Japan and the Japanese

CHAPTER VIII.
PROGRESS OF THE MISSIONS UNDER FATHERS DE IORRES AMI NtJGNES BAE
RETO. MENDEZ PINTO A FOURTH TIME IN JAPAN. A. D. 15511557.
THE apostle of the Indies returned no more to Japan. He died
in December, 1552, at the age of forty-six, on his way to China, at
the island of Sancian, a little way from Macao, it
partly, would
seem, through vexation at having been disappointed, by the jealousy
and obstinacy of the governor of Malacca, in a more direct mission
to that empire, on which he had set his heart, and for which he had
made every arrangement.
But already, before leaving for China, he had despatched from
Malacca three new missionaries to Japan, Balthazar Gago, a priest,
and two brothers, Peter d'Alcaceva and Edward de Sylva, who
landed at Cangoxima in August, 1552, whence they proceeded to
Bungo, where, as well as at Amanguchi, a site had been granted for
a residence and a church. Father de Torres, now at the head of
the mission, in a sort of general assembly of the faithful, to which
the principal converts were admitted, regulated the policy of the
infant church. To meet the objection of the bonzes, that the new
converts had left their old religions to escape the usual contribu-
tions of alms, it was resolved to establish hospitals for the sick and
poor, as well pagan as converted, and the more so as poverty in
Japan was regarded as peculiarly despicable, and the poor as contemned
by the gods. To suit the taste of the Japanese for spectacles,
an impressive burial service was agreed upon. Great atten-
tion, according to the policy of the Catholic church, and especially
of the Jesuits, was bestowed on the education of the young. Not
to be outdone by the bonzes, the missionaries practised great austef*
ities ; regular whipping of themselves in church by
made a stated part of their religious exercises ;
all the converts
but what most con