The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 | Page 2

only the political relations, but the social and religious, economic and commercial conditions of the Philippines have received due attention and care. All classes of writers are here represented--early navigators, officials civil and military, ecclesiastical dignitaries, and priests belonging to the various religious orders who conducted the missions among the Filipino peoples. To the letters, reports, and narratives furnished by these men are added numerous royal decrees, papal bulls and briefs, and other valuable documents. Most of this material is now for the first time made accessible to English-speaking readers; and the great libraries and archives of Spain, Italy, France, England, Mexico, and the United States have generously contributed to furnish it.
In the presentation of these documents, the Editors assume an entirely impartial attitude, free from any personal bias, whether political or sectarian. They aim to secure historical accuracy, especially in that aspect which requires the sympathetic interpretation of each author's thought and intention; and to depict faithfully the various aspects of the life of the Filipinos, their relations with other peoples (especially those of Europe), and the gradual ascent of many tribes from barbarism. They invite the reader's especial attention to the Introduction furnished for this series by Professor Edward Gaylord Bourne, of Yale University--valuable alike for its breadth of view and for its scholarly thoroughness. The Bibliographical Data at the end of each volume will supply necessary information as to sources and location of the documents published therein; fuller details, and of broader scope, will be given in the volume devoted to Philippine bibliography, at the end of the series.
In preparing this work, the Editors have received most friendly interest and aid from scholars, historians, archivists, librarians, and State officials; and from prominent ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic church, and members of its religious orders. Especial thanks are due to the following persons: Hon. John Hay, Secretary of State, Washington; Sr. D. Juan Ria?o, secretary of the Spanish Legation, Washington; Hon. Bellamy Storer, late U.S. Minister to Spain; Hon. Robert Stanton Sickles, secretary of U.S. Legation, Madrid; Dr. Thomas Cooke Middleton, O.S.A., Villanova College, Penn.; Rev. Thomas E. Sherman, S.J., St. Ignatius College, Chicago; Rev. John J. Wynne, S.J., Apostleship of Prayer, New York; Rev. Ubaldus Pandolfi, O.S.F., Boston; Bishop Ignatius F. Horstmann, Cleveland; Bishop Sebastian G. Messmer, Green Bay, Wis.; Fray Eduardo Navarro Ordó?ez, O.S.A., Colegio de Agustinos, Valladolid, Spain; Rev. Pablo Pastells, S.J., Sarría, Barcelona, Spain; Charles Franklin Thwing, LL.D., President of Western Reserve University; Frederick J. Turner, Director of the School of History, University of Wisconsin; Richard T. Ely (director) and Paul S. Reinsch, of the School of Economics and Political Science, University of Wisconsin; Edward G. Bourne, Professor of History, Yale University; Herbert Putnam (librarian), Worthington C. Ford, P. Lee Phillips, A.P.C. Griffin, James C. Hanson, and other officials, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.; Wilberforce Eames (librarian) and Victor H. Paltsits, Lenox Library, New York; William I. Fletcher, librarian of Amherst College; Reuben G. Thwaites and Isaac S. Bradley, State Historical Society of Wisconsin; William C. Lane (librarian) and T.J. Kiernan, Library of Harvard University; John D. Fitzgerald, Columbia University, New York; Henry Vignaud, chief secretary of U.S. Legation, Paris; Sr. D. Duque del Almodovar del Rio, Minister of State, Madrid, Spain; Sr. Francisco Giner de los Rios, of University of Madrid, and Director of Institución Libre de Ense?anza; Sr. Ricardo Velasquez Bosco, Madrid; Sr. D. Cesáreo Fernández Duro, of Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid; Sr. D. Eduardo de Hinojosa, Madrid; Sr. D. Pedro Torres Lanzas, Director of Archivo General de Indias, Seville; Sr. D. Julian Paz, Director of Archivo General, Simancas; Sr. D. Francisco de P. Cousi?o y Vazquez, Librarian of Museo-Biblioteca de Ultramar, Madrid.
Favors from the following are also acknowledged. Benj. P. Bourland, Professor of Romance Languages, Western Reserve University; Professor C.H. Grandgent, Department of Romance Languages, Harvard University; John Thomson, Free Library of Philadelphia; George Parker Winship, Carter-Brown Library, Providence, R.I.; Addison Van Name, Librarian of Yale University; Otto H. Tittmann, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Dr. Otis T. Mason, Curator U.S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.; Rev. Laurence J. Kenny, S.J., St. Louis University; Rev. Henry J. Shandelle, S.J., Georgetown University, Washington; Rev. Thomas Hughes, S.J., and Rev. Rudolf J. Meyer, S.J., Rome, Italy; Dr. N. Murakami, Imperial University, Tokyo, Japan; Sr. D. Vicente Vignau y Balester, Director of Archivo Histórico-Nacional, Madrid; Sr. D. Conde de Ramonones, Minister of Public Instruction, Madrid; Sr. D.W.E. Retana, Civil Governor of province of Huesca, Spain; Sr. D. Clemente Miralles de Imperial (director) and Sr. D. J. Sanchez Garrigós (librarian), of Compa?ia General de Tabacos de Filipinas, Barcelona; Rev. Julius Alarcon, S.J., Rev. Joaquin Sancho, S.J., Rev. J.M. de Mendia, S.J., and the late Rev. José María Vélez, S.J., Madrid; Rev. T. M. Obeso, S.J., Bilbao; Rev. José Algué, S.J., Director