neighbors. This is what is done in the hospital for the natives and
in that for the Sangleys, which are now well established, having
their incomes and accounts separate. On this account, and because
they are in charge of persons who are servants of God and have the
qualities aforesaid, they are better served than when they were
otherwise managed, and better than is that for the Spaniards, for
lack of persons to administer and serve it through love and charity
toward God and their neighbor, as has been said.

Hence, considering this, and because I know that it will be of
great convenience and advantage to the service of God our Lord,
and of his royal Majesty; the good, profit, and relief of many poor,
and of the wretched and needy; and the common benefit, welfare, and
service of this state--therefore I am of the opinion and belief that
it may be very advantageous and extremely useful, and may conduce
to the improvement, good management, and systematic conduct of
the royal hospital that the hospital of the Confraternity of La
Misericordia should be joined with it. The resulting advantages
will be recapitulated; and the causes and reasons on which I rely,
and which I find for this, are the following.

The first reason is that this is a work of so great service to the
Divine Majesty of God, and the royal Majesty; to the state a very
great advantage, profit, and benefit; to the poor, the advantage,
attendance, and healing of their maladies and miseries, bodily as
well as spiritual.

Conspicuous among the advantages is the service to God done by caring
for His poor, whether Spanish or not, which latter are a forgotten
and wretched people--although some of their masters, for charity and