The election as provincial of father Fray Baltasar Fort, the martyrdom
of the holy Leon, and events in the province.
In April, 1608, the electors, assembled in the convent of Sancto
Domingo at Manila, chose as provincial father Fray Baltasar Fort,
minister of the holy gospel in the province of Pangasinan. He was by
habit and profession a son of the convent of San Estevan at Salamanca,
and adopted into that of the Preachers in Valencia, his native land,
whence he came to this province in the year 1602. He was at this time
prior of the convent. He was of a character such that all necessary
qualities for so high an office were united in him; and hence his
election was very agreeable to all, both religious and lay, because he
was greatly loved and reverenced by all--not only of his own religious
order, but also of the others. In this chapter were accepted the
houses which had been newly formed in Japon, Pangasinan, and Nueva
Segovia, an account of which has been given in the two preceding
chapters. What had been at other times ordained and commanded was
recalled to mind--namely, that in our conversations we should speak
constantly of God, a subject which is never exhausted, is never
wearisome to a good man, is edifying to all, and keeps the religious
in the fulfilment of the obligations that belong to their estate.
[At this time the fathers who were laboring for the good of the natives
of Japon had a joyful day in seeing the martyrdom of a person who had
been brought to the faith, instructed, and baptized by their ministry;
and in whom the faith had struck so deep roots that he yielded fruit
an hundred fold, according to the gospel, by suffering martyrdom
within four months after becoming a Christian. Having been baptized on
July 22, 1608, he was decapitated for his confession of faith on the
seventeenth of November in the same year, in the kingdom of Satzuma,
his native country. There were laws of the emperor, and also of the
actual king of that region, that no soldier or person of rank should
be baptized, since it was believed that the strength of these persons
would be weakened if they gave up their obligations to those deities
from whom victory was expected. In spite of this law, many soldiers and
persons of rank were baptized, among them Xichiyemon, a youth of high
rank. He received baptism from the hands of father Fray Joseph de San
Jacintho, who warned him of the tumult which his baptism would arouse,
and of the destruction of his soul which would follow if he were to
renounce his baptism. He was so determined and courageous that the
father baptized him by the name of Leon. His devotion was such that
his conversion could not long be hidden; and, when it was known, the
valiant Leon was obliged to resist the supplications of his superior
officers, his friends, and his relatives, who represented to him the
shame which he would bring upon his family if he should die by the
hands of the executioner. This is a thing above measure infamous in
Japon, because all malefactors of rank who are condemned to death cut
open their own abdomens, and wound their bowels with their own knives
[catanas], and thus kill themselves, that they may not die at the
hands of another." [52] His obligations to his wife and children,
and his duties of obedience as a soldier, were insisted upon; but he
remained resolved to die as a Christian, not taking his own life, but
offering it. He was not imprisoned, and visited his spiritual father,
Fray Juan Joseph de San Jacintho, in a little village a quarter of
a legua from Firaça. At the appointed time he dressed himself in new
white clothes, washed his head, and gird on two swords. He then went
to the cross-roads where he was to suffer, and died with a rosary in
his hand and a little picture of the descent from the cross on his
bosom. His holy body was exhumed by the Christians, and was kept by
the fathers of St. Dominic, who afterward, when they were driven from
the country, took it with them to Manila and placed it in the chapel
of the relics. The tyrant commanded that Leon's wife and eldest son
should suffer death, because they had been unable to persuade him to
recant. Pablo, Leon's friend, who was accused at the same time, was not
so happy as he, but was merely banished from the kingdom of Satzuma.
On the eleventh of April in this year (i.e., 1609) there arrived at
Manila some religious from the number of those who were brought from
España to this province by father Fray Gabriel de Quiroga. He died
on the voyage before he reached Mexico, and most of the others were
scattered, and remained in Nueva España. Father Fray Gabriel was a son
of our convent at Ocaña. He was a great preacher, and had come to this
province in 1594. He was in the ministry to the Chinese; being unable
to learn the language on account of his advanced age, and being in
ill health, he returned to España. Here he felt scruples at having
left the province of the Philippinas, and asked permission of the
most reverend general to return to it with a company of religious. In
1607 he gathered a company in Sevilla, but was unable to come for
lack of a fleet. Later in the same year, learning that six pataches
were being prepared for the voyage, he arranged to reassemble the
religious and to take them in these vessels, though he had already been
appointed bishop of Caceres. He quickly got together thirty associates,
taking the risk of sailing in December. The storms were so furious,
and the asthma from which the bishop suffered was so severe, that he
departed this life on the way. Of all those who came with him only
eight completed the voyage which they had begun.
The success of the religious in Satzuma during the six years which
they had spent in that kingdom aroused the tono, who was persuaded by
the devil and his servants the bonzes to expel the fathers from his
country. The case of the holy martyr Leon contributed to influence
the tono. It was said in that kingdom that no one ever failed to do
what his lords commanded him, and hence such disobedience as that of
Leon was regarded as dangerous to the state. The bonzes particularly
were bitter against the Christians, who despised the deity whom they
worshiped. [53] All the cases of misfortune and all the downfalls which
had happened to Christian princes within a few years were referred to
their belief, although the misfortunes of the heathen princes had been
much more numerous. As the king of Satzuma was at this time actually
preparing for a war of conquest against the islands of the Leuquios,
[54] he was greatly impressed by these reasonings. He was also
disgusted because no vessels had come from Manila to this country,
the desire for trade having been his chief object in sending for
religious. The king of Satzuma sought for some pretext for expelling
the father, without finding any. In the month of August, he sent word
to them that the emperor complained because the Spanish religious in
his country had never appeared before him. This was only a pretext
to get the religious out of the country. There were at that time
in all Japan, outside of Nangasaqui, not more than three churches
licensed by the emperor: one in Meyaco, of the fathers of the Society;
a second in Yendo, of the Franciscan fathers; and a third in Ozaca,
of the Society. All the rest were practically in concealment, and
had license only from the tonos or kings. The emperor, though he knew
this, paid little attention to the matter. The fathers, however, were
able to say that father Fray Alonso de Mena had visited the emperor,
and had received license from him for the stay in Japan of the rest
of the fathers. Still, thinking that they might do well to appear
before the emperor, they decided to follow the suggestion of the
tono, and father Fray Francisco de Morales went directly to visit
him and was kindly received. Before father Fray Francisco returned,
the tono gave commands that all the Christians should recant, and
exiled those who refused to obey, confiscating their goods. When this
happened, there were in Satzuma only the fathers Fray Joseph de San
Jacintho and Fray Jacintho Orfanel. Father Fray Joseph went directly
to appear before the old tono, and was received with much apparent
courtesy, which was a mere cloak for the evil which he was preparing
to execute. The father also desired to go to visit the young tono,
but was advised that he could do no good; and therefore he went from
village to village, strengthening and encouraging the converts. He and
father Fray Jacintho, happening to be both at once within the convent,
the governor forbade the religious to leave the church, and prohibited
the Christians from going to it, hoping thus to prevent the religious
from receiving any support. There was only one half-leprous boy,
named Juan, who succored them at this time. When he went to buy what
they needed, the people paid no attention to his coming and going,
because of his being afflicted in this way.]