to return
to Macan. He was kindly received, and with due precaution taken into
the house of a certain Portuguese. But still he ran great risk of
being imprisoned by the servants of the heathen president, who were
searching for another religious, named Fray Bartholome Gutierrez,
of the Order of San Agustin, who was wearing the Spanish dress. They
suddenly entered three Portuguese houses, and the father visitor
scarcely had time to retire from one house to another. In short, the
labors and dangers that he suffered in Japon were great. But they
had no power to turn him from so glorious an undertaking until he
had been there fourteen months. During that time he had visited all
the Christians and all the posts that are ordinarily visited during
times of peace. He had to visit Macan, where most of our fathers were
taking refuge from the persecution; the missions of Cochin China, and
of China, where there was also persecution, were likewise under his
charge. Moreover, the bishop of Japon and the two procurators of China
and Japon, who were returning from Rome, had arrived at Macan. For
all these and other reasons he was obliged to leave Japon with great
grief in his heart, and even with copious tears. Accordingly, on the
twenty-sixth of October, 619, he embarked in a patache which went as
flagship of five galeotas. He finally reached Macan, where, a few
days after, on Christmas eve, he died. Father Geronimo Rodriguez,
who was there, and who had been appointed by our father general in
the private assignment, succeeded him in office.

Father Carlos Espinola, of our Society, is still in prison, waiting
each day for the crown. It has incurred to me to insert here a
letter which he wrote to the father provincial of this province of
Filipinas. It reads as follows:

"The Lord so ordained it that at midnight after St. Lucia's day I
was made a prisoner, together with Brother Ambrosio Fernandez, my
companion, and Domingo Jorge, a Portuguese at whose house we were
seized. The soldiers told us that they wished us to go on board a
ship that was about to sail for the city of Manila. On the one hand I
regretted this, because I was being driven from Japon, and was losing
a good opportunity to give my life for the service of God, which for
many years I had desired to do. On the other hand, I was delighted
because His most holy will was being fulfilled in me. We made a very
different voyage [from the one promised], for we were carried from