On account of certain articles in a paper of liberal tendencies called El Universal, he was, on the return to Spain of King Ferdinand VII, confined for one year in a convent near Ávila.
In order to collect material for the publication, he undertook two journeys into Catalonia, making his headquarters at Barcelona and Girona, and working in the archives of these cities.
To his collaborator Canal dedicated a biographical study in his Ensayo histórico de la vida literaria del Maestro Fr.
He translated from the French various theological and historical works, and was successively corresponding member, treasurer, censor, and director of the Royal Academy of History.
He refused the See of Girona in 1836 notwithstanding the entreaties of Queen Isabella II, excusing himself on the count of age and ill health, and declaring he believed he could better serve God and his country if he continued to devote the remainder of his life to historical research.