THE PALME OF CHRISTIAN FORTITVDE Or the glorious combats of Christians in Iaponia Taken out of letters of the Society of IESVS from thence Anno 1624. Hier. ep 150. Triumphus Dei est passio Martyrum cruoris effusio inter tormenta latitia God triumphes when Martyrs suffer and shead their blood and reioyce in their torments With permission of Superiours Anno 1630. THE PREFACE HEre wrapt vp in a few sheetes of ordinary paper the Trāslatour offers thee ò Englād with a present of inestimable price with a carkanet of the richest gēmes the Orient euer sent into Europe Iewells of Iaponian pearle within the sea of persecution bred of the dew of Diuine grace infused into soules that by exact puritie of life and by magnanimous contempt of all earthly obiects were euer open towards God and ready to intromit his celestiall influences This fortunate and thrice happy Church was primitiuely planted by the great Indian Apostle S. Xauerius brought thither by the course of his charity which had no other bounds but the world watered by the succeeding labours of the Fathers of the Society of Iesus the sole workemen in that holy haruest for many yeares finally manured also by other Professours of Euangelicall Pouerty whom their vnquencheable zeale of soules vrged to passe thither from Europe ouer many vast worlds of water As Religious profession was the parent of these Christians so by this narration the theater of their vertues you may see they doe not degenerate but shew thēselues a worthy extract of so noble a stock a genuine offpring of so sacred a plantatiō a pourtraicture of diuine perfection corresponding to the high sanctimony of the Patterne In the course of their liues so enamoured of Pouerty so inflamed with Charity so deuoted to voluntary afflictiō of the body to disclplines wearing of haire clothes extraordinary fastings retired praying dedicating themselues to the teaching of the ignorant and helping of soules shine liuely lineaments of more then secular sanctity and assured markes of a Religious spirit superiour to the world In their deathes they blaze forth rare diuine miraculous examples of heroicall fortitude wherby the peerlesse lustre of primitiue Martyrdome is renewed in these dayes to shew the neuer decaying merit of the pretious Immaculate Blood in whose shining candour all Martyrs auncient and recent made white their Triumphall Robes The light of the Christian Roman Religion which from thee ó Catholicke Europe Iaponia receaued is here returned back againe with interest encrease adorned with glorious victories which by vertue thereof to the amazement of Infidels ouer Paganisme she hath obtained by thy Religion I say professing and practising veneration of Relickes Adoration of the Crosse prayer vnto Saints deuotion vnto Pardons hearing of holy Masse diuine worship of the Venerable Eucharist Sacramental Confession of sinnes the saying of Angelicall salutations to the B. Virgin in a set number on beades finally to pretermit other points ioint inuocation of IESVS MARIA euen till the last moment of their sacred breath This light of Religion to the splēdour of her shining victories improued she sends thee back to driue away the darknesse of heresy that ouershads some parte of thy dominions to discouer the blasphemy of their conceit who thinke thy Religiō Idolatrous and to open their eyes that by the light of new triūphes they may discerne who be the heires of Ancient Truth and not to doubt but in that Church is found the light of Apostolicall Faith where the vigour of Apostolicall Fortitude by the victory of torments and death to the ouerthrowe of Idolatrie flameth Such barbarous varietie of cruell torments they endured such glorious varietie of excellent vertues in their sufferings shined such a multitude of both sexes of all states and of all ages from aboue Ninetie till vnder Seauen were by Martyrdome crowned that this on Ilād within the space of one yeare may seeme to haue renewed all the famous examples of former Christian ages Here is more then one Laurence rosted in fires without groaning or stirring or somuch as shrinking with no other chaine then of charitie tied to the torment Here is more then one troupe put into freezing waters starued to death in winter nights not so much as one relenting the feruour of Faith keeping the frost of infidelitie frō their hart Here is more then one Andrew adoring the crosse prepared to be his deathbed and singing for ioy he was to die in the embracements therof Here is more then one Bartholomew fleade aliue or minced into morcells enduring as manie martyrdomes as he had members to satisfie the cruell gluttonie of death that would taste him by peece-meales Here is more then one Ignatius fearing nothing more then that the persecutour would be mercifull the torturer gentle the instruments of his death dull and not eager