th,
and that they had no reason for torturing her, or for tormenting and
killing her mother and the rest.

"The other six remained on that mountain, where they spent twenty-three
days, during which Father Antonio, father Fray Francisco, and Beatriz
de Acosta were tortured, each one six times, with hot water in the
manner that I have described. Father Fray Vicente was tortured four
times, father Fray Bartolome and brother Fray Gabriel twice, without
any one of them having made the least movement during the whole
time; or shown any sign of feeling the torture. On the contrary, with
wonderful cheerfulness and courage they gave thanks to their torturers,
and sometimes told them that the torture had been slight; at others,
that they should find some other and more cruel torment, so that their
desire to suffer for Christ might be further fulfilled. As a result,
the infidels were as if astounded, for they found them each time more
constant, cheerful, and desirous of suffering; and in Nangasaqui and
Tacacu nothing was talked of but the invincible courage and valor
with which they suffered the torture, whereupon the Christians were
full of joy and remained firmer in the faith. Several of the heathen
began to complain and sneer at the governor of Nangasaqui, who had
tried to make them deny their faith. Accordingly Father Antonio
writes [94] that, during the time while he was on that mountain,
several were brought to the faith; and among the heathen who saw
him and listened to the continual sermons which he preached to them,
many gave him their word to receive the faith, and all conceived the
highest opinion of the faith of God.

"The reason for torturing some oftener than others was that
Father Antonio, being a Japanese, had disobeyed the mandate of the
emperor, and would not follow the counsels and persuasions of the
governor of Nangasaqui and his ministers, nor be affected by the
tortures. Father Fray Francisco suffered because he spoke to them with
much Christian freedom, sang, and prayed in a loud voice, contrary to
their prohibition; and Beatriz de Acosta because, although a woman,
she showed more than a man's courage, both in the tortures and in
resisting the advice which they gave her--for which reason, beside
the torture of boiling water, they inflicted others upon her. They
made her stand upright a long time upon a small rock, threatening her
with insults and affronts; but the more they insisted, the stronger
they fou