From the first years of foundation until that of 1650, it appears that in the pious assignment of alms for the missions of Japon, in masses which have been said by the sacred orders, in the church of the Santa Misericordia, in alms for the religious communities, in repairs of their convents, in relief for poor widows, in dowries for the girls of the schools and other poor girls of the community, in their food and clothing, and in other things, this venerable brotherhood has distributed and spent 107,125 pesos, 4 tomins, 3 granos, which have been earned and produced by the capitals of the funds invested at interest. I surely believe that this house is one of the precious stones which most beautify the crown of the king, our sovereign. But, in every way, the paragraph which follows is of more value. In these times and, those extending to the year 660, in which the sums of pesos which entered into this house were very great, due to the liberality of illustrious benefactors (among the least not being those assigned by the governors of these islands, Don Luis Perez das Mariñas, Don Francisco Tello, Don Juan de Silva, Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, and Don Sabiniano Manrrique de Lara), the sum of 356,363 pesos, 3 tomins, which the book of the treasurer for those years gives as data, was reached. In that time there were many wills which were fulfilled by this venerable brotherhood; and there were not few bequests and alms which were given to it, especially by the will of the alguacil-mayor, Don Bartholome Thenorio, who left special memories in this house, the last being a principal of twenty thousand pesos which still remain while the interest therefrom from the year 702 until the present time is more than twenty-five thousand. CHAPTER IX In which are shown in separate items the supplements of reals which the house of Santa Misericordia has given to the royal treasury of this city, during the periods of its greatest poverty and necessity, occasioned both by the raids which have been made in these islands by the Dutch enemy and for reënforcements and fortifications of this royal camp and of other presidios of the royal crown from the year 619 until that of 726 for the service of his Majesty (whom may God preserve for many years). [The royal treasury reaches a state of exhaustion in 1619 because of the inroads of the Dutch, who harry the Spanish presidios and forts. In this year Governor Alonso Faxardo is compelled to ask a loan of the brotherhood, for which he offers good security. That loan is unanimously voted by the purveyor and deputies, on April 4, 1619, and amounts to 39,599 pesos, 5 tomins.]