CHAP. XII.
A Portugall of the cittie of Macheo doth discouer the euill intent of the captaine general: he giueth the Spaniards warning thereof by a letter without seale, by the which they remedie the danger that was so nigh at hand: they are called before the Aytao of the cittie, and he declareth vnto them such matters as haue passed with him, and the licence that was graunted for some of them to go vnto Machao, and the other vnto Luzon.
Being vnderstood by a Portugall, a good Christian of the towne of Machao, of such things as the captaine generall did imagine against the poore religious fathers that were in Canton, and their companions the souldiers, of whose holy zeale he was fully certified, and being greeued at the very soule that one Christian shoulde hurt and harme another: and more in the disturbing of the saluation of soules, hee determined with himselfe to giue them aduice therof with all speed that was possible, as in effect hee did by sending them a letter without anie name: wherein he gaue them to vnderstand that the captaine generall, by meanes of the interpreters, did pretende that they should be sent thither wheras he might apprehend them, and send them vnto the king of Portugall, or else to doo some hurt vnto their person, with some false information, and willed them to be wel aduised, and to keepe themselues from the deceit ordained.
The letter being seene, and wel aduised of all that was therein contained, they determined to giue notice thereof vnto a Chino, a verie friende of theirs, and perfite in the Portugall tongue: whome diuers times they proued by experience, and founde him a very honest man, and one that had doone them friendshippe: who promised them that before many houres, he would bring al things to light, and to know whether that were true or not.
So with this desire he went there whereas the iudge did sit in audience, and was there as one that knew nothing, vntill such time as he saw come thither one of the interpreters with a petition in his hand, and presented it vnto the supreme iudge, who was the Aytao, and which being read by a scriuener, hee prouided that all things should be granted and doone, that was therein contained. This petition the Chino aforesaid saw; and after that the interpreter was departed with contentment, and found that in the same petition he did request (in the name of the Spaniards) of the iudge to giue them leaue for to go vnto Machao, which was more for their purpose then to go vnto the Ilands Philippinas, which was granted by the iudge, and lacking nothing but to seale or signe the petition, but was delated vntil the euening, by reason of certaine businesse that chanced at that present: but sure it was the ordinance of God, for that if it had beene signed, they must needs of force haue accomplished the same, without any replication. So with this certaintie he went straightwayes vnto the Spaniards, to whom the interpreter had told that by petition he had asked licence for them to go to the Ilands Philippinas from whence they came; but the iudge woulde not graunt vnto that, but for to go vnto Machao, which was neerer hand, who commanded them to accomplish the same without any replication, vppon paine that they should be carried thither perforce.
The Spaniards asked councell of the Chino their friende, what meanes might be taken to auoide the danger that the interpreter had begun to bring them in, and was alredie gone to conclude the same. The Chino said that he was fully perswaded that the Aytao loued them well, and that he vnderstood hee did them great fauour and courtesie to graunt vnto the petition the which the interpreter did present in their name. But notwithstanding for so much as it was not signed, there was remedie to bee had, if that they woulde present another which hee would giue them, and go presently vnto the Aytao and present the same, and say when they giue it him, that they woulde go vnto Luzon and not vnto Machao, and that he himselfe would go with them for the good will he bare vnto them, if it were not for the great paine that is put vppon all them whosoeuer that shall speak for any stranger, without licence of the iustice, or is called and ordained for the same. So they being fully perswaded in this conclusion, with the petition made and all ready, there entred in at the gate wheras they were, a seruant to the Aytao, who in the behalfe of his master came to cal the Spaniards to come before him, for that he would see and talke with them before their departure. They straightwayes went forth in his company, and came vnto the gates of the cittie, after they had gon a good wayes in the suburbs: and there they were staied till such time as another came and brought their licence, written vpon a table (in such sort as in other places it hath beene told you). So when they had passed the gate, they passed thorough a long street, in the which they saw so great riches, and of so great curiosity, that the father Costodio with great admiration said, I haue beene in the principallest citties of all Flanders and Italie, and in all them I haue not seene so great curiositie and riches as in this streete alone: and according vnto the report of them all, hee had great reason to maruell thereat. So they comming vnto the end of this streete, and in sight of another gate, they sawe that the souldiers which kept and garded the same, did shut them in their presence with great hast, and let fall a percullis of yron before the gate, and demanded to see their licence at a window out of the saide percullis: and when they had it, although they saw with them the seruant of the Aytao and the interpreter, yet would they not open the gate vntill such time as it was acknowledged and newe firmed by another iudge; the which being done, they presently did open the gates and did conduct them vnto the house of one which is to be compared to a iudge of the