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 Nangasaqui to this prison of Omura, in company with two religious of St. Dominic and three of our Japanese servants.  They took us through some of the streets of Nangasaqui and finally embarked us for this place, handcuffed and with chains about our necks.  It was daytime, and all the city turned out to see the spectacle and to take leave of us with cries and tears.  Father Fray Thomas, of St. Dominic, and father Fray Apolinar, of St. Francis, with six Japanese, had already been here for some time.  Here we are in great concord, just as if we were of the same religious order.  And although there is no lack of suffering, because the house affords us but poor shelter, and although at times the guards will not allow anything to come in from outside except the little given us as rations (which is just enough to starve on), yet at times it is ordered by the Lord, in His fatherly care, that in the gifts sent us by the devout we have more than we could desire.  Above all, suffering for the love of God, and the expectation of the happy fortune that may befall us, makes it all easy to us and hardships a source of