[Chapter ii recounts the royal decrees for the aid of the hospitals at Manila, dated in the years 1590-96; the foundation (April 16, 1594) of the Misericordia brotherhood, and their establishment of a hospital, which after 1596 opened its doors to all who needed its aid; and the surrender of the royal hospital to their care (January 8, 1598), at the instance of Governor Francisco Tello--their labors therein making evident the difference between the work accomplished by pure charity and that done by persons hired to do it; they also maintained Franciscan ministers for attending to the spiritual needs of the sick. In the conflagration of May 1, 1603, the royal hospital was utterly destroyed, "with the third part of the buildings of this city, a loss which amounted to more than a million of pesos." Then are enumerated the losses and calamities which rendered this loss more grievous to the colony, the destructive earthquake of June 21, 1599, followed by lesser shocks and disturbances until the following year of 1600; the loss of two richly-laden galleons (1599), the "Santa Margarita" and "San Gerónimo;" the attack of Oliver van Noordt (December, 1600); the wreck of the "Santo Thomas" (1601), and of another galleon which was about to be launched at Panamao; the return to port of the galleons despatched in 1602 and 1604; and the revolt of the Chinese in May, 1603. A royal decree dated November 4, 1606, directed Acuña to make every effort to rebuild the royal hospital; meanwhile the Misericordia were aiding the throngs of people who, made destitute by the various disasters above mentioned, implored their help, and they spent in these exercises of charity eighty thousand pesos in five years. Another royal decree (February 10, 1617) directed the Audiencia of Manila to place the hospitals there in charge of the brethren of St. John of God, who were going thither for that purpose; but the war with the Dutch and other hindrances prevented them from carrying out this enterprise]