Page:Vol 2 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/744

724, in New Spain, they were constituted into a custodia, subject to the province of San Gregorio of Manila, which was confirmed by Philip II. Father Pedro Ortiz was made custodio, and departed from Spain at the head of fifty religious destined for the Philippines. He was at once recognized in Mexico, August 19, 1593.

In 1599 the custodia of San Diego had seven convents, one of them in Oajaca, and made application for a separate government as a province detached from that of Manila. As there was no opposition, the pope issued his brief September 16th constituting the new provinces with its custodio, Father Gabriel Baptista, as provincial. This was sanctioned by the crown on the 24th of December following.

The Dominican order at the end of the 16th century had in New Spain two provinces, namely: Santiago de Mexico with forty-eight monasteries, and San Hipólito de Oajaca with twenty-one. From the acts passed by the several chapters of the order prior to 1589, we may infer that members were strictly held to the rules of poverty and mendicancy. They were to be not only virtuous and chaste, but were to avoid temptation They were not to expose themselves to false charges; and every member was forbidden to ask from any person of whatever race anything, for himself, any one else, or his convent, save what the rule prescribed. No one was to go to Spain without written permission from the provincial. It was enjoined