For that the principall intent of these religious men, when they went out of Spaine, was for to go vnto the mightie kingdome of China for to preach the holy gospell, and did perseuer continually with that desire, they woulde neuer intreat of any other thing, but onely to put it in execution: and for the accomplishing of the same, they sought many meanes and waies, sometimes in requesting the gouernor of his aide and helpe to procure the same, for that it was an easie thing to be performed, hauing continually ships of the merchants of China in the port of Manilla.
The gouernor did driue them off with many reasons, but principally he laid before them that rigorous lawe, which they knew was established against such as did enter into that kingdome without particular licence; yet notwithstanding, all this was not sufficient to abate the louing desire of those friers, which was only setled in their mindes for to go and preach the holy gospel in that kingdome by one meanes or other, although it were to put their liues in hazard: and for the prosecuting hereof, the comissary of those ilands, who was frier Geronimo de Burgos, did elect sixe religious men for the same purpose: amongst them was the father Ignatio, of whome I (as I haue said) vnderstood by writing and relation many thinges, the which is declared in these [sic] itinerario or comentarie: so that there was with him seuen religious men, all seruants of God, and very desirous of the saluation of soules, which was the occasion that they put themselues in so long and tedious a iourney, leauing their owne countrie and quietnesse. These seuen, with the good will of the gouernor Don Gonsalo Ronquillo and of the bishop, whom they did ouercome and winne with requests and perseuerance, and carried in their company a Spaniard their friende, called Iohn de Feria, of Andolozia, and other two souldiers that went with pretence to become friers, one Portugall, and sixe Indian ilanders: all the which, the eight day after Corpus Christi, which was the one and twentie day of Iune, in anno 1582, they departed from the port of Cabite, whereas they did imbarke themselues in a barke of the saide Iohn de Feria, and making saile at fiue of the clocke in the afternoone, in the morning betimes they founde themselues twentie leagues ouerthwart the port that is called Dol Fraile, whereas they determined to go to sea, leauing the coast of the Ilande of Manilla, which lieth north and south with China: from the which cittie, which is (as I haue saide) in fourteene degrees and a halfe, vnto the Cape of Boxeador, which is in nineteene, it is one hundreth leagues sailing, and from this cape to the firme land of China, they count it scarce fourescore leagues. And God was so pleased, although they had two dayes calme, the seuenth day, which was the day before the apostle Saint Peter and Saint Paule, at eight of the clocke in the morning, they discouered the firme lande of China: then straightwaies vpon the sight thereof, the comissarie commaunded to bring foorth the habites which hee carried readie made for to put vpon the friers, for that when the Chinos shoulde see that they were all friers, they should be voide of all suspition, to thinke them to be spies, as they thought when the first friers went thither (as hath beene tolde you); and not contented herewith, hee threw all the souldiers apparell into the sea, and one hargabus of Iohn de Feria, with the flaske wherein he carried his powder, and all other thinges such as he thought woulde be a hurt and hindrance vnto them, if it should so fall out that they shoulde erre out of the port whereas the Portugals doo vse, and fall vppon the coast, as afterwards it so fell out: they left nothing but a match, which they forgot, which lacked very little to haue cost them full deere. But when they had sight of the lande, they did not well knowe it, for that they had neuer seene it before, and were also ignorant of the ports; although they were very neere to the bay of Canton, they tooke their course vnto the northwest, wheras they should haue gone to the southwest, which was the occasion that they came vnto the prouince of Chincheo. This day, at fiue a clocke in the afternoone, they discouered a port that was not farre from them, whither they sailed and entred in, and came to an anker on the outmost side, yet with great feare and dread, for that they knew not the securitie thereof, neither the trouble that might happen.
They were not so soone at an anker, but they saw come forth of the said port many barkes, both small and great, and in them many souldiers with hargabusses, lances, swordes, and targets, and in their foreshippe some small peeces of ordinance. And when they came nigh vnto the barke wherein the Spaniards were, within musket shot, they stayed and discharged great stoare of hargabus shot. But they, who carried no armor to offende others, neither to defende themselues, the answere that they gaue vnto the shot, was making of many signes of peace, calling them with their handes to come nearer vnto them, that they might see and vnderstand that they came not thither with any pretence to do harme: yet all was not sufficient to cause them to leaue off their shooting, neither to come any nearer vnto their barke. At this present there was amongst the souldiers one Chino, that had beene at Luzon, and did knowe the Spaniards, being of God inspired: hee made signes vnto the rest to leaue off their shooting, which presently they did: and hee came with his brigantine vnto their barke, and after him all the rest: who, when they sawe that they had neyther armour nor weapon, neither will to flie from them, they entered into the barke, and with their naked swordes in their handes flourishing with them ouer the heads of the Spaniards, with a great noise and tumult, they carried them into the port, which was called Capsonson, whereas was a generall of a great armie of shippes that were at an anker in the saide port, who straightwaies commanded that there should be carried on borde his admirall foure of the Spaniards, the which they vnderstoode was doone to take their liues from them: for the which, by reason they did not name any person, foure religious men did offer themselues to goe, and after they had confessed themselues, they tooke their leaue of their companions, and carried euery one of them a crosse in his hande, and his breuiarie, without any other thing else.
