking those people could not have obtained spiritual or temporal consolation.With so powerful and Christian an example, this holy brotherhood moved and attracted all the city, not only to the imitation of so devout exercises but also succeeded in getting the free coöperation of many alms which were distributed for so pious purposes. All of the city was divided into three equal parts or wards, so that the deputies of the board, who were successively occupied in this, might distribute said alms, and many others which were given into their own hands in proportion to the necessity and rank of each one of the families. In this it was quite evident that the liberal hand of God was working in order to succor with so great piety so innumerable miseries. It appears that during the hard times of those five years, this brotherhood distributed more than 80,000 pesos to the benefit of all this community and its poor.This brotherhood seeing that for the fulfilment of its principal rule of relieving the necessities of its neighbor spiritually and physically, the brothers who composed the board [mesa] were not sufficient, thought it advisable to provide that, up to the number of forty, they should busy themselves in attending promptly to the greatest necessity that called to them, in order to furnish the most efficacious relief; that it would be well to take charge of the poor sick men and women, and bring them to the hospitals; that it would be well to gather the dead bodies and bury them; that it would be well for the assistance in hospitals and treatment of the sick, to watch and find in all the suburbs and wards of this city, the persons who needed physician, surgeon, and medicines. And upon the instant they gave advice to the treasurer and almsgivers appointed by the board, sothat they might attend to the most important remedy.One cannot imagine the work of this venerable brotherhood during the time of those disasters in attending to and providing for all the necessities in the two hospitals of the Spaniards and of the native soldiers of the country; to the two infirmaries of poor women, and of wretched slaves; and to the two prisons of the court and the city, which were also dependent upon the assistance and relief which their charity negotiated for them: since it is certain that besides the personal work of the brothers, in those first years, for the above purposes alone, and for other pious ends, there was spent from the year 599 to that of 650 a sum of more than 540,446 pesos, 7 tomins, which it has been possible to verify in the short time that I have had for it, and other liquidations that will be set forth hereafter. But this was done with such accounts and checks on the parts of treasurer and almsgivers of this house that a strict monthly or annual residencia was taken from them by the purveyor and other deputies, the balances resulting either against or in favor punctually. Their revision was entrusted to the purveyor and secretary of the board and immediately they proceeded to the satisfaction of the said balances of all parties.
CHAPTER VOf the disasters which assaulted Manila during the five years from 599 to 604; and how the charity of the brothers of Santa Misericordia shone forth to the good of their neighbor.[The years 1599 and the first four of the seventeenthcentury prove very disastrous for the Philippines, for they are visited by many earthquakes, and suffer many other losses and misfortunes. The first earthquake of June 21, 1599, does much damage to buildings, and it is followed by other disastrous earthquakes in 1600. This year also are lost the two ships “Santa Margarita,” in the Ladrones, and “San Geronimo,” in Catanduanes; and the raid of Oliver van Noordt occurs. In 1601, two galleons are lost in a hurricane—“Santo Thomas” in Camarines on its way from Nueva España, and the second in the shipyard of Pañamao near Leyte. Two ships from Acapulco land at the islands in 1602 with goods wasted and rotten. In 1603, a fire causes the loss of more than one million pesos in goods; and the disastrous rising of the Chinese also occurs.]This is a brief sketch of what happened during the five years in this city of Manila—events which truly cannot be read without great horror. During that time the extreme necessity of many poor people was crying out for relief, especially that of many women, who were coming from Nueva España, and wretched slaves who because of the rigor of unsatisfied hunger were yielding up their lives. A good proof of this truth is a letter (the original of which this brotherhood preserves) from his Excellency, Don Diego Bazquez de Mercado, most worthy archbishop of the holy cathedral church of this city, who was promoted from bishop of Campeche to this church, where he had before been its dean, and had been at the foundation of this venerable brotherhood as the ecclesiastical governor of the vacant see of Don Fray Domingo de Salazar. Its date is August 15, 613, and it was written in duplicate to our most holy father, Paul Fifth, and is of the following tenor.