PERSECUTED PADRES 18? 



of a white wife to a king who otherwise refused 

 conversion, were gradually changed to others more 

 forceable and less alluring. 



A blacksmith who claimed divinity was beaten 

 till he disallowed it, an argument applied equally 

 to a queen who preferred to continue the worship 

 of her pagan gods. 



The prohibition of polygamy by the priests 

 was resented universally, and retaliation was 

 effected in curious ways. The men would often 

 create a false alarm of approaching wild beasts, 

 and then hurriedly climb the nearest trees and 

 laugh at the futile attempts of the often portly 

 priests who struggled to imitate them. The women 

 obtained their revenge by continual immoral 

 overtures, which they knew would annoy the 

 priests, and by adopting suggestive attitudes near 

 the monastery, which compelled the harassed 

 padres to build their walls so high as to baffle 

 their fair tormentors. 



Zeal was encouraged equally curiously. Carli, 

 another priest and historian, who found 200 

 Christians adopting self-inflicted penance, beating 

 each other with their hands, and carrying heavy 

 logs of w r ood, increased it by placing whips and 

 thongs in the hands of the zealots, and gained 

 from the encounter by directing the converts to 

 carry the logs of wood many miles to his monastery 

 and for his use. 



, The next period of lifty years, from 1700 to 

 1750, was one of comparative peace, during which 

 the commerce of the colony greatly increased ; 

 but this very prosperity brought about keen com- 



