The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 42, 1670-1700: 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 42, 1670-1700: 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
Although the cure of Don Manuel de León was so marvelous, he did not,
since that inordinate obesity was now a disease and a corruption of
nature, long enjoy the agility and lightness of body that the medical
treatment had obtained for him; and so he gradually fell back into that
unusual infirmity, and again found himself, as before, without the use
of his limbs. He had many wounds in his body, which he had received
in more than fifty years of military life in Flandes, Alemania, and
Galicia, where he had taken part in battles more celebrated than were
known in those times [i.e., of which Diaz was writing]. He had been so
courageous in not fearing dangers that they called Don Manuel de León
"Ironhead." Among these he had one deep wound, which must have been
imperfectly or only apparently healed; and this in course of time,
and with the pressure on it that would be caused by the increase of
flesh, opened, a great flow of blood issuing from it. This occurred
so inopportunely that he was present in the church of Santo Domingo,
clothed in mourning garb, assisting in the funeral rites for Doña María
Cuéllar, wife of Auditor Don Francisco de Coloma. [66] His blood flowed
very copiously, but those near him could not see it on account of the
mourning garments, and because the chair and cushion were of black,
until he began to swoon, and sank into the chair. They carried him in
their arms to his coach, and thence he was conveyed to his palace,
where all the care due to the cure of such a personage as he was
furnished. The above-mentioned Juan Ventura Sarra treated him, applying
all means which the art of surgery imparts to those who are so
skilful as was Juan Ventura, who within four months brought him to
what seemed a state of convalescence. But as his age was so great, and
could not give much aid to the medicine (which only assists nature),
Don Manuel could never regain sound health. The physicians ordered him
to go to one of the houses that stand by the river opposite Manila,
where he spent a long time--until, on the night of April 8, 1676,
they found him dead in his bed, although he had retired without any
indications of such danger. They found a power of attorney authorizing
the father provincial of St. Dominic, Master Fray Diego de San Román,
to make a will in his name, and directions that he be interred in the
royal chapel of the Incarnation belonging to the soldiers of Manila,
where he lies in a little chapel which stands on the gospel side. He
was one of the best governors who has ruled these Filipinas Islands,
very disinterested, pious, affable, and clement; and his death was
therefore regretted by all classes. The estate that he left was
the only property belonging to a governor that was put to good use,
[67] the religious who acted as administrator applying it to pious
works which the governor had named to him--such as the holy Bureau
of La Misericordia, so that for years many orphan girls were given
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