The Tartars have again revolted against the Chinese, who are so hard pressed that they have sent to Macan for artillerymen and artillery for the war. The Portuguese lent them two heavy guns, and thirty men to go with them, among whom was Father Palmerin, the visitor of that province [in the margin: in the secular habit], to visit, on this occasion, the houses and the residences in China.
As to the condition of Christianity in Japon, I cannot better give account than by inserting here letters and relations sent from there. The first, dated 1627, reads as follows:
“The persecution of the Christians here, which was begun several years ago, continues without any remission of its vigor, but rather increases with every day—not throughout the whole kingdom, however, but in certain parts of the Xymo or Tacab, in which the Christians are persecuted more than they have been hitherto. It commenced among the Christian converts of Tacacu and the lands of Arima, by soliciting the tono of that region, Gentir, to return to the favor of the lord of Japon, of which he has been deprived for some time, and to dissuade from the faith all the Christians who should enter his lands. An official was sent to all places with orders that they should not fail to go through every village, and to cause everyone, by any way or means whatever, to renounce the faith, in order that they might instead adopt one of the Japanese sects. The officials obeyed their orders and searched out all, whether steadfast or wavering; and some, in order not to risk their faith, left their homes secretly. Some of the strong ones were rigorously treated, and others gently, among whom some exiled themselves. Those Christians suffered, for their constancy, various and extreme torments never before seen in Japon, which at the said tono’s command were inflicted in order to subdue them—stripping both men and women, and hanging them in their shame; hurling them from a height into cold water, in the depth of winter; placing them near a fire so that they would burn; and burning them with lighted torches. Two of them they roasted on burning coals, as St. Laurence suffered. Others were left so that they died in a few days. They also burned the men with a hot iron upon the forehead, leaving the word “Christian” stamped upon it. They cut the fingers from the hands, even of children, inflicting other indignities that cannot be written. The inhuman pagan, not content with this, had some men and women conducted through the streets of certain villages with insignia of dishonor commonly applied among the heathen to criminals, but of great glory to our Lord God, for whose love they suffered. When the servants of the Lord arrived at some of these places, they bound them in a shameful manner to stakes, in order to frighten the Christian inhabitants in this fashion; but with all their efforts they were not strong enough to conquer any Christian, or make him recant. Forty-seven, of all ages, were condemned to death; three were beheaded, and the rest drowned in the sea. Eighteen others, of all ages, they took to a mountain, where there were some very hot baths; and, binding them with ropes, they put them into the water, asking them again and again if they would not recant. Seeing their constancy, they bound them to stones, with which they were sunk in the sea. Twenty-six others, of varying ages, they also took to the said baths; and having especially distinguished ten of these by torments, they kept them for some time on the edge of the baths, repeatedly asking them if they would give up their religion. At the same time they poured upon their shoulders jars of that boiling hot water, drawing from them cries of pain; until, becoming convinced of their constancy, they drowned them in the said baths. Because the body of one of them was not burst open like the rest by the heat of the water, they cut it open in various places with a knife. In this torture he died, and, like the others, was flung into the baths. Adding to these two others who died of the terrible torture inflicted upon them, the number of those who died in the province of Tacacu, by fire, blood, and water was forty-seven. They went to rest and abide with Christ, and will always be able to say with David: Transivimus per ignem et aqua e reduxisti nos in refrigerium.[11] We would never finish if we undertook to tell in detail all the particulars of these martyrdoms, which we shall leave for a more extended relation, in which they may be viewed; and great consolation will be had from the fact that those Christians have endured such atrocious and unheard-of torments with such constancy, for the love of Christ.