[In this letter Vazquez de Mercado informs the pope of the growth of Christianity in the Philippines, much of which he attributes, in addition to the work of the religious orders, to the work of the Santa Misericordia. He asks the pope to confirm the enclosed rules and regulations of the brotherhood. He also asks for certain indulgences in order that the rules may be followed properly.]During this time of the most cruel miseries and disasters this venerable brotherhood made a rare show of the greatest strength of its burning charity, for it appears that, through this house of the Misericordia, God erected a new storehouse, well provided with every remedy for the consolation of invalids, the relief of prisoners, and the remedy of the sick. Thus the Misericordia attended promptly to what it considered most fitting, striving as much as possible to soften the lamentations and tears of so many poor people who begged relief in troops for their extreme need, by distributing among them daily, and when the cords of hunger pressed them more tightly, in the public places of this city vast alms, which exceeded three hundred pesos weekly. At the same time it took the most vigorous measures for the construction of new infirmaries or rooms, which were erected after the hospital of the Misericordia, in order to attend nearer at hand, and with greater and prompter assistance, the pains, treatment, and relief of so many poor women who refused to receive them anywhere else, as well as to the wretched slaves who were dying of hunger or sickness in the out-of-the-way places of this city. If this so Christian provision had been lacking those people could not have obtained spiritual or temporal consolation.With so powerful and Christian an example, this holy brotherhood moved and attracted all the city, not only to the imitation of so devout exercises but also succeeded in getting the free coöperation of many alms which were distributed for so pious purposes. All of the city was divided into three equal parts or wards, so that the deputies of the board, who were successively occupied in this, might distribute said alms, and many others which were given into their own hands in proportion to the necessity and rank of each one of the families. In this it was quite evident that the liberal hand of God was working in order to succor with so great piety so innumerable miseries. It appears that during the hard times of those five years, this brotherhood distributed more than 80,000 pesos to the benefit of all this community and its poor.This brotherhood seeing that for the fulfilment of its principal rule of relieving the necessities of its neighbor spiritually and physically, the brothers who composed the board [mesa] were not sufficient, thought it advisable to provide that, up to the number of forty, they should busy themselves in attending promptly to the greatest necessity that called to them, in order to furnish the most efficacious relief; that it would be well to take charge of the poor sick men and women, and bring them to the hospitals; that it would be well to gather the dead bodies and bury them; that it would be well for the assistance in hospitals and treatment of the sick, to watch and find in all the suburbs and wards of this city, the persons who needed physician, surgeon, and medicines. And upon the instant they gave advice to the treasurer and almsgivers appointed by the board, sothat they might attend to the most important remedy.One cannot imagine the work of this venerable brotherhood during the time of those disasters in attending to and providing for all the necessities in the two hospitals of the Spaniards and of the native soldiers of the country; to the two infirmaries of poor women, and of wretched slaves; and to the two prisons of the court and the city, which were also dependent upon the assistance and relief which their charity negotiated for them: since it is certain that besides the personal work of the brothers, in those first years, for the above purposes alone, and for other pious ends, there was spent from the year 599 to that of 650 a sum of more than 540,446 pesos, 7 tomins, which it has been possible to verify in the short time that I have had for it, and other liquidations that will be set forth hereafter. But this was done with such accounts and checks on the parts of treasurer and almsgivers of this house that a strict monthly or annual residencia was taken from them by the purveyor and other deputies, the balances resulting either against or in favor punctually. Their revision was entrusted to the purveyor and secretary of the board and immediately they proceeded to the satisfaction of the said balances of all parties.
CHAPTER VOf the disasters which assaulted Manila during the five years from 599 to 604; and how the charity of the brothers of Santa Misericordia shone forth to the good of their neighbor.
