he edict would prove a passport to official
reward, acted on that conviction. Notably was this true of Hasegawa,
who received the fief of Arima by way of recompense for barbarous
cruelty towards the Christians. Yet it is on record that when this
baron sent out a mixed force of Hizen and Satsuma troops to harry the
converts, these samurai warned the Christians to flee and then
reported that they were not to be found anywhere. During these events
the death of Ieyasu took place (June 1, 1616), and pending the
dedication of his mausoleum the anti-Christian crusade was virtually
suspended.

ENGLISH AND DUTCH INTRIGUES AGAINST SPANIARDS AND PORTUGUESE

It has been frequently alleged that if the Spaniards and the
Portuguese endeavoured to bring the Hollanders into bad odour, the
English and the Dutch intrigued equally against the Portuguese and
the Spaniards. The accusation cannot be rebutted. Cocks, the factor
of the English commercial mission to Japan, has himself left it on
record that, being at the Yedo Court in the fall of 1616, "I enformed
the two secretaries that yf they lookt out well about these two
Spanish shipps in Xaxama [Satsuma] full of men and treasure, they
would fynd that they were sent off purpose by the king of Spaine,
having knowledge of the death of the ould Emperour [Ieyasu], thinking
som papisticall tono [daimyo] might rise and rebell and so draw all
the papists to flock to them and take part, by which means they might
on a sudden seaz upon som strong place and keepe it till more succors
came, they not wanting money nor men for thackomplishing such a
strattgin." The two vessels in question were "greate shipps arrived
out of New Spaine, bound, as they said, for the Philippines, but
driven into that place per contrary wynd, both shipps being full of
souldiers, with great store of treasure, as it is said, above five
millions of pezos." It is true that a Spanish captain sent from these
vessels to pay respects to the Court in Yedo "gave it out that our
shipps and the Hollanders which were at Firando [Hirado] had taken
and robbed all the China junks, which was the occasion that very few
or non came into Japan this yeare," and therefore Cocks was somewhat
justified in saying "so in this sort I cried quittance with the
Spaniards." It appears, however, that the Spaniards were not
believed, whereas the Englishman could boast, "which speeches of myne
wrought so far that the Emperour sent to stay them, and had not