_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._
The next day in the morning, the priest of the idols did open the
temple, whereas presently they put in the Spanish religious men, who
sawe him and his ministers lighting of little candels, and making
perfumes vnto their idols, with manie superstitious ceremonies; the
which being done, they cast certaine lottes (a thing much vsed amongst
them), as they vnderstoode it was done for to consult with the diuell
(who was within those idols) to know what they should do with them, yet
this they could not perfectly vnderstand; but straightwaies they were
carried out of the temple, and brought by the souldiers before a iudge,
who was the chiefe and principall of all the sea of that prouince, and
was sixe leagues from the place in a cittie called Quixue: the way
thither was very plaine and brode, and paued, and vpon both sides there
were fields both of corne and flowers. So with the helpe of God the
Spaniards came before the presence of this general in eight days,
although it was with great trauell, by reason they had neither force nor
strength for to trauell, for that they had lost it with the heauie and
sorowful newes as aforesaid.
Yet notwithstanding, at their comming to the citty Quixue, the souldiers
had them in continuall guard and keeping till the next day following;
then they were carried before the generall, where he was in a very great
and faire house, the which had two courts, one of them was next vnto the
doore of the streete, and the other was towards the farther partes of
the house; both of them were railed round about in manner of grates:
they were planted full of diuers sortes of great trees, wherein did
feed a great number of deere and other wilde beasts, but yet as tame as
sheepe. Right ouer against the inwarde court there was a gallerie,
whereon was many souldiers which did guarde and keepe the person of the
generall, who was in a mightie great and gallant hall, set in an iuorie
chaire with great maiestie. Before they entred into the seconde court,
there was discharged within, both artilerie and hagabus shot, and played
vpon a drum, which was as bigge as those which they vse in Spaine: that
being doone, there was a great sounde of hoybuckes and trumpets, and of
many other instrumentes: the which being doone, they straightwayes
opened the gates of the innermost court, whereas the gallerie was
aforesaide, from whence they might see the throne whereas the generall
was set. There was before him a table whereon was paper and other
necessaries for to write (a thing commonly vsed in all that countrie):
the souldiers that were his guarde were all in one liuerie of silke, and
were in so gallant consort, and had so great sylence, which made the
Spaniards greatly to maruell: the first order was of the hargabushes,
and the seconde were pikes, and betwixt the one and the other was placed
a sworde and a target; there might be about foure hundred souldiers.
Behinde them were placed the officers of iustice, or executioners, with
their instruments for to whippe and punish offenders: and in the midst
of them were the scriueners and proctors.
About thirtie paces, more or lesse, from the chaire where the generall
was set, was placed certaine gentlemen, and to the number of a dozen
pages, bare headed, verie gallantlie apparelled in silke and golde. In
the middest amongst these souldiers were the Spaniards carried, and
before them such tokens and shewes as they doo vse when as they doo
present before the iudges such as bee condemned vnto death. A good way
before they came nigh vnto the place whereas the general was, they
caused them to kneele downe: at which instant there was brought foorth
certaine Chinos, that were prisoners, to be iudged; and so soone as
their inditement was read, and iudgement giuen, the executioners did
execute the rigour of the sentence in the presence of the Spaniards,
first pulling off their apparell, and then making fast their hands and
feete verie fast with cordes, in such sort, that they shriked that the
noise reached vnto heauens: they kept them so bounde vntil they sawe
farther what the iudge woulde commaunde, who, when hee had heard his
inditement, if hee woulde that hee should be whipped, hee striketh a
blow with his hand vppon the table that is before him: then the
executioners doo strike fiue blowes vppon the calues of the legges of
the offender with a broad cane, in the order as hath beene saide, and is
so cruell that none can suffer fiftie of them but he dieth. The blowe
being giuen vppon the table by the generall, straightwayes one of the
proctors maketh a crie or noise, whereat presently commeth the
executioner for to execute his office. And if the offender dooth deserue
more, then the iudge dooth strike another blowe vppon the table: then is
there giuen him other fiue blowes, and in this sort dooth the iudge so
manie times as his offence dooth deserue. At the lamentations and
shrikes that these miserable offenders doo giue, the iudges shewe no
more signe of pittie then if they were stroken vppon a stone. So the
audience being concluded and doone with the naturals of the countrie,
the generall commaunded that the Spanyardes shoulde come a little
nearer, and looked and searched their garments and all the rest, as also
their breuiarios and books: that being done, they were informed by those
that brought them, how and in what order they were apprehended, and of
all other thinges touching their comming into that kingdome:
vnderstanding thereof, he commaunded them to be carried vnto prison,
where they were put in sure holde, and with great watch and guard for
certain dayes, in the which time they passed incredible trouble, as well
of hunger as of thirst and heat, which was the occasion that the most
part of them fell sick of agues, and of the laske.[77]
[77] From "laxitas", an immoderate looseness of the bowels.
