Japan and the Japanese

CLERICAL FORCE OF THE JESUITS. IQ'6
his general of horse, both of whom, notwithstanding
their con-
t.nued adhesion to the new faith, still retained his favor. To
Tsucamidono he had given the kingdom of Fingo, and to Condera
that of Buygen, so that almost the whole of the island of Ximo
was now ruled by converted princes. Even the changeable Joscimon,
not finding his apostasy so advantageous as he had expected, .oon
sought and presently obtained a reconciliation to the church. The
king of Firando was not friendly, but he was kept in check by the
number of converts among his subjects, especially by a very zeal-
ous converted wife, a sister of the prince of Omura whom he
complained of as having more influence over his kingdom than him-
self and also by his fear of driving off the Portuguese merchants,
who still occasionally visited his island.
there still
Notwithstanding the emperor's edict of expulsion,
remained in Japan a hundred and forty Jesuits, including those lately
brought by Valignani. The seminary of nobles at Osaka had been
broken up, most of the pupils retiring with their teachers ; but
*he other seminary in the kingdom of Arima was still maintained,
being, for greater security, removed to a retired spot surrounded
with woods. The college and novitiate, for similar reasons,
were transferred to the island of Amakusa. Besides these, the
Jesuits had twenty other houses of residence. Those districts in
which the missionaries had no settled establishments they supplied
by frequent journeys, which they made secretly, and generally in
disguise, being assisted also by a great number of adroit and zealous
native catechists, who not only maintained the fervor of the
old converts, but daily added new ones to the number. This em-
ployment of catechist was held in great
honor in the church of
Japan. None were admitted into it except persons of approved
virtue, generally young men of family and promise, devoted by
their parents from their infancy to a service upon which they
entered for life, being ordained with much ceremony, and wearing
a garb similar to that of the missionaries with whom they lived in
community, observing the same rules. Conversions still continued
to be made among the upper as well as among the lower classes,
and the numerous adherents to the new faith, or favorers of it, ia
the court and household of the emperor, including even the em-
Dress, carefully watched and reported to the missionaries evcrj