enough of his blood More then one Eleazarus willing to die rather a thousand deathes then to dissemble once or to permit the voice of another though without his priuitie or consent to belie the constancie of his faith More then one Adauctus who meeting with the companies of designed Martyrs going to the place of their death by spontaneous ioining encreased their nūber made the ioy of the heauēlie banquet the greater whilest all hartilie wellcome the deare vnexpected guest And to speake also of the other sexe by nature inferiour by faith equall by the renowne of Martyrdome in a sorte superiour vnto mē the strength of diuine grace shewing it self more admirablie in feeble bodies behold more then one Felicitas with drie eies looking on the martyrdomes of her children sending them before her to heauen as harbingers to prepare a place of blisse for their mother that was presentlie to followe More then one couragious mother that with her daughters entred into deepe gulfes holding each other by the hand as in a dance singing the praises of Christ on the waters as it were Carolles on the Christmas day of their happie natiuitie into eternall life More thē one Catherine by the qualitie of their birth Princesses ouercoming the infidelitie of the Paynime priests being after the victorie of manie torments and fearce combats cōsummated by the sword More then one Apollonia charged with yeares but more stored with merits of vertuous life readier to burne for Christ then the persecutour to put her into the fire More then one Agnes that ouercame tendernesse of age by maturity of faith lawfull witnesses of Christian truth before they could be witnesses in any cause of the world that receaued on their tēder neckes the murthering sword as ioifullie as if they had put on chaines of gold holding the daies of their martyrdomes as their marriadges feastes In a word here as I said within one Iland and in one yeare you shall finde in a manner all the memorable martyrdomes and glorious triumphes of the primitiue times reuiued and by new glorious imitation expressed to the quicke We the Catholickes of England who liue
other incommodities of the time The Father did his part to make sweet and easy the difficulties of the way by exhorting them to patience and constancy But aboue the rest was admired the courage of Leo who hauing had his leggs all squeesed with the torment outwent them all neuer shewing so much as the least signe of paine or feeling They had not gone farre when they met with an other Christian called Iulian Fiemon who declaring his profession made suite to be of the number and ledde to prison who obtained his petition to the no small comfort of the rest who hoped Almighty God would increase aswell their courage as their number Come at last to Xindai they were put into the common iayle by order from the Gouernour Suò being nine in number The Father desired much to haue spoken with the Suò to haue vndeceaued him but neither he nor any of the prisoners could euer obtainè to see him Before Father Diego and his came to Xindai many had been put to death with seuerall torments brought from seuerall parts The first who suffred in Xindai were Marke Cafroy and Mary his wife inhabitants of a certaine place calied Omura His officers comming vnto those parts certaine frindes of Marke not acquainting him affirmed to the persecutors that Marke and his wife were no more Christians they satisfied with this were already gone their waies when Marke and his wife vnderstanding how the businesse had been carried and therefore thinking thems lues bound to disclame from the imputation laied vpon them by discouering themselues and professing their faith openly before he officers left their house and gooes to the charge of certaine slaues and tooke a long iourney to ouertake the persecutours professe their faith though with losse of their liues Which they did accordingly neither could they be drawne from it by any meanes of persuasion They placed them both in publicke starke naked for the space of a whole day but this abating nothing their courage they were sent to Suò in Xindai who straight gaue order they should be burne aline being first ledde through all the streets of the towne with a trumpet before them declaring that these were so condemned for their obstinate professing of Christiā faith Whilst they were thus leade vp downe the towne towards the fier they met with new assaults life being profered them so they would yet relent but Marke answered in the name of both that no torments should euer take them frō the faith of Christ Thus came this happy couple vnto the place of execution where Marke bound to a stake with the sacred names of Iesus and Maria imprinted in his hart and lips rendred vp his soule a middest the flames the first of February 1624. Whilst Mary on the other side in the height