Two years ago he arrived at Manila from Rome; and a little
more than a half a year ago he left Manila for Japon, in the garb
of a Sangley. But as he was so well known, as soon as he secured an
entrance to that country, and the search for the Christians began,
more than a thousand agents were sent over the whole kingdom in search
of him, so great a desire had they to get hold of him. As they were
so numerous, and the reward great, he was unable to escape. He finally
was made a prisoner with the other Christians at Nangasaqui, who were
awaiting death (it was this that made him go back to Japon); and,
although they believed it to be certain when the order came to convey
them to court, all were greatly encouraged to suffer it. But, in place
of that, the ambassador of Macao who is at that court writes that the
kindly treatment which the emperor extended to them was remarkable. He
ordered them to be taken from the prisons and spoke to them with much
gentleness. He told the fathers that if their faith was such truth as
they said, they should obtain from their God the cure of his leprosy,
so that he might recognize its truth; and see that he had done wrong
in taking the lives of those who followed it.
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