By letters which we have received from Japon this January, 1621,
we heard how bitterly the persecution of God's religion is carried
on in Boxu, the country of Masamune, [1] who has been accustomed
to send embassies to Spain in past years. The spread of the holy
gospel and uninterrupted preaching went on until the return of the
ambassador. Hitherto Masamune had dissimulated for reasons of state,
hoping that he would be allowed to send one ship from his kingdoms to
Nueva España, where he had large interests. Seeing that this would
not be conceded, he commenced to persecute Christians openly and
secretly. On the twentieth of September, 1620, he ordered prohibitions
and edicts to be issued in various places, in which it was ordered
that no one should receive the religion of God; and that all those
who had adopted it should abandon it, under penalty of being deprived
of the property and incomes which the chiefs of equal rank hold from
the tono [_i.e._, daimio], while in the case of the common people,
the plebeians, they should be put to death. He also commanded that
any person having any knowledge of any Christian should denounce
him; and that all preachers of the holy gospel should leave his
kingdom and state. In case that they would not abandon the religion
which they preached, the officials of Masamune commenced to execute
their orders. Many were therefore banished and dispossessed of their
property, others abandoned the faith, and to six fell the best lot
of all in giving up their lives, being beheaded for this reason.
In the city of Nangasaqui, as all its people are Christians, the
persecution is directed not so much against the Christians, for that
would utterly destroy the place, as against those who conceal the
religious who are under penalty of death.
On the seventeenth of December, they arrested two religious of
St. Francis, one a priest named Fray Pedro de Avila, [2] and another
a layman, Fray Vicente. On the twelfth of February they beheaded two
leading natives for their faith. On the thirteenth of the same month
they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two
religious in his house. On account of his anxiety to escape the fire,
he confessed; and leaping from it (they say) he begged them not to
kill him, saying that [_illegible in MS_.]. They cut him to pieces,
however, without mercy, and he was sent to the Lord.
At this same time they seized in Nangasaqui a servant of the father
provincial, Matheo Couros, who was washing his clothes. When he was
thus recognized, they inflicted sharp torments upon him, to make
him disclose what he knew; but he, although mangled, bravely gave up
his life in the torture rather than betray the father. There are at
present in Japanese prisons [_MS. torn_] of religious and Christians:
of the Order of St Francis there are five; of that of St. Dominic,
three or four; of the Jesuits one, Father Carlos de Espinola. There
were three, but one was burned alive for his faith; and the other,
who was a Portuguese brother, [died] [3] with the hardships of the
prison, and it is thought to be certain that [his death was hastened]
by poison.
The Dutch and English seized, on board a Japanese ship which sailed
from Manila for Japan, two religious--one a Dominican, and the
other an Augustinian--who were identified by letters and papers
that they had with them. [4] The letters [_MS. torn_] nevertheless,
presented at court, for it was not considered wrong for them to have
[_MS. torn_] a ship of Japanese, who extended them a kindly welcome
to their kingdom. They jointly presented a petition, stating to the
emperor that until [_MS. torn_] destroy Manila and Macan, there would
be no lack of religious in his [empire]; and that they should deliver
over to them in orderly manner two or three thousand Japanese, who
[_MS. torn_] will destroy these two cities. This petition was not
granted them; instead, decrees were issued in which the emperor
ordered the governor of [Nan]gasaqui to notify the tonos of Firando
and other places that under pain of [_MS. torn_] they should allow no
Japanese to embark with the Dutch and English. [_MS. torn_] It was
observed and carried out even against the wishes of the heretics,
who wished to assist [_MS. torn_] of them against us.
On the twenty-sixth of July there arrived at the port of Firando, two
Dutch [vessels] with some of their men wounded and their masts pierced
by shots; [_MS. torn_] they had fought in the Philipinas with the
ships that had come from Nueva España, and had sunk one of them. The
truth of the affair was afterward found out, that [_MS. torn_] fought
with ours, and it is presumed that one was sunk. [_MS. torn_] Not more
than two arrived at Firando, to the great pleasure of the Christians
of Japan when they heard the truth and the evil deed of the enemy.