of her torments melted into a shower of comfortable teares sweetly thanking the diuine goodnesse for hauing bestowed vpon her infinit benefits and this aboue the rest most deare vnto her For the confession of the same faith two more were burnt the Father and the sonne on seuerall daies the Father was called Andrew Camon and the sonne Paul Sancuro For the same cause another called Peter Chinzo gaue his head his body afterwards being cut into smale peeces On the 12 of February foure more were put to death Iohn Anzai a Physitian 60 yeares of age his wife also farr in yeares an other kinsmā called Andrew Icyomon and a seruant of Iohns called Lewis Andrew and Lewis were beheaded and their bodies after hacked in peeces But Iohn and Mary ranne a more difficult and glorious course First were they assaulted in their owne houses with threats and promises proceeding from their carnall friends and a bloody tyrant But Suò seeing his hopes deluded caused thē to be put into a great riuer which passed through the towne but many waters could not extinguish their Charity They suffred this torment with a merry countenance though in the deepest of Winter and a most bitter frost Now and then would they thrust them ouer head and eares bidding them deny their faith but all they could get from them was an absolute deniall So that dispairing to obtaine any thing this way they tooke them out of the riuer and naked as they were set them one horsebacke and led them through the Citty with a trumpet before thē declaring the cause of their punishment At the end of euery street they made thē comed wne from their horses and asked them a new whether they would deny their faith they persisting in the negatiue buckets of cold water were powred vpon them Thus passed they with incredible constancy through the whole Citty till they came to the chief street there being bound to the gates for in Iaponia euery street is shut in with railes they were exposed to the cruelty of all who cast so great aboundance of frozen water on them that nature yeelding they died in the midst of their torment with a deniall in there mouths loaden more with merits then with yeares leauing the Christians with comfort the Gen ils with confusion to lee such courage in an age so decrepit After these were beheaded Simon Ficoyemone Monica his wite and a son of theires whose name we know not These were put to death in Ioioma by commaund from the Lord of the place for professing Christian faith In Vsuquino one called Gaspar Ichniemon suffered the same death for the same cause It is now time to returne vnto F. Caruaglio his Companions whom we left in prison these vpon the 16 of February which is the last of the Iaponian yeare were taken out of iayle and led to a riuer which runs through the towne neare vnto which was a certaine lake paled about being round and filled with the water of the same riuer some two foote deep Here the prisoners being stripped naked and tyed each one to the stakes which were round about were compelled to sit downe in the water and there remained for the space of three hoares Meane while the tormented persons vsed no other language but this Iesus Maria Praised be the B. Sacrament Blessed be God for euer and 〈…〉 F. Diego encouraged them al not only by words but by example sitting in the water like a body of marble that felt nothing and when he left of exhorting his eyes modestly composed and as it were vanished in a profound contemplation left not of to preach Those who were present at this spectacle impior with compassion perswaded all they could those afflicted persons to abandon Christ but their answere was that they were ready rather to endure ten thousand torments Hereupon they turned their rage vpon the Father vomiting forth against him many iniurious threats doing him seuerall assrouts which he indured with incredible patience still animating his fellow patients Three houres being ended because the tyrant would not haue them die there they were drawne forth but in such pittifull plight that hardly could they moue a
effect brought him to the place of execution It is incredible with what ioy and gladnes he past on his way saying his beades and passing ouer a bridge where there was store of people he began to preach with great feruour assuring them there was no saluation but in that faith for which he was now to render vp his life Being come to the place of execution he cast himselfe vpon his knees and with a loude voice said the Confiteor then having made a litle mental prayer he brake forth into this affectuous exclamation Praised euer blessed be the holy name of Iesus who would haue thought his goodnes to haue been so great as to vouchsafe to call vnto himself by way of the crosse so vnworthy a sinner as my self The Gentils themselues like men distracted looked vpon one another saying If there