meeting of religious prelates for my case, and he did so accordingly. He called them together in one of our convents, named [San] Francisco del Monte,[1] where he placed before them the letters without having examined them, and without displaying them; and, with the utmost ill-feeling and evil intention he asked their opinion as to whether it was expedient to write a letter against me to your Majesty. The religious took it ill, as they should so bad a speech, and did not answer his proposition, considering that he was so causelessly throwing suspicion upon the purity and integrity of their prelate, who had not even been twenty days in the country. All this came to my knowledge within two hours, and, as the matter was so serious, and so great an injustice had been done, I confess that I was much more exasperated than was fitting; and I uttered against him various harsh remarks—although all were true, and about things which were publicly told. I learned that he is writing to your Majesty against me, and I desire that your Majesty should not lack a true knowledge of the affair, which is, as I have said; and everything made less or more, your Majesty may believe, is not truth. Nor could any one, from any word or sign of mine, have understood an offense to God in that, or even a venial sin; and, if anything could be added without the suspicions conceived by his malice, or rather by his evil life and habits, the fault which I was guilty of was becoming too angry. But I assure your Majesty that I had more than reason enough—
- ↑ The convent of San Francisco del Monte was situated at somewhat more than a league from Manila; and an estate was granted to the Franciscan order by Santiago de Vera, for the support of the convent. See Santa Inés's Crónica, i, pp. 531-534, for full account of its foundation.
