. The Philippine Islands . treated with all the deference due to aroyal envoy: the colonists were not yet strong enough to man-ifest a high degree of independence when threatened by sopowerful a foe. So the Governor prudently resorted to diplo-macy. He replied, that, being but a vassal of the King of Spain,a most powerful and opulent sovereign, he was prevented fromgiving homage to any other monarch; that his first duty, naturally,was to defend the colony against invasion ; that he should, how-ever, be happy to make a Treaty of Commerce with His Majesty,and would, accordingly, send several env
. The Philippine Islands . treated with all the deference due to aroyal envoy: the colonists were not yet strong enough to man-ifest a high degree of independence when threatened by sopowerful a foe. So the Governor prudently resorted to diplo-macy. He replied, that, being but a vassal of the King of Spain,a most powerful and opulent sovereign, he was prevented fromgiving homage to any other monarch; that his first duty, naturally,was to defend the colony against invasion ; that he should, how-ever, be happy to make a Treaty of Commerce with His Majesty,and would, accordingly, send several envoys to his capital to treatconcerning the same. This done, it is related, the Spaniards were received in greatstate. The treaty was then adjusted to the satisfaction of bothparties. Unfortunately, however, these envoys, returning homeward,were drowned, and shortly afterward two religious embassieswere sent to Japan to renew the treaty and to convert the benightedInhabitants of that country to God and the true Church. After. 46 The Pliilippinc Islands. thirty days, saiUng they arrived at their destination. The friar PedroBautista, chief of the embassy, was now presented to the EmperorTaycosama, and the treaty was renewed. The most importantfeature of this agreement was the permission to build a chapel atMeaco, near Osaka. This was opened with ceremonial pomp in 1594- Now the chief of the Jesuits—the sect were by royal favorallowed to follow their calling among the Portuguese tradersin Nagasaki—bitterly opposed what he deemed the exclusiveright of his order, conceded by Pope Gregory XIII., and con-firmed by Imperial decree. The Portuguese traders, foreseeing that the arrival of Bau-tista and his priests was but a prelude to Spanish domination,—when they, naturally, would be the sufferers,—forewarned theGovernor of Nagasaki. The Emperor was alarmed ; for he now also became convincedthat the Philippine Ambassadors were actuated to missionary zealby ulterior motives ; and, f
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