The latter presented before the cabildo of this cathedral a decree from your Majesty, despatched in the ordinary form, so that the government should be given to him while waiting for the bulls from his Holiness. It is not the said cabildo who governs, but Don Fray Pedro Arce, bishop of Zibu, by virtue of a brief of his Holiness and a decree of your Majesty. They order that during the first three vacancies of this archbishopric (which began to be reckoned from the date of the brief), the cabildo should not govern, but the senior bishop of the islands (who is at present the bishop of Zibu); for it was considered unadvisable for the government to be entrusted to the cabildo for the space of three years--the least time that a vacancy can last here. Upon this occasion the cabildo responded that it could not give to the archbishop-elect the government that it did not possess. The bishop of Zibu says that he cannot leave the government without a special order from your Majesty and from his Holiness, who are the persons who have given it to him. After receiving this reply, the archbishop-elect came on appeal from fuerza to the Audiencia. They, after having thoroughly aired the matter, judged that there was no occasion [for this plea], because the documents lacked some clauses requisite to make them effective, and the cabildo had not committed fuerza. They told the archbishop to prefer his claims before him who had the right [to judge his case]. The good archbishop was desirous of governing, and accordingly, took hold of the affair with too much energy, aided by his natural disposition, which is not so moderate as his dignity demands. He thinks that we are all to blame, and I in particular; accordingly, he shows me little favor. I mention this so that in case that he should write anything against me, your Majesty may be warned, and give no credit to his relation until the proof of it be adduced.