President and Auditors of my royal Audiencia of the city of Manila, in the Filipinas Islands: By a despatch of April 28, of the former year, 1702, I ordered the master-of-camp, Don Domingo de Zabalburu, then governor and captain-general of those islands, to order the foundation in that city of a seminary with the number of eight seminarists; the cost of its building and support to be met from the assets proceeding from the vacant bishoprics of those islands. There was also to be applied for this purpose what might be necessary from the tithes. In case what was assigned for these expenses was insufficient, the sum lacking was to be supplied by my royal treasury. I advised him of the equity with which he was to work in this matter, which should be with the advice of the archbishop of that metropolitan church (to whom the same charge was made). He was to inform me of the advance made in the foundation of the above-mentioned seminary. But not learning from him what he has spent, the apostolic nuncio who resides in this capital has informed me of the news that his Holiness possesses (by report of Cardinal Tournon, [96] after conferring with the archbishop, Don Diego Camacho y Avila, at present bishop of Guadalajara) of the progress of the seminary founded by the above-mentioned archbishop in that city, and that Abbot Sidoti [97] (one of the missionaries who went to China) in the time when he was detained there [i.e., in Manila] in order to pass to Japon, settled the differences existing between the governor and archbishop, and that they had delayed this foundation. That foundation was then much advanced by the means which he applied therefor, and the copious alms which were contributed by the faithful, especially by the inhabitants of the islands near that city, who had given to the abovesaid abbot for that purpose, all the wood which was necessary, and had paid seven hundred men for its cutting and transportation. With that wood a large edifice was built near the church and archiepiscopal palace. At the rate at which the work was advancing, many were encouraged to enter the seminary in which were more than eighty seminarists. Some of them were those appointed by the above-mentioned my governor, as my vice-patron. Others were supported by the assistance of their parents, and others by the piety of the faithful. For that reason the archbishop needed teachers to devote themselves to the education of that family, and his Holiness praising the pious mind with which at my expense (as protector of religion) its promotion has been begun in those islands, and desiring that the gospel law be more defended in them every day, he had condescended, at the instances of archbishop and governor, and had given permission to Cardinal Tournon so that he might send to the assistance of the above-mentioned seminary one of his apostolic men, of tried virtue and ability, so that, it being my royal pleasure, he might be employed