be saluation to be found how can this man faile of it Then Matthias tooking vp to the crosse began in this manner I worship and reuerence thee ô crosse with all the veines of my hart sanctified in the person of my Sauiour Iesus Then praying a little he commended himself to God so was put vpon the crosse after which he so much thiâ—â—ted and there pearced with lances finished his life at 37 yeares of age the 17 of Febr. 1624. The night following some Christians with danger of their liues tooke his body from the crosse shutting it vp in a chest gaue it vp into the hands of one of our Fathers who placed it neere vnto an Altar where he faieth Masse This Matthias was borne in Aqui baptized some 7 yeares before his death by a Iaponese Father of ours he was singular in the practice of deuotion and penance inciting the Christians to Confession and was an instrument to bring many Gentils to receiue Baptisme by the hands of one of ours then in prison He serued with speciall care the imprisoned especially Religious persons He had passed his word to Francis Sintaro that he would rather dy then deny his faith thus gloriously kept his promise dying on a Crosse The death of Ioachim Curoyemon in Firoxima AS soone as the persecution began in Firoxima the Gentils neighbours to Ioachim began to assalt him seuerally and not preuailing of their owne authority they put guard at his dores and acquainted the Tono with what had passed He straight gaue order he should be put in prison in the Castle where after he had been some dayes inflexible in his resolutions he gaue sentence to haue him crucified ordaining with all the crosse should be very high to the end the Christians might not stealt away the body Ioachim hauing receiued these tydings fell downe vpon his knees to giue thankes to God for making him worthy to suffer and that vpon a crosse and that for so good a cause then putting about his necke his beades his Agnus Dei and a litle booke of praiers with a ioyfull looke he went to meete the Ministers of lustice who came to conduct him to the place of execution Being arriued he recommended himselfe with great deno ion vnto Almighty God and exhorted with extraordinary zeale the Gentiles to receiue the faith of Christ. Finally he was crucified and pearced froÌ„ side to side with a lance at 60 yeares of age the 8 of March 1624. by commaundment of the Tono This Ioachim was borne in Aqui of a singular meeknes humility much giuen to prayer and infatigable in assisting and seruing the Christians He was baptized in Firoxima 16 yeares before his death by one of ours The death of Iohn Tananguia Cufroi IN the yeare 1612 vnder Daifù Iohn was banished the citty for the first time but not loÌ„g after called for backe againe Then againe was he tried by seuerall waies the yeare 1615 and finally the yeare 1622 he was troubled anew and after many both threates and promisses was kept prisoner for a yeare The good seruant of God liued there very contentedly in continuall prayer fasting and penance He connerted with his good exhortation and baptized siue Gentiles his fellow low prisoners At last a yeare and halfe being spent in prison came the sentence of death sent from Catà Samonosuque who liued in Iendo Now long before Iohn had made his confession to one of our Fathers and was by his counsell much eÌ„couraged to suffer death for Christ When he first receiued newes of his death litting vp his eyes to heauen he gaue God thankes for so great a benefit then turning to him who brought the message he also thanked him desiring he would tell the Tono and the rest of the Gouernours that he deemed himselfe highly obliged vnto them Going out of prison he me with a great number of people to whom he solemnly protested that he was condemned to death not for theft or any other crime but meerely for the saith of Iesus Christ which he exhorted them all to embrace as the only way to saluation and the same did he repeate in seuerall places according as occasion was offered And when he was silent he went with his eyes fixed vpon heauen continually praying and commending himselfe to God Being come to the place of execution after he had exhorted all with a loud voice to receiue the faith of Christ which he was to seale with his blood and without which nothing could be auailable for saluation He was stripped naked and stretched vpon the earth and cut of by the middle whilest he was breathing sweetly forth the blessed names of Iesus and Maria he died the 14 of February 1624. Iohn was borne in the kingdom of zio he was baptised instructed by our Fathers thirty yeares before his death whilst he was in the seruice of Augustinus Conises Sunocamidono He remained alwaies most constant and very exemplar incredibly desirous and carefull of the spirituall good of his neighbours When our Fathers went in Mission he went with