Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 10).djvu/166

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162
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
[Vol. 10

pleased to desire to know particular instances, I am certain that there has been and is being sent to the royal Council of the Indias so much concerning him that the Council could easily inform your Majesty of matters concerning this wretched man; and I shall only relate two or three things, which everyone knows. The first matter (of which your Majesty must certainly have information) is, that this man married a woman between whom and himself there were two obstacles—in the first place, consanguinity; and, in the second place, relation by marriage. In her case there was still another obstacle, in that she had taken the vows in a religious order. Although there were so many and so impassable obstacles, they procured a dispensation in this [MS. torn] so that Don Francisco might marry her. [I tell your Majesty of this] for love of the common welfare, and so that he might not by his licentiousness destroy this commonwealth, which is enslaved, more so than any other in the world or even than any person, so much are all men subjected to the good or ill will of the governor—not only the principal persons, but all others. And further, Don Francisco would have it that this should be considered sufficient cause for giving so many dispensations, and in matters so difficult—namely his own unbridled incontinence and lust—rather than put a check to his vileness. God has permitted this blindness so senseless in a man, so that we may see in Don Francisco that, when God takes His hand from a man, neither his honor, nor his word, nor the fear of God, nor of your Majesty, nor the fact that he is placed in so public an office and is the minister of such a king as your Majesty, is sufficient to check him. If the chains and bonds of