The viceroy also writes to me that, since the Spaniards are a sensible
and prudent people, we must therefore be grieved for having slain
so many people, and repent thereof. He also informs me that if we
deal justly with the Chinese return the Sangleys who have survived
the war, and pay the money due on the goods taken from the Sangleys,
he will maintain amity with us and will send merchant vessels every
year. If not, the king will not permit ships to come, but will command
a thousand war-vessels to be built, manned with soldiers--both the
relatives of those who are dead, and men from the other nations and
kingdoms who pay tribute to China; and, without mercy on anyone,
they will make war upon us, and afterward the kingdom of Luzón will
be given to that people which pays tribute.

To this I answer that, although in truth we are grieved for the loss
which the Chinese suffered, we have nothing to repent of therein;
since what we did was to put to death those who would have done the
same to us (although we had given them no reason for it), and who would
have done so if we had not anticipated them. When we were living in
great peace they rose in revolt against us, simply because they were
wicked; left their Parián for a fort which they had built without my
knowing anything of it, and sallied out thence against the farms to
kill Spaniards and Indians. This they succeeded in doing by catching
them unawares, and they inflicted very great cruelties even upon the
Spanish women and upon their slaves, both male and female. Since
this is true, as the very Chinese who have survived will declare,
let the viceroy judge what could have been done, and what he would
have done if such a thing had happened in China.

The crime is such that all of them justly deserve to die for it;