them and hauing an extraordinary gift in preaching he was the conuersion of many in these exercises did he continue till a generous death crowned his labours vnder Catà Simonosaque Lord of the greater part of zio Of Christianity in Nangasachi and the country about HEre are occupied six of our Fathers one Brother and eight Dogici The fruits of their labours being altogether like those of the yeares past I omit to set downe Thirty persons of age haue receiued Baptisme Many who trembled for feare and some who fell vnder the burden haue been set vpon their feete againe and encouraged Diuers Missions haue been vndertaken into Sassuma the Iland of Goto the Countries of Omura and diuers other places of the kingdom of Figen In Sassuma they found a true pillar of Christian Religion a Lady called Catherin in other in law to the Lord of the Country who in word and action advanceth Christian Religion This Lady hath been twice set vpon once by the Bongs who with superstitions papers of adoration and prayer sought to raw her to their
fourth the younger sister called also Mary eleuen yeares old who were all beheadeth in the same manner by the handes of principall men of the Gentils hauing first praied and called vpon the holy names of Iesus Maria. Then came the happy and magnanimous mother Grace who seeing with the eyes of liuely faith her two yoūg daughters so well placed esp oused to the true spouse of their soules Christ our-Sauiour and her sonne Linus so rich with heauenly merites yeelded infinite thankes to the diuine Maiesty for so great benefits and then kneeling down with her daughter in law whose name was also Mary both of them inuoking the sweet name Iesus Maria cheerfully offered their heades to be cut of the mother in law being of the age of fifty yeares and the daughter in law of nineteene After these presently followed two woemen-seruants the one called Cecily the other Mary and a little child by name Michaell onely three yeares old which being not capable of feare left him who had brought him thither in his armes and went to Cecily this mother seated in the place where she was to dy she tenderly embracing her little one and deuoutly calling vpon Iesus and Mary was beheaded by a seruant of the Tono who at two blowes cut off the heades first of the mother then of her innocent child The last was the other seruant Mary who nothing daunted with the bloody spectacle of so many headlesse bodies fell downe vpon her knees and with much tendernesse of deuotion imploring the assistance of Christ Iesus and his Virgin Mother bowed her head to the bloody sword and made vp the number of nine glorious martyrs being of the age of two and twenty yeares The seruants of God hauing thus happily triumphed ouer death the Paynims couered their dead bodies with mattes but coming to couer Mary the wife of Gabriel they perceiued that her head was not quite of yea that she still called vpon Iesus Maria so were those blessed names imprinted in her pious hart that her head being almost deuided from her body and she more dead then liuing ceased not to inuoke them vnlesse we will say that after death for confusion of those Gentiles God the Creatour of all spoke by the mouth of his dead scruant The Paynims were much amazed at this sight yet nothing relenting in their cruelty beheaded a new the twise happy martyr and wrapping all the bodies in their seuerall mattes then tying a great stone to each of them cast them into the sea so to preuent the Religious veneration which the Christians would haue giuen to their holy relickes All these seruantes of God were borne with in the state of Firando sixe of them in the Citty it selfe the two seruantes in the Iland Igisuqui and Mary the Wife of Gabriel at a place called Xixi Mary that old woman had been baptized at womans estate was one of the first which receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme in Iaponia all the rest had been Christians from their craule their Fathers and grandfathers hauing been so before them The good old woman Mary was alwaies much giuen to deuotion and Almes-deedes Neither was Grace any whit behind her hauing moreouer a great zeale of soules which she euer shewed towardes the Christians of that Citty She was of the company of Mercy of which as being the head she had an especiall care and therfore procured diuerse waies to aduance Christianity and vertue She lodged our Fathers in her house for a long time she mortified her body with frequent disciplines and fasting euery friday and saterday thorough out the yeare she visited and comforted the sicke she assisted the poore in what she could at Christmasse and Easter she was wont to feast the Christians and with all to giue them good spirituall counsell It happened once vpon the Iaponians new yeares day that there dyed two sicke men one a Cittizen the other a