[The years 1599 and the first four of the seventeenthcentury prove very disastrous for the Philippines, for they are visited by many earthquakes, and suffer many other losses and misfortunes. The first earthquake of June 21, 1599, does much damage to buildings, and it is followed by other disastrous earthquakes in 1600. This year also are lost the two ships “Santa Margarita,” in the Ladrones, and “San Geronimo,” in Catanduanes; and the raid of Oliver van Noordt occurs. In 1601, two galleons are lost in a hurricane—“Santo Thomas” in Camarines on its way from Nueva España, and the second in the shipyard of Pañamao near Leyte. Two ships from Acapulco land at the islands in 1602 with goods wasted and rotten. In 1603, a fire causes the loss of more than one million pesos in goods; and the disastrous rising of the Chinese also occurs.]This is a brief sketch of what happened during the five years in this city of Manila—events which truly cannot be read without great horror. During that time the extreme necessity of many poor people was crying out for relief, especially that of many women, who were coming from Nueva España, and wretched slaves who because of the rigor of unsatisfied hunger were yielding up their lives. A good proof of this truth is a letter (the original of which this brotherhood preserves) from his Excellency, Don Diego Bazquez de Mercado, most worthy archbishop of the holy cathedral church of this city, who was promoted from bishop of Campeche to this church, where he had before been its dean, and had been at the foundation of this venerable brotherhood as the ecclesiastical governor of the vacant see of Don Fray Domingo de Salazar. Its date is August 15, 613, and it was written in duplicate to our most holy father, Paul Fifth, and is of the following tenor.[In this letter Vazquez de Mercado informs the pope of the growth of Christianity in the Philippines, much of which he attributes, in addition to the work of the religious orders, to the work of the Santa Misericordia. He asks the pope to confirm the enclosed rules and regulations of the brotherhood. He also asks for certain indulgences in order that the rules may be followed properly.]During this time of the most cruel miseries and disasters this venerable brotherhood made a rare show of the greatest strength of its burning charity, for it appears that, through this house of the Misericordia, God erected a new storehouse, well provided with every remedy for the consolation of invalids, the relief of prisoners, and the remedy of the sick. Thus the Misericordia attended promptly to what it considered most fitting, striving as much as possible to soften the lamentations and tears of so many poor people who begged relief in troops for their extreme need, by distributing among them daily, and when the cords of hunger pressed them more tightly, in the public places of this city vast alms, which exceeded three hundred pesos weekly. At the same time it took the most vigorous measures for the construction of new infirmaries or rooms, which were erected after the hospital of the Misericordia, in order to attend nearer at hand, and with greater and prompter assistance, the pains, treatment, and relief of so many poor women who refused to receive them anywhere else, as well as to the wretched slaves who were dying of hunger or sickness in the out-of-the-way places of this city. If this so Christian provision had been lacking those people could not have obtained spiritual or temporal consolation.With so powerful and Christian an example, this holy brotherhood moved and attracted all the city, not only to the imitation of so devout exercises but also succeeded in getting the free coöperation of many alms which were distributed for so pious purposes. All of the city was divided into three equal parts or wards, so that the deputies of the board, who were successively occupied in this, might distribute said alms, and many others which were given into their own hands in proportion to the necessity and rank of each one of the families. In this it was quite evident that the liberal hand of God was working in order to succor with so great piety so innumerable miseries. It appears that during the hard times of those five years, this brotherhood distributed more than 80,000 pesos to the benefit of all this community and its poor.This brotherhood seeing that for the fulfilment of its principal rule of relieving the necessities of its neighbor spiritually and physically, the brothers who composed the board [mesa] were not sufficient, thought it advisable to provide that, up to the number of forty, they should busy themselves in attending promptly to the greatest necessity that called to them, in order to furnish the most efficacious relief; that it would be well to take charge of the poor sick men and women, and bring them to the hospitals; that it would be well to gather the dead bodies and bury them; that it would be well for the assistance in hospitals and treatment of the sick, to watch and find in all the suburbs and wards of this city, the persons who needed physician, surgeon, and medicines. And upon the instant they gave advice to the treasurer and almsgivers appointed by the board, sothat they might attend to the most important remedy.One cannot imagine the work of this venerable brotherhood during the time of those disasters in attending to and providing for all the necessities in the two hospitals of the Spaniards and of the native soldiers of the country; to the two infirmaries of poor women, and of wretched slaves; and to the two prisons of the court and the city, which were also dependent upon the assistance and relief which their charity negotiated for them: since it is certain that besides the personal work of the brothers, in those first years, for the above purposes alone, and for other pious ends, there was spent from the year 599 to that of 650 a sum of more than 540,446 pesos, 7 tomins, which it has been possible to verify in the short time that I have had for it, and other liquidations that will be set forth hereafter. But this was done with such accounts and checks on the parts of treasurer and almsgivers of this house that a strict monthly or annual residencia was taken from them by the purveyor and other deputies, the balances resulting either against or in favor punctually. Their revision was entrusted to the purveyor and secretary of the board and immediately they proceeded to the satisfaction of the said balances of all parties.
[The years 1599 and the first four of the seventeenthcentury prove very disastrous for the Philippines, for they are visited by many earthquakes, and suffer many other losses and misfortunes. The first earthquake of June 21, 1599, does much damage to buildings, and it is followed by other disastrous earthquakes in 1600. This year also are lost the two ships “Santa Margarita,” in the Ladrones, and “San Geronimo,” in Catanduanes; and the raid of Oliver van Noordt occurs. In 1601, two galleons are lost in a hurricane—“Santo Thomas” in Camarines on its way from Nueva España, and the second in the shipyard of Pañamao near Leyte. Two ships from Acapulco land at the islands in 1602 with goods wasted and rotten. In 1603, a fire causes the loss of more than one million pesos in goods; and the disastrous rising of the Chinese also occurs.]
