The stage was set for the production of the Doctrinas. That there
were Chinese xylographic models upon which the books could be based
is evidenced by the account of Mendoza of the considerable number of
Chinese books brought to Manila by Martin de Rada as early as 1575. A
more likely model was a bilingual text in Spanish and Chinese which
Cobo describes in his letter of July 13, 1589, where speaking of the
Jesuits in China he says:


"Moreover the Father of the Company who was in China wrote and
printed in Chinese letters a whole book of the unity of God,
the creation of the world, and the commandments explained;
and in this book has gotten as far as the incarnation of
the Son of God. Concerning this I am not speaking of things
heard, for I have it, and am thus certain of it, as of all
the things that happened. How far I have progressed with the
Chinese letters I shall say later. This book was printed in
China in 1584. It circulates freely in China whence we have
our copy, and because of the writing, contrary to what others
have misleadingly said about the Chinese, they have done him
no ill: from which it may be inferred that the lion is not
so wild as they paint him." [120]


There is no direct evidence to support our belief that it was during
the brief period after Castro returned, probably late in 1590, and
relieved Cobo of his executive responsibilities, and June 1592 when he
left for Japan, that Cobo began intensive plans for the production of