Commenting on the above statements of Aduarte, our bibliographer, however, makes this very sensible observation,--the omission, namely, of any positive information on two points of utmost importance to the antiquary and historian,--at what time, that is, was de Vera's press set up in the Philippines; and whence was it brought to those islands? Anent the first press it is noteworthy (according to the unanimous opinion of critics) that it certainly was not carried thither from Spain, though maybe sent over from Mexico, where printing was established in the early years of the sixteenth century, Retana, however, maintaining as likelier that the first printing-outfit introduced into the Philippines was brought thither from Japan, where (as we otherwise know) a book, the Sanctos no Gosagueo, or Compendium of the Lives of the Saints, was printed at the Jesuit College at Katsusa, in 1591. In the same kingdom I find printed (at another Jesuit College) at "Nangasaki," in 1603, the Vocabulario de Japón, Japanese ancestor of the old Bugarín dictionary elsewhere referred to (in this paper) as having been published at Manila in 1630. [28] In Japan,--the fact is worth noting,--ten different works were printed in Roman characters prior to the year 1599. But let us return to Luzon. If Aduarte is right in his assertion that Juan de Vera was "the first printer in the Philippines," then the press was at work prior to the year 1610, and the Tagal Arte (just described) is not the forerunner of Philippine imprints. So much for one of Retana's oracles. Now pass we on to consider the second and only other writer that, with original sources at hand, has treated of this bibliographical problem, Father Martínez-Vigil, who, in the story of his order (named ahead) mentions this fact, that when resident at Manila he was shown a very rich codex--a MS.--of over six hundred folios, on Chinese paper, in perfect condition, for many reasons (all duly set forth) of unassailable authenticity, and albeit (he remarks) somewhat hard to decipher, except to a palæontologist, yet written with marvelous clearness and neatness of penmanship. In this MS., which (the Father says) was written during the years 1609-1610, besides an account of all notable occurrences in the islands from 1581 to 1606, with which latter year the story ends, four years earlier, you should observe, than Pinpin's Arte of 1610, are also to be read these words: "Los que primero imprimieron fueron del órden de San Agustín el P. Fr. Juan de Villanueva, algunos tratadillos; mas del órden de Sto. Domingo el P. Fr. Francisco de San Joseph cosas mayores y de mas tomo el primero que escribió en lengua araya fué de la Compañia."