Within three years after the foundation of this hospital, so much had the idea of the charity with which the sick were treated, and the good management which was observed in it, increased, that on December 3, 1597, his Excellency, Don Juan [i.e., Francisco] Tello, governor and captain-general of these islands, sent to this financial board (which was then at Santa Potenciana) Doctor Don Antonio de Morga, who was an auditor of this royal Audiencia, and his lieutenant-governor and captain-general, who afterwards merited promotion to the royal Council of Castilla, to lay before the purveyor and deputies of the brotherhood that it was quite apparent to all the members of this holy confraternity that, in order that charity might be good it had to commence by itself; and accordingly, since this financial board and all its brothers were exercising the works of charity and mercy with so great fervor as was well known, and since they knew the needs that the hospital of the Spaniards, our brothers, was suffering, not so much for lack of means as of management, wherefore, so great a number of Spaniards died, and the wealth and means which his Majesty has given it were not used to advantage: we should consider it fitting to include that hospital with ours for the slaves, as was most suitable for us, as it was of our own nation; and to manage it in the same manner as ours of the Misericordia, so that the wealth and means which it had should only be spent and laid out for the benefit of the sick, and so that there might be order, concert, and relief, in order that by this means the so many deaths that occurred daily therein, because of the poor administration, order, and lack of relief, might be avoided; and that if this financial board and the holy confraternity desired to accept and to take charge of a matter of so great service to God, our Sovereign, and of his Majesty, as taking under our charge the management of the said hospital by way of charity, his Lordship, the governor, would be prompt with all the power that he possessed and all the means that he could use to withdraw this board from all individual and general risk of giving account now or at any time of the wealth and possessions of said hospital, which his Majesty had given it, both as governor and as patron and manager. If necessary he would transfer it and resign that office to this board, and would cause and command that now and in no time should they be obliged to give account of what his Majesty had given and assigned to the said hospital for the support of the sick and the other expenses connected with it, but that with it and all that it should have, we should proceed in the same form and manner as with ours of Misericordia in accordance with our rules. In regard to this, the governor would do all that was necessary, and that his Lordship could do, for he was assured of the great service that would be performed to God our Lord; also that the