strāger Grace came to know of it and without making any account of the Iaponians superstition who vpon that day will not so much as name the dead much lesse talke of burying them caused the Cittizen to be buried keeping the dead body of the stranger in her house for some daies to auoid the bruit of the Gentiles which afterwardes she buried in the Churchyard of the Christians When the Paynims came to know of this worke of mercy they commended it very much and ceased not openly to prayse the Christians for it The two daughters both Maries imitated very well their mother vertues and Linus was not inferiour to them Neither did Mary the wife of Gabriel come behind the rest and the two seruantes as well in good life as desire of dying for Christ might be compared with their mistresses Finally they all died for the faith of Christ vpon the third of March in the yeare of our Lord 1624. by commaundment of Massura Figendono Lord of Firando The death of fiue other Christians in Vsucca THe very day that the foresaid nine were put to death an old man of the age of seauenty sixe yeares by name Luke Morifebioye was be headed not farre from his owne house for that he constantly reiected two of the Tonos seruantes who perswaded him to deny his faith and his sonne of the age of forty leauen suffered death in like manner for the same cause and by the handes of the same executioner The same day an other old man of the age of fourscore and sixe called Anthony Girobioye inuoking the most blessed names of Iesus and Mary had his head cut off These three seruantes of God were natiue of the Iland Iquisuqui Luke in his old age leauing off worldly affaires as desirous to attend wholly to his deuotions retired himselfe to Vsucca There he instituted a Confraternity of S. Ignatius and as he was very zealous of the spirituall good of his neighbours made a separation in his house for our Fathers to come visit the Christians where he receiued F. Constantius which was a chief cause of his death Alexius the sonne followed his Fathers example in prouiding for the spirituall necessities of Christians for which cause he was made worthy to follow him also in suffering death for Christ. Antony had betaken himselfe to a retired life in the same place for the reasons which had moued Luke to his retirement He was an humble sincere and very charitable man he did not only visit the sicke but kept them also often times in his owne house therby to prouide the better for them he alwaies lodged our Fathers in his house and was ordinarily employed in the exercise of either spirituall or corporall workes of mercy in recompence wherof he was finally rewarded with the palme of martyrdom The day next ensuing after the death of these three was beheaded Mary the wife of Luke who being from home the day before at the time of their combat and returning at night vnderstood what had passed and presently resolued to go and present
And the officers declaring that all his goods were forfetted led him vnto the place of execution a league from Vacamassu where he dwelled His wife and children with diuerse other Christians accompanied him on his waye who streaming forth fludds of teares Calistus intreated them they would forbeare weeping or if they neither would nor could refraine they should powre out teares of ioy and thankes giuing vnto the maiesty of almighty God for that so speciall fauour he had conserred vpon him Being arriued at Tabut the place where he was to dy it was permitted vnto him to write vnto diuerse of his friends and he did it in such sort as it is hard to say whether his words did shew more powerfully his great piety or solid ioy This done he clad him selfe a new that his outward attire might beare better proportion with the inward iubily of his mind and then for he was not yet bound he demaunded of the Sargeants that they would bind him and the rough fellows did it with such cruelty that the sole binding of him laied open a large field of paines vnto his patience Finally he gaue thankes vnto the chief officer so calling vpon the soueraigne names of Iesus and Maria his head was struck of vpon the 19 of Aprill 1624 in the fifty seuenth yeare of his age Calistus was natiue of Fiunga But he was baptized by our Fathers in the kingdom of Bungo when he was 15 yeares of age After he was regenerated by those waters of life he serued in our Church as Dogicke for ten yeares together he exercised the same function for some yeare in the Country of Arima and lastly perseuered in it for 27 yeares in the Ilands of Goto giuing alwaies great testimony of his singular zeale and exactnesse He did reside at Vacamaccu for as much as he might from thence most opportunely giue succour vnto the present necessities of Christians in those Ilands baptizing little infants teaching the Christian doctrine disposing the sicke to dy