The King. To the reverend father in Christ Don Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, bishop of the cathedral church of the city of Puebla de los Angeles, member of my royal Council of the Indias, to whom I have committed the visitation of my royal Audiencia of the City of Mexico in Nueva España and of its tribunals, and the visitation of the port of Acapulco: [Here follows a preamble which is identical with that in the first of these decrees, as far as the words, "and to urge forward the decision of the most important matters." This decree then continues (evidently stating Grau's arguments) as follows:] And as for the lack of money, this cannot be avoided when the commerce in merchandise fails, since, if that is not sent, there will be no returns from it; and the main thing to be considered is that as little can the duties be collected, which (as is proved in the said larger memorial) on the said commerce amount to the sum which is sent every year for the aid of the said islands. If these duties fail, it will be necessary that all this succor come out of my royal exchequer, and it may be needful to send much more there; for in the past, when the citizens found themselves without means to aid (as they do aid) in the support of the said islands, the deficiency had to be made good from my royal exchequer, as has been proved by experience. The governor of those islands, seeing the pressing necessities of the citizens, in the year 1637 lent them from my royal treasury 76,765 pesos, besides what he lent them in the year 1638, when in the same condition--when formerly the citizens loaned so great sums, as is known, to my royal treasury; and this is ascertained, with convincing arguments, that in order to lessen the occasion [for such loans] it is necessary to aid and favor the citizens and the commerce, since whatever it has of wealth [for them] I shall be spared from expending in the maintenance of continual war in those archipelagos. For it can be understood that if this does not cease, and those who are supporting it have no means for doing that, either I must support it or I shall be defeated; and that it is of the utmost importance to maintain the war. I have already recognized the great difficulties that result from the cessation of sending money to those islands; for, on account of the fact that in the year 1637 not more than 150,000 pesos of the amount in the Count-Duke's permission was carried [to Mexico], and that the citizens failed to receive the returns therefrom through the harsh measures and blunders of Don Pedro de Quiroga, the Chinese merchants have gone from Manila, and carried away their merchandise, because there is no one who can buy their goods; and it is known with certainty, according to letters from the city, that the silk sold by the said Chinese to the Dutch, since they knew that there was no money in Manila, amounted to more than 5,000 picos. If the commerce with China is cut off from that