40 PERSECUTION OF THE CATHOLICS. [1845, 



"In 1614, an edict issued for the demolition of the 

 churches and banishment of the priests. They were im- 

 politic enough to interfere in matters of state, and the 

 party to which they were allied proving the weaker, they 

 were proscribed afresh, and whoever harboured them 

 were to be condemned to death. This Kubo died in 1616, 

 but Fide Fada, his successor, followed out his intentions. 



"In 1620, the persecution slackened, but was re- 

 kindled in 1622, when the distinguished Spinola, and 

 many others were burned. 



" In 1624, the persecutions were rigorously pursued, 

 extending even to the violation of the Christian graves. 

 Before the year was passed, the Spaniards were banished 

 for ever, and the ports of Japan closed, except Nangasaki 

 for the Portuguese, and Firando for the Dutch. 



" Persecution seems to have raged, with little intermis- 

 sion from 1627 up to the death of Fide Fada in 1631. 

 The boiling crater of Mount Ungem (Unga) was now a 

 common instrument of death. These cruelties appear at 

 last, to have made an impression even on the Dutch. 



" The character of the cruel, vicious Yeye Mitsou, was 

 already well known. By his orders, Desima (a little 

 islet off Nangasaki) was constructed, and to this new 

 prison the Portuguese were consigned in 1635, amid the 

 derision of the short-sighted Dutch. The armaments of 

 their ships were now taken away, no one was suffered to 

 speak to a native on religion, nor to walk without a guard. 

 Their native wives, and the children by these connexions, 

 were ordered to be shipped off to Macao. The following 

 year was marked by the introduction of the ceremony of 

 trampling on the cross. 



