38 SPANISH PRIESTS. [1845. 



" In 1596, the ' Galleon ', from Manila, bound to New 

 Spain, was driven near the Japanese coast, and enticed 

 by the Prince of Tosa into one of his ports. Here she 

 was embargoed, and her Commander negociated in vain 

 for her release. In the course of this negociation, one of 

 her company sought to produce an impression, by pointing 

 out to the Japanese Officers on a map, the extent of the 

 dominions of the King of Spain. The Japanese asked 

 with surprise, ' How is it that your King has managed to 

 possess himself of half the world ? ' The Spaniard re- 

 plied, ' He commences by sending priests, who win over 

 the people ; and when this is done, his troops are de- 

 spatched to join the native Christians, and the conquest 

 is easy and complete.' ' What ! my empire filled with 

 traitors ! these priests that I have nourished are serpents !' 

 and he swore that not one of them should be left alive. 

 New edicts of banishment followed; and the 5th of 

 February, 1597, was marked by the martyrdom of twenty - 

 six priests." 



The intrigues, discussions, and recriminations, which 

 then prevailed between the different sects, Dominicans, 

 Franciscans, Augustines, and Jesuits, each in their turn 

 charging the other with conspiracy, opened the eyes of 

 the Japanese, and rendered their removal politic. How- 

 ever, upon the death of Taico, in September, 1598, he 

 was succeeded by Yeye Yason, or Gongin, who again 

 countenanced the Catholics. 



The first mention we have of the Dutch occurs in the 

 following : 



" In 1608, a sad casualty, fraught with the worst con- 

 sequences, occurred at Macao. The crew of a Japanese 



