ven the young converts bore with
incredible constancy, rather than discover where the priest lay hid, or
deliver up the crosses, relics, or sacred books, or do any thing
contrary to the law of God. Many priests and others died of their
torments, or of the hardships of their dungeons. One bishop and six
priests received the crown of martyrdom. Peter Martyr Sanz, a Spanish
Dominican friar, arrived in China in 1715, where he had labored fifteen
years, when he was named by the congregation bishop of Mauricastre, and
ordained by the bishop of Nanquin, assisted by the bishops of Pekin and
Macao, and appointed Apostolic Vicar for the province of Fokieu. In
1732, the emperor, by an edict, banished all the missionaries. Peter
Sauz retired to Macao, but returned to Fokieu, in 1738, and founded
several new churches for his numerous converts, and received the vows of
several virgins who consecrated themselves to God. The viceroy, provoked
at this, caused him to be apprehended, amidst the tears of his dear
flock, with four Dominican friars, his fellow-laborers. They were beaten
with clubs, buffeted on the face with gauntlets made of several pieces
of leather, and at length condemned to lose their heads. The bishop was
beheaded on the same day, the 26th of May, 1747. The Chinese
superstitiously imagine, that the soul of one that is put to death
seizes the first person it meets, and therefore all the spectators run
away as soon as they see the stroke of death given; but none of them did
so at the death of this blessed martyr. On the contrary, admiring the
joy with which he died, and esteeming his holy soul happy, they thought
it a blessing to come the nearest to him, and to touch his blood; which
they did as respectfully as Christians could have done, for whom a pagan
gathered the blood, because they durst not appear. The other four
Dominican friars, who were also Spaniards, suffered much during
twenty-eight months' cruel imprisonment, and were strangled privately in
their dungeons on the 28th of October, 1748. Pope Benedict XIV. made a
discourse to the cardinals on the precious death of this holy bishop,
September 16, 1748. See Touron, t. 6, p. 729.

These four fellow-martyrs of the Order of St. Dominic, were, Francis
Serranus, fifty-two years old, who had labored nineteen years in the
Chinese mission, and during his last imprisonment was nominated by pope
Benedict XIV., bishop of Tipasa: Joachim Roio, fifty-six years old, who
had pr