“Let us speak of the persecution which another pagan tono set in motion against the Christians in his lands, adjacent to those of Tacacu. They buried three of the martyrs whom the tono of Tacacu had condemned, and three others were captured who were going there; he ordered them to recant if they wished to save their lives, or else they would be subjected to various torments, but these they suffered rather than lose the life of the soul. Besides this, the Japanese persecuted the Christians of that town, and others near by, trying every means in their power to divert them from our holy faith. Some of them were steadfast, and others wavered. The tono, however, ordered them not to kill anyone then as a Christian, and this order was obeyed—although two widows, named Maria, gave a noble [word illegible in MS.] in order to show that they were more constant. They insulted these women in many ways, putting them to shame; and finally, as they were triumphant over every injury and torment, they were set free. Then they hastened to the city of Nangasaqui, the chief of Christian communities in Japon, where on August 16, 1627, they arrested and burned alive father Fray Francisco de Santa Maria, and the lay brother, Fray Bartholome, both Franciscans, together with their servants and other men and women. Others they beheaded, among whom the lot fell to a woman with three children, two of whom were two years old and the other older. On the sixth of September of the same year, they arrested and burned alive a Japanese father of Ours, together with two chiefs, his servants. The governor and president of that city was present at all these murders. He, in conformity with his orders, tried to make all the Christian inhabitants recant, without respect to age or estate, and to persuade them all to adopt some one of the Japanese sects, making use of many ingenious artifices for this purpose. Seeing that he could not effect his purpose, he tried locking some of them in their houses, nailing up the doors, and depriving them of all communication with relatives and friends, to which end he set guards around them. Some weak-spirited persons obeyed him; but the greater number, both chiefs and common people, resisted him. The governor, seeing that so many resisted, as he had no orders to take their lives, but only to send them as prisoners to the court, sent those whom he thought best, and among them fifteen of the most prominent persons. Fearing because some of these were persons of rank, and had many relatives, and some of them were actually officials in the same city, in order to prevent any revolt from arising he asked the neighboring tonos for a large number of soldiers. A great many of these came, who were lodged throughout the city; but, seeing that there was no resistance he ordered them back to their fortresses, and, the confessors being much rejoiced, he sent them prisoners to the court. Others are kept in captivity until the arrival of a decree from the court. Four distinguished families were exiled to Macan, with four hundred and thirty of the common people, who were driven to the neighboring mountains as a warning and intimidation to many others, and all intercourse and communication with them was cut off. It was ordered that no one should admit them to their houses. They were commanded not to build huts, even for the infant children, to defend them from the inclemencies of the weather. Guards were set over them so that no one should grant them even a mat for their shelter, the persecutors hoping by this means to bend them to their will. Although the confessors of Christ undergo great suffering, they do so with joy and invincible constancy. Others who were not banished were deprived of their employment, to force them to abandon their resistance. Many fled for this reason, leaving the most populous city in Japan almost depopulated, although it still contains confessors who ennoble it.[12]
“On the twenty-ninth of July of this year (1627) they burned alive at Omura, together with another who wished to accompany them, a Dominican father and three domestics, who had been kept in close captivity since the year 1626. This persecution was begun because, having confiscated the property belonging to the Franciscan fathers in Nangasaqui, they found a list in which those fathers enumerated the servants and houses which each one possessed in the land of Omura; and because they had sent a ship with a cargo of flour to Manila, in order to bring religious to Japon on its return—although those of Omura were more than twice advised by the religious of Nangasaqui to consider that it was against the Japanese law, and that by so doing they were exposing themselves and others to the risk of destruction, by furnishing pagans and renegade Christians with a pretext to persecute them, especially the religious at the port from which the ship sailed. Twenty-five of the constant ones were murdered—of all ages, men and women—some for having displayed their constancy, and others for admitting religious into their houses. Among others who died by burning alive, one, a good laboring woman, was especially distinguished, whom, because she was discovered to have admitted religious to her house, they exposed to public shame, taking her in this manner for more than twenty leguas round about. Finally, she was burned alive, ever displaying the most remarkable constancy. The same fortitude was shown by three men, whom they buried up to their shoulders. Another who saw some one being burned alive, displayed no less courage; for, filled with fervor, he voluntarily plunged into the flames, where he was entirely consumed. All these were martyred at Omura for their faith, or for receiving religious into their houses. More than forty were executed for sending the said ship, and even now the punishment is not concluded. Thus that Christian community, one of the earliest in Xapon, is greatly afflicted [apparently some words missing in MS.] in order that it may be preserved and aided.
“From the kingdom of Figen, they passed to that of Fingo. At Amacusa, in Fingo, there was no general persecution, leaving the chiefs and laborers, so that if it were conducted rigorously with all, some would be found to be weak-spirited. However, they martyred one man, who showed unusual constancy. At the end of this year 1627, this Christian church had devoted one hundred and eight martyrs to the Lord. In other parts of Japon the Christians and their ministers were left in comparative quiet, so that in the year 1626 their ranks were increased by more than two thousand converts who were baptized by members of our Society, to say nothing of those who were baptized by religious of other orders. We believe that in the year 27 there will be a still greater number of converts in the kingdom of Oxu, because in this kingdom (which is the farthest in Japan) many of the people are well disposed. There are at present there four of Ours, five Franciscans, and one Augustinian. May the Lord assist them there in all Xapon, opening doors so long locked, through which many others can enter.”
