To the Conde de Sirvela, my relative and member of my Council, and my ambassador at Roma: The bearer of this, Fray Mateo de Villa, of the Order of Preachers, procurator of the province of Sancto Rosario of the Filipinas Islands, a part of my western Indias, has informed me that his province possesses a college, that of Sancto Thomas, in the city of Manila, of which I am patron, and which contains thirty secular students. He says that this college has been a university for several years by royal license; that bulls have been conceded twice for its preservation; and that at the present time grammar, rhetoric, the arts, and moral and scholastic philosophy are taught there, to the special profit of the children of that community. He begs me to have royal license given, so that the said college may be a university, with the same qualifications and perpetuity as are possessed by the other universities of his order in the convent of Sancto Thomas at Avila, and in Sanctiago at Pamplona, in these my kingdoms. His petition having been examined by the members of my royal Council of the Indias; and having taken into consideration that the city of Manila, of the Filipinas Islands, is situated more than three thousand leguas from the nearest universities--namely, those of Lima and Mexico--and that the said university experiences some restriction; I have considered it fitting to lend my royal consent in this matter, and to permit this concession to endure for the present: provided that, if in future there should be any disposition to found a separate university, that may be done, as in the cities of Lima and Mexico, so that it may be a general university, in order that students may be graduated from all branches of learning, and that all its degrees may be valid everywhere. Therefore I charge and order you, in my name, and by virtue of the letter of authority that I am writing, to entreat his Holiness to be pleased to concede a bull, so that the said college may become a university with the same qualifications and perpetuity as those of Airla, Sanctiago de Pamplona, Lima, and Mexico--as those islands and provinces have no university of this rank. For this is advantageous to my service and to the public welfare of those districts. You shall act as diligently in this matter, as I expect you to do, so that the said bull be given immediately, and in this wise will you serve me. Madrid, December 20, 1644. I the King By order of the king, our sovereign: Juan Baptista Saenz Nav[arrete] [Endorsed: "To the ambassador in Roma. He is to beg his Holiness to concede a bull granting that the college of Sancto Thomas of Manila, of the Order of Preachers, become a university." "Felipe IV. Original letter written by his Majesty to the count of Sirvela, in respect to the latter begging his Holiness in the king's name, to concede his bull so that the college of Sancto Thomas of Manila of the Order of Preachers become a university." "Given in Madrid, December 20, 1644."