well burying the dead inducing the liuing vnto workes of piety in the midst of all these imployments extending his care vnto the Gentiles he would be euer with all diligēce instructing them at such time as they were disposing themselues for baptisme At such time as some of our Fathers made yearly visit in that circuit he would euer accompany them procuring that all the Christians should confesse and those who were fit for it receaue the most blessed Sacrament of the Altar In a word for these and the like offices of Christian charity he was esteemed by all the faithfull as their master and a most louing Father When the precedent persecution began he was sent in to banishment but when the fury thereof did relent as indeed he was generally well beloued there was earnest suite made for him and leaue was graunted for his returne Finally the diuine goodnesse disposing to reward his many labours made him worthy to dy in defence of his holy faith by cōmaundment of Vquauagidono Lord of the Ilands of Goto The death of Michael Sori and Quinzaiemon in the Ilandes of Goto MIchael and Quinzaiemon were with great feruour employing their best indeauours to promote the spirituall good and saluation of their neighbours in the Citty of Ochicha when two of the Tono his seruāts came to Michael and sollicited him to abandon the faith of Christ adding that such was the Xogun his pleasure And receiuing such answer as was meet and might be expected from such a seruant of God they full of disdaine intimated vnto him that he must dy At which words abundance of ioy did so powre it selfe downe vpon and redounded euen to the exteriour in such sort as it was a pregnant proof of his vndaunted courage Wherfore giuing thankes vnto thē who had brought him tydings so agreable vnto his harts desire apparelling himselfe in the attire he vsed on festiuall daies with great cheerfullnesse he made haste vnto the place appointed for his death And hauing disposed himselfe by prayer he was beheaded on the 19 of Aprill 1624 being seuenty two yeares of age when he suffered He was baptized by our Fathers being but a child in Ochicha the Citty he where was borne He did exercise himself much in vocall prayer he fasted all fridaies and did often punish himselfe by disciplines He made frequent excursions into the neere bordering places not only of the citty but country all about to assist his neighbours in their spirituall affaires he baptized the children succoured the sick disposing them to a happy passage from this life and with great diligence did bestow himselfe in burying their dead corps At such times as the solemne supplications of 40 houres prayer were celebrated he would be euer first in giuing good example vnto others so that the renowne of his singular piety caused great esteeme and veneration towards him in all men But that which in this seruant of God was most eminent was an ardent desire of suffering for Christ and the diuine Maiestie permitted at length that he should be put to death for defence of our holy faith in the manner we haue said Quinzaiemon a mā of great feruour in spirit liued in the same City wherof he also was natine he was accused vnto the Tono for his pious godly life had easily made him knowne and by his commaundment put to death A seruant of the Gouernour executing that most vniust sentence cut of his head Wee know not the certaine day but sure we are that it hapned the same yeare and by order of the same Tono The death of Thomas Nacangaua Mangosuque and Ioseph Gonzalo who suffred in Omura THomas and Gonzalus were accused vnto the Gouernour as noted Christians and leaders of the rest and peculiarly as fauourers of them of our Society inuiting and lodging them in their houses where they might administer the holy Sacraments vnto the faithfull in Nangaia a place siue leagues distant by sea from Omura Whereupon Thomas was presently cited to appeare And dispatching all busines with his kindred and frinds he departed imagining he was to see them no more Being arriued at Omura the officers came to bind him and he laying a side his poiniard offered him selfe with great humility vnto their bands Being presented to the iudges it was told him his life should be graunted him if he would renounce his faith but he contemning all such preiudiciall offers was sent back vnto his owne house where he remained with a straight guard vpon him till such time as he was condemned to die together with Ioseph Gonzalus who about that time was taken prisoner with diuerse other Christians vpon an accusatiō giuen in against them by the Paynims It is not possible to relate what sense of ioy these two shewed at their meeting to see that the prouidence of allmighty God had aslociated them in their death through whose goodnesse during their life they had been conioyned in the exercise of good workes They gaue