324 The Slaver and the Missionary 
instead of “ setting the sign of the Cross ; ” and for 
all who did not teach their children “ to repeat, so 
many times a day, the Rosary or the Crown, in 
honour of the Blessed Virgin, to fast on Saturdays, 
to eat no flesh on Wednesdays, and such things 
used among Christians.” One of the Mwanis 
(governors) refuses to grub up and level with his 
own hands a certain grove where the “ hellish 
trade ” (magic) was practised; he is commanded 
to discipline himself in the church during the 
whole time of celebrating mass. If the governor 
is negligent in warning the people that a missioner 
has arrived, “ he will receive a deserved punish¬ 
ment, for we make it our business to get such a 
person removed from his employment, even 
within his year,”—a system of temporal penalties 
affixed to spiritual laches not unknown elsewhere. 
The following anecdote will show the style of 
reproof. Father Benedict da Belvedere, a Nea¬ 
politan who had preached at Rome and was like¬ 
wise confessor to the nuns, heard the chief elector, 
one of the principal nobles, asking the heretical 
question, “ Are we not all to be saved by bap¬ 
tism ? ” A “ sound box on the ear ” was the 
reply, and it led to a tumult. The head of the 
mission sent for the offended dignitary, and offered 
him absolution if he would sincerely recant his 
words and beg pardon of the churchman militant. 
The answer was, “ That would be pleasant indeed ; 
