Japan and the Japanese

FRIARS FROM THE PHILIPPINES. 129
religious opinions not allowing him to adopt the Japanese alterna-
tive of cutting himself open. But the victorious regent, who pres-
ently took the title of Ogosho-Sama, and with it the entire imperial
authority (though the boy, Fide Jori, still enjoyed the title of
Kubo-Sama), showed himself so far favorable to the Jesuits (to
the headship of whom Father Francis Pazio had lately succeeded
as vice-provincial), as to permit their reestablishment at Nagasaki,
Miako and Osaka. Yet an edict of his, restraining the missionaries
to their ancient seats, and forbidding the accession of new converts,
though little regarded, showed the necessity of caution.
Pope Clement VII. having promulgated a bull in December,
1600, by which all the mendicant orders were allowed to go as mis-
sionaries to Japan, provided they proceeded by way of Portugal,
and not by the Philippines, Dominican and Franciscan friars
took advantage of this favorable disposition of the emperor to enter
that empire, the Franciscans reoccupying their old station at Miako,
and setting up a new one at Jedo, where the Jesuits had never
been. This was the seat of the emperor's son, whom, according to
the Japanese custom, he had associated with him in the empire
He himself had his residence at Seruga, no great distance to the
west. The young Fide Jori, the titular Kubo-Sama, still dwelt in
the castle of Osaka, -Miako being given up exclusively to the Dairi,
or ecclesiastical emperor. The prohibition to pass from the Philip-
pines to Japan was little regarded. As there was no civil arm to
enforce it, the friars laughed at the excommunication denounced by
the Pope's bull. The Jesuits, on the other hand, did not submit to
this invasion without loud complaints.
In the Tensa, or five provinces nearest to Miako, and including,
also, the cities of Sakai and Osaka, the ancient imperial domain,
the adherents of the new religion were seldom molested, and the
governor of Miako even built a magnificent church for the Jesuits
in the upper city,
in addition to one which they already possessed in
the lower city. An observatory at Osaka had gained additional
credit for their religion by displaying their scientific knowledge.
seminary for nobles was reopened at Nagasaki, and, by the special
zeal of Father Gnecchi, hospitals for lepers, which had been from
the first a favorite charity, were set up at Osaka and in several
Dther cities. By the favor of particular princes, Jesuit missiou-
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