A Dutch ship and patache sailed from Japan in February, 1620, with
the intention of lying in wait for the Chinese ships that were going
from Manila, laden with the silver which they had received for the
goods which they had sold, but during a heavy storm the vessel with
all its cargo was wrecked on Hermosa Island. Six of the Dutch were
drowned. Those who escaped seized two boats that they found on the
shore, and robbed three Chinese ships of more than three hundred
thousand pesos. The patache was never seen again, and there is not
much doubt that it was lost with all hands on board. They sent another
large ship to Bantan, where they have a factory. This vessel, loaded
with supplies, went ashore and was lost; and one hundred and twenty
Japanese and three Dutchmen were drowned.
The English and Dutch being on the point of settling their quarrel by
fighting a pitched battle off Bantan near China in which both parties
must have been destroyed, chance would have it that two despatch-boats
arrived, one from Ynglaterra and the other from Olanda, bringing
the news of the confederation which had been formed between those
two states, [5] so that their quarrel was converted to rejoicing and
merriment. Then they sent off sixteen English vessels and ten Dutch
ships. One English ship was lost on the coast of China, as a result
of trying to capture a Portuguese vessel which was on its way from
India to Macan. Nothing was ever heard of three of the Dutch ships;
but the others came to lie in wait for the Portuguese galliots loaded
with silks which the Portuguese import into Japan. They followed
these as far as Nangasaqui without being able to chase one of them,
because they were too light, whereupon the enemy took shelter in their
port of Firando. The agreement of the confederation was as follows:
In order to avoid dissensions on both sides, they were all to come
into the English Company, and they should render accounts of what
either side had lost in the wars that they had waged; and whatever was
over and above, the other side was to pay. _Item_, that both parties
could alike enter the regions conquered by them, with ships, men,
and supplies; and that anything that they should acquire by conquest
should remain in the form in which the said States [of Holland] and
the English Company had there agreed. _Item_, that the spice trade
should be equally divided, each loading as many ships as the other,
and that they should go shares in their seizures; finally, that an
English captain was to be commander of the whole fleet this first
year, and the next a Dutchman, and so on alternately in succeeding
years. This is their plan, which meanwhile is to redound to our injury,
since they intend to make themselves masters of the Philipinas, the
Malucas Islands, India, and the whole of this archipelago. There is
cause for alarm when they bring one hundred and ten ships into these
seas without any means of resistance on our part.
These pirates were fitting out an armada in great haste in Japan. The
report was current that they were going to attack Macan, while
others said that they were coming to the Philipinas, of which we
had information. The people at Macan were also warned that trip
English and Dutch allies were coming to attack them, whereupon
they set about providing supplies, and dug some trenches, which the
Chinese quickly dismantled, fearing lest that fortification was made
against themselves; for they have never consented to wall the city,
cast artillery, or make other preparations for war. The Portuguese,
seeing themselves ill-prepared for defense, decided to send out a
ship with Father Geronimo Rodriguez of the Society of Jesus, who had
been rector in the college at Macan, to ask our lord governor for some
heavy guns for their defense. He arrived at Manila toward the end of
December. He explained his errand, and the lord governor gave him six
pieces of artillery--one thirty-pounder, three twenty-five pounders,
and two eighteen-pounders--together with a good ship to convey them
there. It was sent away on the last of January. When they sailed out
of the bay they caught sight of the enemy's fleet, which was headed
for these islands. One of the enemy's ships followed it, but seeing
that they could not overtake it they retired; and our ship continued
its voyage, and in a short time arrived at Macan.
The assistance which went this year to Maluco, arrived within sight
of our forts, where three Dutch ships were waiting to seize it or
cut off their passage; but the captain of one of the largest of
our ships approached the enemy to keep him busy fighting, while the
reenforcements entered under the fire of our artillery. He fought
for three hours, at the end of which time, having seen our ships in
safety, he squared away and left the enemy tricked, because he had
a very fast vessel.
We had some trouble with the Tidorans, who have been our friends and
the enemies of the Dutch; whereupon they poisoned a well where the men
came to drink. The crime was immediately discovered, and so no harm was
done. We have made friends with them again, and we continue as before.
With six galleons the Dutch came to the Solor Islands, which are
near the Malucas, where the Portuguese have a fort. They landed more
than six hundred of their men and more than one thousand Moros of the
country, who also came in their ships. The Portuguese, who numbered
perhaps thirty soldiers, defended themselves so well that they killed
over seventy Dutch and many Moros, while many were wounded.
