The secretary of the board on whom devolves the greater part of the work has his new record book in which are entered all the despatches of the petitions which are presented, the distributions which are made, and the applications of the alms, both of dowry for the schoolgirls, and the orphan girls outside [the school], the salaries which are paid to the chaplains of the house, the portress and the servants of the house, and the alms of the masses of Alva, 9 and 11, which are said in our church on all feast-days. Especially with great care does he enter the two inspections or general balances, which are struck at the beginning and end of each board, of all the sums of pesos, both of current funds, of dowries and alms, and of deposits which are contained in the treasury under separate headings, in order to apply them to the purposes which their founders assigned by full directions. He affixes his rubric to the memoranda which are in the sacks, with the statement of what each one contains, with the day, month, and year of the record in which they are set down. The writing of all the above with his own hand is an operation so indispensable to his obligation that he is obliged to do it under oath. In case of his absence, the same is done by the treasurer who supplies his absences by writing in a separate book whatever occurs in regard to the business matters of the house. And as soon as the secretary takes charge of the current despatch of the house, he is obliged to transfer to his book whatever shall have been decreed during his absence, so that by such a proceeding all that which belongs to the record of that year may be found in one volume. He is also obliged to enter all the sums of pesos which are received in the treasury in the books prepared for them, both of the dues collected and the usufruct which are yielded by the sea funds, besides the great number of very troublesome collections, although the love of God makes them mild and easy, to whomever works for the welfare of his neighbor and the preservation of this house. He is also obliged to adjust the appointments of the chaplains of the many chaplaincies of which the board of the Santa Misericordia is patron, by virtue of which, and of those presented as said chaplains, a collation of the chaplaincies has always been given to them so far as it concerns them, and the fitting support has been decreed and given as a relief for their poverty. In this there is no other consideration, either in this court or in other superior courts, but it is passed upon before the said secretary just as in the house of Lisboa, which has as a special privilege that the secretaries of the said house may give attestations in all and any court.