So when they came before the captaine, they founde him more meeker and milder than they thought to haue done (surely a worke done by God, in recompence of the great perill that those his seruants did put themselues in to doo his seruice and commandement). He asked of them, from whence they came, and wherefore? with many other questions in effect; but when that hee was certified of the truth, hee commanded them to returne againe vnto their barke, without doing vnto them anie other harme; yet with a straite precept that they should not go forth without his expresse licence.
So with this commandement they remained in their barke three dayes, guarded with many barkes and souldiers: and the last of them, the captaine sent for two of the religious men; and when they came before him, he commanded them to be carried before a iustice, a friend of his there hard by. These iustices did talke with them with so great grauitie, and signes of cruelty, that euery time they came before them they thought verely that forthwith they would command them to be carried to be executed: and without all doubt, either they had wil to do it, or else to put them in great feare of death, for that it was plainely seene in diuers things they commanded: but especially in one day there came vnto them a iudge, with many armed men, and compassed their barke round about with a great number of brigandines, with plaine signes to giue them assalt, or else to sinke them: but within a little while they were all in quiet, and the iudge entred into a shippe that was thereby at anker, and being set in a rich chaire, guarded with many souldiers about him, hee commanded the rest that were in the brigandines forthwith to go to visite and search their barke, and sent with them an interpreter, one of Chincheo, who did a little vnderstande the Portugall tongue. These souldiers carried in their handes blacke banners, and other heauie and sorowfull signes (which is vsed in that kingdome, when at any time they doo execute anie person). So after they had made their visitation, although they founde in their barke not anie prohibited thing, but onely the match which I haue spoken off, they commanded that they shoulde forthwith bee imbarked two and two into the brigandines, whereas the armed souldiers were, who did direct their foreshippes towardes a towre, which was a prison, wherein was put all such theeues as were taken vpon the coast, out of the which there commeth none forth but vnto execution. But when the Indians of the ilands saw it, they wept bitterly, which moued the Spaniards vnto great compassion; although they were themselues in the same trance and perill, and as nigh their death, and made no other reckoning; insomuch that two of the religious men seeing them so nigh the towre (although when as they were farre off, they made shewe as though they cared not for it), yet at that time they were so farre from all reason and vnderstanding, that al the night one of them knewe not what he did, without any knowledge of the people wherein he was, but lay as a deade man: and the other with pure imagination and melancholike humour fel into a great infirmitie, whereof within a few dayes after he died in the cittie of Canton. But in conclusion, the stowtest of them all had feare enough, and would haue giuen his life for a small matter, for that he was without all hope, and thought verely that they carried them vnto execution: which was the occasion that a Spaniard, one of them that went with pretence to be a frier, and the habite on, hauing in his power a thousand and sixe hundred rials of plate, he threw them into the sea, saying, Seeing that I am going to dye, I wil that it be in the habite of S. Francis, with the pouerty in which the glorious saint liued and died, for to follow him in his steps aright. With this feare aforesaid they were carried towards the tower: but when they came nigh to it, there followed after the souldiers that carried them, a skiffe with many oares, in great hast, and called a loud vnto them, saying, that the captaine general commanded that they should bring backe againe those prisoners to his shippe, the which forthwith they accomplished: and after he had demanded of them certain questions, he commanded to carry them to the said tower; the which was done, as they could perceiue, for to put them in more feare. So after they had feared and scared them with this rigorous temtation, the saide captaine himselfe went into one of the brigandines, and went with them on land; whereas presently when he came on shoare, hee carryed the Spaniards into a temple of their idols, vnto whome hee did his accustomed reuerence; yet the religious men, although they were with great feare of death as aforesaide, they woulde not imitate him, but turned their faces from their idols and did spit at them, giuing the captaine to vnderstande by signes, that he should not worshippe them, for that they had no more goodnesse in them then was giuen by man; so that, by good reason to the contrary, those idols should giue reuerence vnto men, because they made them; and to whome they ought to giue their true worship is vnto the true God, the Creator of heaven and earth.
By this act it is plainely to bee seene the gift of strength, the which the Holy Ghost doth giue vnto his baptized Christians, as in these religious men that were at deathes doore, yet had they strength and spirit for to resist and reprehende them that could take away their liues. The captaine, although he made a shew that he was offended with that which hee had seene them do, yet he did them no harme, but presently brought them out of the temple, and commanded the souldiers to remaine there and guard them all that night: the which they passed lying vpon the grounde, and yet thought themselues happie, and gaue thankes to God for that he had deliuered them from the death that was so nigh vnto them.
CHAP. XV.
Here hee doth prosecute in things which the saide Fathers did see, and vnderstand, the second time they entred into the kingdome of China, and of the troubles they passed.