Another Portuguese captain, who went out to sea with some vessels,
captured some of the little galliots of the Moros and some Dutch
lanchas. They retired at this loss, the Portuguese remaining
victorious.
A Dutch ship went aground on a shoal on the island of Jolos, near
these Philipinas Islands. Being seen by the Indians and natives of
that land, the latter attacked them, and put them all to the sword,
leaving only the captain alive for the ransom that they can get for
him. For two years there have been such droughts in the Malucas Islands
that many clove-trees have been destroyed, causing a great famine.
In the beginning of February of this year, 621, nine hostile ships
arrived in the bay of Manila, five Dutch and four English, who seized
the passage by which enter the ships of all these islands from Japan,
China, Macan, Maluco, and India. The commander of this fleet was an
Englishman, according to the agreement between them. They sighted our
forts and saw how few ships we had to oppose to them; thereupon they
sailed in as if on their own seas and in a safe port. The greatest
resistance which could be made against this enemy was to take care
that they did not seize any of the China ships aboard of which much of
our wealth comes to these islands. So two ships were despatched with
all haste to the coast of China, in order to inform them of the enemy,
and warn them not to sail at such a time that they would fall into the
hands of the enemy. They did not arrive in time, so that some of the
vessels had sailed, three of which were captured by the enemy. These
were of little value, but two of some importance were taken. One
of them was sighted by a small patache belonging to the Dutch, who
were under difficulties in attacking it, because the Chinese after
their manner of fighting--with caldrons of melted sugar, and stones,
and clubs--defended themselves so well that with their boiling sugar
they sent fourteen of the Dutch in a conserve to hell. Finally it was
surrendered, after the death of one hundred and twenty Chinese. The
English commander ordered the other ship, which was the fifth, to be
set afire, because of quarrels between the Dutch and English over the
capture and division, so that their booty was diminished. The enemy,
as I have said, being masters of the sea, and the inward passage,
God chose to allow an entrance to our fathers (who were coming to a
meeting of the congregation), by permitting them to come. Scarcely
had they entered when the enemy returned to occupy his position. The
same thing happened after the meeting, and the return of the fathers,
a remarkable providence of the lord.
A few days after, three galliots arrived from Macan, laden with
a rich cargo of silks and other merchandise. They entered without
finding any obstruction, because the enemy had gone out to sea; and
the four hours of their absence were enough to enable the galliots
to enter. They had news of it, and returned at dawn the next day
to see if it was true; and were furious at seeing them anchored in
our harbors. At this same time the king's ship arrived which had
carried to Macan artillery for the defense of that city, and it
brought back a cargo of silks. Being informed that the enemy were
lying off the entrance to the port of Manila, they rowed over to an
island near here, and collected a quantity of green boughs and trees,
putting bunches of palm-leaves on the tops of the trees, so that they
seemed to be cocoa-palms, of which there is a great abundance on that
island. The stratagem worked, because the ships went about from one
tack to the other without being seen by the Dutch. In the same way,
another Portuguese galliot, also of Macan, escaped, although it cut
down its masts. The Dutch, having seen that they were likely to get
little booty on this coast, made sail for that of Macan, to lie in
wait, as we understood, for ships from India.
Last year two ships sailed from these islands for Nueva España. The
almiranta, while sailing out of a strait where these islands come
to an end, encountered seven hurricanes, so furious that it seemed
as if the sea would swallow it up; and those who were aboard gave
themselves up a thousand times for lost. They tried to make port in
Japon, but it was impossible; and they finally arrived at Manila,
rounding Cabo del Bojeador. The men arrived in very bad condition,
and many of them blinded with the salt water which had dashed into
their eyes. Three days before these tempests commenced they sighted
the capitana, but never saw her again. We do not know here what became
of her, whether she was lost or arrived safely in Nueva España.