court, and called in their language Tequisi, that he might go with them to the Aytao, for so it was commanded and ordained. Unto this Tequisi they gaue their petition that they had made, without giuing the interpreter to vnderstand therof, requesting him by signes and some words which they had learned of the language that he woulde giue it to the Aytao, and to procure that hee might accept and grant that which by the same they did demand. But when they gaue it him, it caused great alteration in the interpreter, for that they told the iudge that he was a theefe and a traitor, and how that he had sold them to the captaine general of Machao, and how that hee had presented a petition in their name: howe that they would go thither, and not to the iland of Luzon, where all their desire is to returne, and this hath he done by gifts that the saide captaine general hath promised to giue him, if that he do accomplish his desire. The Tequisi when he heard this, he forthwith departed with vs from his owne house, towards the house of the Aytao which was hard by, and as he went by the way he read their petition, and sawe that it was different to that which the interpreter had giuen before vnto the Aytao, he being present: whereat he made a stay and began to consider of the same, as also of that which the Spaniards had said vnto him at such time as they gaue him their petition, for by the signes and tokens they made, as by their semblant in speech, it seemed to him that they were marvellouslly indigned against the interpreter; but he did not wel vnderstand them, for that they could not plainly declare it in their language, till such time as hee found the contrarietie that was in the petitions, and the turbation of the interpreter, whom presently hee called vnto him, and asked him what the matter was? Hee trembling for feare, answered and saide, that hee vnderstood that the father Costodio (whome all the rest doo obey as their head, and with whom he alonely did communicate), that it was his pleasure, and gaue order to go vnto Machao, and that hee was certaine that all the rest were of that opinion, wherein he thought he had done well, and therefore he presented that petition in asking licence, whereby they might doo it liberallie, with this discharge. And againe the Spaniards seeing how he was terrified, and how that he requested them so humblie they would not proceed any farther with their complaint, wherewith the Tequisi was satisfied, who said vnto the Spaniards being in the gallerie of the Aytao his house, that they shoulde tarry there, and hee entred in with the petition in his hand. So within a while after they were commanded to enter into the hall there whereas the iudges were, and had seene the petition and had comoned about the same. And at their entring into the hall whereas the Aytao was, there were signes made vnto them that they should kneele downe, the which they did almost twenty paces before they came to the table that was before him: hee had in hande the petition that Tequisi had giuen vnto him, and although that he had read it before, yet did he returne and looked againe vppon it, and asked which were they that would go vnto Machao. The father Costodio signified himselfe and frier Iohn Baptista his companion; and said, that they, for that they were old and timorous of the sea, they would go thither for that it was nearer hande, and howe that the rest that were not of such yeares, neither so timorous, they woulde returne vnto the iland of Luzon from whence they came, and there dwell with other of their brethren and friends that were there. The interpreter, whose euill conscience did accuse him for the euils which he had done, was so timorous, that all men might see plainly his default, and without al doubt the iustices are so right in executing the same, that if their complaint had gone forwards, they would haue punished him and his companion, and that very cruelly: but the religious friers woulde not consent that the souldiers shoulde declare against them, although their will was good, but thought it a sufficient punishment to see in what affliction the poore men were in, and tooke pittie on them.
The Aytao was desirous to see their images and book, which was the chiefest occasion wherefore hee sent to call them; and when he saw them he receiued great content, and called the father Costodio to come nigh vnto him, and asked the signification of some of them, such as seemed vnto him most strangest, and being satisfied thereof, hee commanded the frier Costodio to reade on one of these bookes, hee harkening vnto it with great attention, and as one amased to see those letters, and the forme of them so farre different vnto theirs, which are all in manner of caractes, as hath beene told you. So after that they had passed away the time a while in this, hee saide, that those which woulde go vnto Machao shoulde put themselues on the one side, and they that woulde go vnto Luzon on the other: the which being doone hee tooke his leaue of them verie louinglie, and saide that hee would giue them the licence which they did aske at all times whensoeuer they woulde, and although hee coulde not grant it them without first to consult with the vizroy of Aucheo, yet he would doo it within tenne dayes, and then those which woulde go vnto Macheo might presently depart, and those which would go vnto Luzon, he would send them vnto Chincheo, that from thence the gouernour shoulde cause them to be sent in the first passage that goeth with merchandice.
This Aytao was very peaceable and humaine, who hauing compassion on the Spaniards, for that they seemed vnto him to be good men, he commanded to bee giuen to them, ouer and aboue the kings alowance, a hogge, and rice, and other kind of victuals. So herewith they went vnto their lodgings with content, and also the interpreter, who thought that hee was newe borne againe that day.