The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 35, 1640-1649: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 35, 1640-1649: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Nothing can be done in the missions if the religious do not learn the
language of the natives. The religious of this province have always
occupied themselves in this with great assiduity, as they are so
free from property and business. The first missionaries left many
writings in the Tagálog and Bícol languages, the best of which are
those left by fathers Fray Juan de Oliver, Fray Juan de Plasençia,
Fray Miguel de Talavera, [92] Fray Diego de la Asunción, [93] and Fray
Gerónimo Monte. [94] Mention is here made of the above fathers because
they were the first masters of the Tagálog language, and since their
writings are so common and so well received by all the orders. They
have not been printed, because they are voluminous, and there are no
arrangements in this kingdom for printing so much. Those things that
have been printed, as being urgently needed for the instruction of
the natives, are the following. In the year 1613, father Fray Pedro de
San Buenaventura [95] printed a Tagálog vocabulary. In the year 1610,
father Fray Gerónimo Monte printed in the Tagálog tongue Oraciones
devotas para Comulgar y Confesar [i.e., "Devout prayers for Communion
and Confession"]. Father Fray Alonso de Santa Ana [96] explained and
printed the Misterios de nuestra Santa fe [i.e., "Mysteries of our
Holy faith"] in the same Tagálog language in the year 1628. In the
year 1637, father Fray Joseph de Santa Maria translated into the same
language the Doctrina of Cardinal Bellarmino. In a different style
father Fray Antonio de San Gregorio tried to explain the principal
mysteries of our holy faith, in the year 1648. Father Fray Andrés
de San Agustín [97] printed a grammar of the Bícol language in the
province of Camarines in the Bícol language (which is the commonest and
most universal of that province), in the year 1647; and the translation
that he made into that language of the Doctrina of the same Cardinal
Bellarmino, [98] in the same language and in the same year. Father
Fray Juan del Spiritu Santo printed another Tratado de Comunión y de
Confesión [i.e., "Treatise on Communion and Confession"] with which
the father ministers and these natives have sufficient for study--the
first, the so important barbaric languages of these kingdoms; and the
second, the so necessary mysteries of our holy faith. The above is
what has been printed in the Bícol language; and since the writings
left by fathers Fray Marcos de Lisboa [99] and Fray Diego Bermeo,
[100] the first ministers of that province and the first masters of
that language, have not been printed, we shall make no mention of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account