So after these dayes that they were in prison, they were carried once
againe to the audience, and many other more were brought forth to be
uisited, all people beleeuing that the Spaniards should no more returne,
but bee executed, for the which they receiued great content, to be
cleared by one death, of so many as dayly they had before their eyes. In
the conclusion of this audience the generall did decree, that they
should be carried by sea vnto the cittie of Canton, whereas was the
vizroy of that prouince, and he to commande them to be executed or
punished according as hee thought best, according vnto the penalty put
vppon whatsoeuer straunger that should enter into that kingdome without
licence (as they did enter). But when they saw that they were carried
out of the prison vnto the sea, they verelie beleeued that it was to
drowne them therein; for the which (having a newe confessed themselues,
and commended themselues vnto God) they did animate one another with the
representation of the reward which was prepared for them: but when they
came vnto the barre whereas they should imbarke themselues, vppon a
suddaine the sea beganne to waxe verie loftie and troublesome, that it
seemed almost a myracle, and it increased in such sort that the
souldiers and mariners said, that neuer before they had seene the like
torment, the which endured the space of tenne dayes: the which was the
occasion that they did not imbarke themselues, and that the generall did
change his pretence, and determined that they shoulde be carried by
lande vnto the great cittie of Sancheo-Fu, the which was presently put
in vre: they were manie dayes on this iourney, with fiftie souldiers
that did guarde them: in the which they sawe so manie curious thinges,
and of so great riches, that they iudged it to bee the best countrie in
all the world.
So when they came vnto the citty, with no small trouble and werinesse,
by reason of their long iourney and euill intreatings by the souldiers,
they were presently carried (as might be sayde) from Herode to Pylate,
and escaped not one day, but they were carried to the publike audience,
or else before some particular iudge. This citie was very fresh both
within and without, and full of many orchards, whereas were an infinite
number of fruite, with gardens, stanges of water, and other thinges of
great recreation. This citie is three times so bigge as Siuell, and
compassed about with a mightie strong wall, their houses are verie great
and well wrought, their streets are exceeding faire, brode and long, and
so straight, that from the one end vnto the other they may see a man. In
equall distance the one from the other, there are built triumphall arkes
(which is an ordinarie and common thing vsed in the cities of that
kingdome): vpon their gates there are little towers, whereon is planted
all the artilerie that they haue for the defence of the citie (as hath
been said), all the which is inuironed and compassed about with a riuer
which is great and faire, on the which is ordinarily sayling an infinite
number of barkes and brigandines, and is of so great depth, they may
come and lye harde vnto the wall, yea, ships of great burden. On the one
side of the citie there is a little iland of great recreation, vnto the
which they do passe by a very faire bridge, the one halfe made of stone
and the other of timber, and is of a great length; that on the part that
is made of stone, the father Ignacio did tell thirtie innes, or
victualling houses, whereas was to be bought, not only flesh and fish,
but also great store of marchandice, of great estimation and valure, as
amber, muske, peeces of silke, and cloth of golde.