The archdeaconry was held from your Majesty by Don Alonso Garcia de Leon; and at his death the governor gave it to Juan Mre to serve it _ad interim_. On the death of this said person it was given to Don Francisco Valdes, who likewise served it _ad interim_. He is a secular ecclesiastic. He placed his resignation in the hands of Governor Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera because--I would rather not admit it--of a very serious simony; as it has now been well established that Master Don Andres Arias Giron, claimant of the said archdeaconry, promised the said Don Francisco de Valdes five hundred pesos of income to make the said resignation, as he did. Thereupon the said governor gave the appointment as archdeacon to the said Don Andres Arias Giron, on account of the latter's illegal negotiations and gifts--on which account I came to be exiled from the kingdom, and fined two thousand ducados, because I would not give the collation inside of an hour. He was excommunicated and posted on the bulletin, [83] as a result of his visitation which I conducted; and there were many very ugly accusations to prove against him, which had been brought up in court. He has now admitted that he is not archdeacon, because the collation was given him by a judge thrust into that office, for I had left my vicar-general and two ecclesiastical governors whom I had appointed. He sent, while on his deathbed, asking me to give him the collation for the said archdeaconry; but I did not do so because it is not expedient, according to the opinion of learned men. From this it follows that the stipend from the royal treasury ought not to be paid him; and, if it is collected, your Majesty may command that it be returned from his property to the royal treasury. The office of precentor was held for your Majesty by an honored secular ecclesiastic named Santiago de Castro, who died a number of years ago. Since that time it has been served _ad interim_ by four others, with appointments from the governors. He who serves it at present (likewise _ad interim) _is named Master Don Gregorio Ruiz de Escalona, who came to this country with his father (who was your Majesty's treasurer) as a boy, and studied in these islands, graduating as a master of arts. He is a good student, and is thirty-two years of age.