The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 06 of 55 - 1583-1588 - Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

James Alexander Robertson, Emma Helen Blair, Edward Gaylord Bourne

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• Publié par: zuim
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 29
• Langue: English

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Title: The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 Volume VI,
1583-1588
Author: Emma Helen Blair
Release Date: August 6, 2004 [EBook #13120]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, 1493-1898
***
Prepared by Jeroen Hellingman and the Distributed
Proofreaders TeamThe Philippine Islands, 1493-1898
explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the
islands and their peoples, their history and records
of the catholic missions, as related in
contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing
the political, economic, commercial and religious
conditions of those islands from their earliest
relations with European nations to the close of the
nineteenth century
Volume VI, 1583-1588
Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and
James Alexander Robertson with historical
introduction and additional notes by Edward
Gaylord Bourne.
Editorial Announcement
The Editors desire to announce to their readers an
important modification in the scope and contents of
this work. As originally planned and hitherto
announced, the series was intended to furnish the
original sources, printed and documentary, for the
history of the Philippine Islands only to the
beginning of the nineteenth century. To most of ourreaders, the reasons for this are obvious: the fact
that the classic period of Philippine history is thus
bounded; the comparative rarity and inaccessibility
of most material therein to the general public; the
vast extent of the field covered by Philippine
history, and the necessary limitations of space
imposed upon the selection of material for this
work; the closing of foreign archives to all
investigators after an early date in the nineteenth
century; and the greater difficulty, in that later
period, of securing a proper historical perspective.
But so many and urgent requests have come to
us, from subscribers and reviewers, for such
extension of this series as shall cover the entire
period of Spanish domination, that we have
decided to modify the former plan in the manner
here briefly indicated.
It is our purpose not to exceed the number of
volumes already announced, fifty-five. We are able
to do this because in our original plan, to avoid a
subsequent increase in the number of volumes, a
certain amount of space was purposely left for
possible future changes as a result of later
investigations to be made in foreign archives, or on
account of the necessary excision of extraneous or
irrelevant matter from the printed works which are
to be presented in this series. The new title will be
"The Philippine Islands: 1493-1898." The early and
especially important history of the islands will be
covered as fully as before. For the history of the
nineteenth century, we will present various
important decrees, reports, and other official
documents; and provide a clear, careful, andimpartial synopsis of some of the best historical
matter extant, down to the close of the Spanish
régime. Throughout the series will be used, as has
been done from the beginning, all the best material
available—historical, descriptive, and statistical—
for reference and annotation. With the copious and
carefully-prepared bibliography of Philippine
historical literature, and the full analytical index,
which will close the series; the broad and
representative character of the material selected
throughout; and the impartial and non-sectarian
attitude maintained, the Editors trust that this
change will still further enable scholars, historical
writers, and general readers alike to study, with
reliable and satisfactory material, the history of the
Philippine Islands from their first discovery by
Europeans to the close of the Spanish régime, and
incidentally the history of the entire Orient.
Contents of Volume VI
Preface … 13
Documents of 1583-85
Foundation of the Audiencia of Manila
(concluded). Felipe II; Aranjuez, May 5,
1583 … 35
Two decrees regarding the religious. Felipe II;
San Lorenzo, June 21, 1583, and Aranjuez,
April 24, 1584 … 45
Annual income of the royal exchequer in the
Philippines. Andres Cauchela, and others;
Manila,
June 15-30, 1584 … 47
Letter to Felipe II. Melchor Davalos; Manila,
July 3,
1584 … 54
Letter to the archbishop of Mexico. Santiago
de Vera;
Manila, June 20, 1585 … 66
Two letters to Felipe II. Fray Geronimo de
Guzman
[Madrid? 1585]; and Fray Jhoan de Vascones
[1585?] …
76
History of the great kingdom of China (extracts
relating to the
Philippines). Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza;
Madrid, 1586 … 81
Documents of 1586
Memorial to the Council by citizens of the
Filipinas
Islands. Santiago de Vera, and others;
Manila,
[July 26] … 157
Letter to Felipe II. Alfonso de Chaves, andothers;
Manila, June 24 … 234
Letter from the Manila cabildo to Felipe II.
Andres
de Villanueva, and others; Manila, June 25 …
242
Letter to Felipe II. Antonio Sedeño; Manila,
June 25
… 247
Letter to Felipe II. Domingo de Salazar;
Manila,
June 26 … 251
Letter from the Audiencia to Felipe II.
Santiago de
Vera, and others; Manila, June 26 … 254
Letter to Felipe II. Pedro de Rojas; Manila,
June 30
… 265
Letter to Felipe II. Juan de Moron; Manila,
June 30
… 275
Measures regarding trade with China.
Felipe II, and
others; Madrid and Manila; June 17-
November 15 … 279
Brief erecting Franciscan province of the
Philippines. Sixtus V; Rome, November 15 …290
Documents of 1587-88
Letter to Felipe II. Alvaro, Marques de [Villa]
Manriquez; Mexico, February 8, 1587 … 295
Letter to Felipe II. Santiago de Vera; Manila,
June
26, 1587 … 297
Letter from the Audiencia to Felipe II.
Santiago de
Vera, and others; Manila, June 25, 1588 …
311
Bibliographical Data … 323
Illustrations
Title-page of Historia del gran reyno de China,
by Juan Gonçalez de Mendoça (Madrid,
M.D.LXXXVI); from copy (Madrigal edition) in
Library of Congress … 83
Title-page of "Itinerario" at end of Gonçalez's
Historia,
from copy in Library of Congress … 135
Signature of Alonso Sanchez, S.J., from MS. in
Archivo general
de Indias, Sevilla … 228Preface
The present volume covers the period of 1583 to
1588 inclusive. At the close of two decades of
Spanish occupation in the Philippines, the native
population is decimated, and the Spanish colonists
are poor, heavily burdened with taxation, and
largely non-producing. The islands are but
nominally defended by a small, irregular,
demoralized force of unpaid soldiers, whose
lawlessness and arrogance render them dangerous
to their own countrymen, and tyrants over the
helpless natives. The Audiencia is a costly
institution, a burden of which all the people
complain. They have other grievances and many
needs, which finally impel them to send a special
envoy to Spain, to procure relief and aid from the
home government. The documents in this volume
contain much valuable information regarding the
economic condition of the colony, and its
commercial relations with China and Mexico
respectively. As the Spanish settlers in the
Philippines find that they are largely dependent
upon China for their food, those who are wise see
the necessity of encouraging and extending
agriculture in the islands; but others are fired with
the lust for wealth and conquest, and urge upon
Felipe II a scheme for subduing China by force of
arms, thus to give Spain the control of the great
Oriental world, and incidentally to enrich a host ofneedy Spanish subjects.
In Volume V was presented the greater part of the
royal decree establishing the Audiencia of the
Filipinas; the document is here concluded. The
duties of certain subordinate officials of that
tribunal—commissioners of examination, jail-
wardens, and interpreters—are carefully
prescribed. Such commissioners are forbidden to
play games of chance, except for articles of food
ready to be eaten. Prisoners in jail shall not be
allowed to gamble, except for food. The document
closes with a general provision for a tariff of official
fees, and for the care of the Audiencia's archives.
Felipe II decrees (June 21, 1583) that the
Audiencia aid the Franciscan missionaries in the
islands; and (April 24, 1584) that the religious
ord