The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 49: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 49: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
[150] A copy of the letter written by the archbishop to Draper under
date of October 29, 1762, and translated from the Latin, in which
it was couched, into Spanish, is contained in a MS. owned by Edward
E. Ayer. The archbishop servilely addresses Draper as "Prudent and
most clement conqueror," and "most humane sir." The inhabitants are
doing their best to gather the million demanded at once, and the
archbishop has given all the silver of his church (except what is
absolutely necessary for the sacrifice of the mass) and even his
pectorals. He bewails the fate that makes it necessary for him to
cede the islands to the English. Draper's letter on the twenty-seventh
(twenty-eighth, English calendar) of October follows this, although it
should properly precede it. It dwells on the humanity of the English,
and the fact that by the cession of a few places, the archbishop has
avoided much ruin, for the English arms would easily have reduced
them; and the inhabitants have been left freedom of worship, trade,
their possessions, churches, and convents. Those who persuade the
archbishop through a false sense of honor not to cede the islands will
be responsible for the consequences. The auditors are to immediately
sign the cession. The cession signed on the thirtieth (English date)
is as follows: "Sir: All the islands subordinate to that of Luzon,
of which Manila is the capital (in the manner and form at present
under the dominion of his Catholic Majesty) are to be ceded to his
Britannic Majesty. The latter is to be the recognized sovereign until
the peace between both kings decides their fate. Their religion, goods,
privileges, possessions, and trade are to be conserved to the subjects
of España who inhabit these islands, in the same manner that they
have been conserved for the inhabitants of Manila and on the island of
Luzon. All the alcaldes, governors, and military men shall enjoy the
honors of war if they give their word of honor not to serve or bear
arms against his Britannic Majesty during this war. The archbishop
and auditors shall sign this agreement. [Signed] Guillermo Draper." It
is to be noted that the archbishop's synopses of the various letters
mentioned in the text correspond with the letters themselves.
[151] When Draper left Manila, he took what he wished from the
archbishop's palace in which he lived. See Sitio y conquista,
pp. 76, 77.
[152] A reference to Matthew xvi, 26, the Latin of the Vulgate being:
Quid enim prodest homini si mundum universum lucretur, animæ vero suæ
detrimentum patiatur? Aut quam dabit homo commutationem pro anima
sua? This reads as follows in the Douay version: "For what doth it
profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his
own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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