_The barefoote friers depart from the Iland of Luzon
vnto China, and is declared such as was there seene._
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.