Francis,
and a native of Cataluna. He had been imprisoned three years in the
public jail, where, in spite of the hard labor and bad treatment to
which he was subjected, he continued to preach our holy faith to the
heathen prisoners, some of whom received it and died in it. [72]
At midnight on December 13, 1618, they seized Father Carlos Espinola,
procurator of the province of Japon, and his companion, Brother
Ambrosio Fernandez. The same night they seized two other fathers,
Dominicans, two of four who went to Japon last year. The other two
returned to these islands. On the twenty-fifth of March, 1619, they
seized the provincial and the prior of the Dominicans, Fray Francisco
Morales and Fray Alonso de Mena. One of these Dominican fathers died
in the jail. Thereupon the rest of the religious concealed themselves
so effectively that the Portuguese traders in the country could not
find any one to whom they might make their Lenten confessions.
Last year I wrote how one of the ships which were despatched from
this city to aid Maluco resorted to treason, and took possession of
everything. Thenceforth, as is well known, it went from one country
to another and from one place to another. Finally it sailed, almost
shipwrecked, to an island of Japon. When the Portuguese commandant
learned of this, he sent to the ruler of the island to demand those
robbers who had mutinied on one of the king's ships. The ruler sent to
the commandant, proposing to hang them; but some religious forbade
it, whereupon he sent them prisoners to Macan, where, they say,
the mutineers were punished.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211