missionaries, and other
privileges. This induced the Hirado feudatory to revoke the edict
which he had issued against the Jesuits, and they were preparing to
take advantage of his renewed hospitality when a Portuguese
merchantman entered Hirado. Its appearance convinced the local
chieftain that trade could be had without the accompaniment of
religion, towards which he renewed his hostility. When, however, this
change of demeanour was communicated to Funai, the Jesuit leader,
Torres, hastened thence to Hirado, and induced the master of the
merchantman to leave the port on the ground that he could not remain
in a country where they maltreated those who professed the same
religion as himself. Thereafter, for some years, Hirado remained
outside the pale of foreign trade. But ultimately three merchant
vessels appeared in the offing and announced their willingness to put
in provided that the anti-Christian ban was removed. This
remonstrance proved effective. A parallel case occurred a few years
later in the island of Amakusa. There a petty baron, avowedly for the
purpose of attracting foreign trade, embraced Christianity and
required all his vassals to follow his example. But when no
Portuguese ship arrived, he apostatized; ordered his vassals to
return to their old faith, and expelled the missionaries.

"In fact, the competition for the patronage of Portuguese traders was
so keen that the Hirado feudatory attempted to burn several of their
vessels because they frequented the territorial waters of his
neighbour and rival, Sumitada. The latter became a most stalwart
Christian when his wish was gratified. He set himself to eradicate
idolatry throughout his fief with the strong arm, and his fierce
intolerance provoked revolts which ended in the destruction of the
Christian town at the newly opened free port. Sumitada, however,
quickly reasserted his authority, and five years later (1567), he
took a step which had far-reaching consequences, namely, the building
of a church at Nagasaki, in order that Portuguese commerce might have
a centre and the Christians an assured asylum. Nagasaki was then a
little fishing village. In five years it grew to be a town of thirty
thousand inhabitants, and Sumitada became one of the richest of the
Kyushu feudatories."*

*Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition; article "Japan," by
Brinkley.

This baron appears to have been sincere in his adoption of the
foreign religion. "When in 1573, success