At nine o'clock in the evening on the eleventh of May, there was an
occurrence in this city as pitiable as it was unfortunate, the cause
of it being a man who had been expelled from our Society. After having
been a member of it for seven years, he left the Society, and was
married three times, although he was not yet thirty years old. Our
Lord often brought him back, warned by bitter experience of troubles
and remorse of conscience; so that for a long time he did not dare
to go to sleep without first confessing himself--especially on the
long trip from Nueva España to these islands, where he was wrecked on
a ship which was on its way with silver and other wealth belonging
to these islands. The vessel escaped miraculously, with sails torn
by shots from three Dutch vessels, which they took for one of their
own. They ran aground, but all the silver was saved. Among others Joan
de Messa (the name of the outcast of whom I have just spoken) removed
all the silver and goods, to the value of thirty thousand pesos or
more, belonging to people in Mexico. It had been entrusted to him,
and he kept it, as was done by all, in a house and church of one of
our residences, situated where the ship happened to halt. While he
was there he proceeded as if he were a religious, both in example
and in frequenting the sacrament, until he came to this city of
Manila--where, with certain curious articles, he obtained entrance
to and communication with the wife of the governor of these islands,
Doña Catalina Sambrano, who had little care for what her position
and her dignity demanded. Their sin began on Holy Thursday, with so
little secrecy and so bad an example, that the affair was beginning to
leak out. So badly did it appear that certain persons came to one of
our fathers, advising him to warn Joan de Messa that they would kill
him. The father did, but Messa took no notice of it. The governor,
meanwhile, was informed of his wife's evil conduct; and, wishing to
detect them, he pretended to go down to the harbor and fort of Cavite,
situated two leguas from here. He had been wont to do this on other
occasions, because the enemy with nine ships was within sight of the
fort. He retraced his steps, leaving his entire retinue about a legua
from here. He entered the city with the intention of accomplishing
the deed (which he did later) in his own house; but before entering
it he was informed by a page that his wife had gone, disguised as a
man, to the house of Joan de Messa, where she had often gone in the
same dress. After receiving this information, he sought his retinue,
taking counsel with his servant and three captains, whom he placed
in four streets in order to let no one pass. The governor alone
arrived at the house at the very moment that his wife entered,
and was going upstairs with Joan de Messa, and behind them a very
noted pilot, on account of whom the ship that I mentioned above was
celebrated. The governor attacked him and pierced him with a mortal
thrust. With that he rushed out of the house, calling for confession;
but, those who guarded the street, not giving him time for that,
put him to death. Immediately Messa went up the stairs, and safely
reached a large room where two candles were burning on a buffet. If
these had been extinguished, he might have escaped. He drew his sword
and defended himself for some time. As the governor perceived that he
was clad in armor, he aimed at Messa's face and pierced him through
the neck, so that he fell down stairs, where he who guarded the door
tried to finish him; but as Messa was well-armed he could not do so
readily until he wounded him in the face. During all this time Messa
was not heard to ask confession or even say "Jesus," or any other
words, except: "Whoever you are, do not kill me; consider the honor
of your lady." While this was going on in the street, the governor
found his wife in hiding. After wounding her three times, she asked
confession; and he, as a knight and a Christian, went out to look for
a confessor, and brought one. He resigned her to the priest, urging
her to confess herself well and truly, which she did for some time,
until the confessor absolved her. With three or four more wounds, and
the words with which he aided her to die, he finished with her. The
three dead bodies remained there until seven or eight o'clock in
the morning before anyone dared to remove them. The master-of-camp,
Don Geronimo de Sylva, who had been governor of Maluco, and was
a knight of St. John, had the body of the governor's wife removed
to her house, to wrap it in a shroud; and that night she received
solemn burial by the Recollects of St. Augustine. The two bodies of
Joan de Messa and the pilot remained in the street all day, while
a multitude of people, of the various nations who are in this city,
collected to gaze at them, manifesting awe at seeing a spectacle so
new to them, and one never seen before in these regions. At night,
some members of La Misericordia carried them away, without clergy,
lights, or funeral ceremony. They carried the two bodies together on
some litters, and buried them both in the same grave. This was the
disastrous end of a poor young fellow, upon whom our Lord lavished many
and most gracious gifts--although he knew not how to profit by them,
but offended Him who had granted them. Those who will feel it most
are the owners of the property [confided to him]; for God knows when
they will collect it, because it is sequestrated. Will your Reverence
communicate this to Brother Juan de Alcazar.
_Alonso Roman_