This is the first relation. The second is a letter from the father provincial of Xapon, Matheo de Couros, dated February 25, 1626. It reads as follows: “The Xongu [i.e., shogun] lives with his queen, obeyed and feared by all. There is no human hope of any change here. All these kingdoms enjoy considerable peace during the tempest, and Christianity only is persecuted with fire and sword. From others you may have learned that the Franciscan fathers sent a ship to the city of Manila. This has more than twice resulted in the total destruction of Christian work in Omura; and its lord, although he is a child, runs the risk that they will behead him (or at least his governors), because the said ship was fitted out in one of his ports. We do not know how this will end. On January 21, they arrested Father Antonio of the Franciscan order at Nangasaqui. The embassy of the Dutch had an unfortunate ending at the court of Xapon, because it was known to be only a pretext. It is also said that one of the great governors of Xapon remarked at court that it would be a great injury to that kingdom, were it said that they welcomed in their ports a people who came only to rob upon the high seas, and that it was taken ill in foreign kingdoms.”
In another letter, of November 28, 1627, it is said by Father Xacome Antonio, after the departure of the galeotas, that “there is no news from these countries; the persecution at Nangasaqui has ended, because the presidents had all gone to the court, and so at present there is comparative quiet. At first those who were banished to the mountains were not allowed, under the penalty of burning, imposed by the ministers of justice, to build any shelter from the inclemencies of the weather; but afterward they were allowed to build huts of straw. It was also granted that no minister of justice dwell among them, which is a great blessing. The Christians who were sent to court arrived there in safety; and although at the beginning they found no one to welcome them the governors afterward ordered that houses be given them. They are well accommodated in a monastery of bonzes, who, beyond the kind treatment they accord them, are urging the governors to accord to them, and to the other Christians at Nangasaqui, liberty of conscience. The chief bonze of this monastery, a man of great authority on account of his dignity, is pushing this negotiation. Besides this, these same Christians presented a petition or memorial, asking the governors at this court to intercede for them, and procure for them such liberty at Nangasaqui as they had had in the days of the Daifu, so that their inhabitants might live there as Christians. It was well received, and they were given hopes of a favorable decision. The same encouragement is given to all those who come to the court. Even the heathen talk of it, and say that the permission will doubtless be accorded. May the Lord grant it; for if it succeeds the whole country in the neighborhood of Nangasaqui will remain in some peace.”
In another of March 16, 1628, the same father, Xacome Antonio, says that father Fray Juan de Ribera, of the Dominican order, while he was returning from Manila to Xapon, was left on the Lechios [i.e., Riu-Kiu Islands], where it is said that he was murdered in an attempt to rob him, though the motive is not certainly known. Three of the same order came last year to Japon, and when they were within sight of land, the Chinese crews threw them overboard, on account of some superstitious fear. It was known afterward, because on their return a sudden squall struck the Chinese ship two leguas from Nangasaqui. The vessel was wrecked and many lost, eight saving their lives by swimming. This was a punishment for their sins, and for the large amount of silver that they took from the said religious, which they say must amount to two thousand sacks of treasure;[13] they took it on condition of returning the same amount at their return from the voyage.
The last news we have from Xapon is as follows: There was a great outbreak in the palace, in the emperor’s anteroom, and a tono among great governors of the kingdom was killed. The emperor came forth at the noise, and, attempting to put his hand upon his sword, he was foully stabbed in the abdomen, an example showing how skilled they are in wielding arms. This death has caused much restlessness, and many risings, which will not be crushed for a long time. The Indians of the island of Hermosa sent ambassadors to the emperor of Xapon, asking for assistance to help them expel the Dutch from that port where they have their fortress. They were well received and help was offered to them, and they were sent back with assurances of friendship. The Dutch themselves were arrested in Xapon and their ships detained, because they owed large sums and did not pay; and there was talk of expelling them from the entire land of Xapon. Just then, unfortunately for us, news arrived there of the Japanese ship that our galleons burned last year on the bar of Sian,[14] whereupon the tables were turned; the prospects of the Dutch improved, and ours grew worse. There was talk of making an agreement with them, and even of raising an armada of Dutch and Japanese, to proceed against our fort at the island of Hermosa and even against Manila—a matter which does not fail to occasion considerable anxiety, though it is not known how it will turn out.