This is a brief sketch of what happened during the five years in this city of Manila—events which truly cannot be read without great horror. During that time the extreme necessity of many poor people was crying out for relief, especially that of many women, who were coming from Nueva España, and wretched slaves who because of the rigor of unsatisfied hunger were yielding up their lives. A good proof of this truth is a letter (the original of which this brotherhood preserves) from his Excellency, Don Diego Bazquez de Mercado, most worthy archbishop of the holy cathedral church of this city, who was promoted from bishop of Campeche to this church, where he had before been its dean, and had been at the foundation of this venerable brotherhood as the ecclesiastical governor of the vacant see of Don Fray Domingo de Salazar. Its date is August 15, 613, and it was written in duplicate to our most holy father, Paul Fifth, and is of the following tenor.
[In this letter Vazquez de Mercado informs the pope of the growth of Christianity in the Philippines, much of which he attributes, in addition to the work of the religious orders, to the work of the Santa Misericordia. He asks the pope to confirm the enclosed rules and regulations of the brotherhood. He also asks for certain indulgences in order that the rules may be followed properly.]
During this time of the most cruel miseries and disasters this venerable brotherhood made a rare show of the greatest strength of its burning charity, for it appears that, through this house of the Misericordia, God erected a new storehouse, well provided with every remedy for the consolation of invalids, the relief of prisoners, and the remedy of the sick. Thus the Misericordia attended promptly to what it considered most fitting, striving as much as possible to soften the lamentations and tears of so many poor people who begged relief in troops for their extreme need, by distributing among them daily, and when the cords of hunger pressed them more tightly, in the public places of this city vast alms, which exceeded three hundred pesos weekly. At the same time it took the most vigorous measures for the construction of new infirmaries or rooms, which were erected after the hospital of the Misericordia, in order to attend nearer at hand, and with greater and prompter assistance, the pains, treatment, and relief of so many poor women who refused to receive them anywhere else, as well as to the wretched slaves who were dying of hunger or sickness in the out-of-the-way places of this city. If this so Christian provision had been lacking those people could not have obtained spiritual or temporal consolation.
With so powerful and Christian an example, this holy brotherhood moved and attracted all the city, not only to the imitation of so devout exercises but also succeeded in getting the free coöperation of many alms which were distributed for so pious purposes. All of the city was divided into three equal parts or wards, so that the deputies of the board, who were successively occupied in this, might distribute said alms, and many others which were given into their own hands in proportion to the necessity and rank of each one of the families. In this it was quite evident that the liberal hand of God was working in order to succor with so great piety so innumerable miseries. It appears that during the hard times of those five years, this brotherhood distributed more than 80,000 pesos to the benefit of all this community and its poor.
This brotherhood seeing that for the fulfilment of its principal rule of relieving the necessities of its neighbor spiritually and physically, the brothers who composed the board [mesa] were not sufficient, thought it advisable to provide that, up to the number of forty, they should busy themselves in attending promptly to the greatest necessity that called to them, in order to furnish the most efficacious relief; that it would be well to take charge of the poor sick men and women, and bring them to the hospitals; that it would be well to gather the dead bodies and bury them; that it would be well for the assistance in hospitals and treatment of the sick, to watch and find in all the suburbs and wards of this city, the persons who needed physician, surgeon, and medicines. And upon the instant they gave advice to the treasurer and almsgivers appointed by the board, sothat they might attend to the most important remedy.
One cannot imagine the work of this venerable brotherhood during the time of those disasters in attending to and providing for all the necessities in the two hospitals of the Spaniards and of the native soldiers of the country; to the two infirmaries of poor women, and of wretched slaves; and to the two prisons of the court and the city, which were also dependent upon the assistance and relief which their charity negotiated for them: since it is certain that besides the personal work of the brothers, in those first years, for the above purposes alone, and for other pious ends, there was spent from the year 599 to that of 650 a sum of more than 540,446 pesos, 7 tomins, which it has been possible to verify in the short time that I have had for it, and other liquidations that will be set forth hereafter. But this was done with such accounts and checks on the parts of treasurer and almsgivers of this house that a strict monthly or annual residencia was taken from them by the purveyor and other deputies, the balances resulting either against or in favor punctually. Their revision was entrusted to the purveyor and secretary of the board and immediately they proceeded to the satisfaction of the said balances of all parties.