of the metropolitan church of the city of Manila in the Philipinas
Islands, why he should be given a coadjutor. The Council was of
opinion that your Majesty might command it to be examined, with the
enclosed advice; and your Majesty was pleased to answer: [Here is
repeated the endorsement on the letter preceding this]. In order
to give better satisfaction to your Majesty, and to report on the
state of affairs in those islands, we have waited for the coming of
the letters. As for himself, the archbishop persisted in his claim,
which was explained to your Majesty in writing on the fourth of May,
614, and the second of August, 615. He considers himself of no use
in the government of his church, as he is more than seventy years of
age, with many infirmities; and he is anxious over the failure that
gives cause for regarding him as remiss, and the fact that he can not
fulfil his obligations, nor make easy the conscience of your Majesty,
and is burdening his own. As a result of this his jurisdiction is
becoming every day less; and owing to his inability to punish them,
and take needful measures, there is cause to fear that there may be
increase of certain sins. It is but right that this should be remedied
in due time, by sending a successor. Again he beseeches your Majesty
to appoint one, so that he may continue to fulfil the obligations of
that office; and that, for his own support, he be left two thousand
of the three thousand ducados which your Majesty has commanded to
be given him. In the letters from the religious orders of these
islands it is evident how fitting and just it is to concede to the
archbishop what he asks. Having considered and examined into this,
the Council is of the same opinion as in the said advice of 613;
and thinks that your Majesty, conformably thereto, may consider it
desirable to ask his Holiness to grant the archbishop a coadjutor with
the future succession, who will be given a third of the stipend of that
archbishopric--namely, one thousand ducados--besides the occasional