d order the people of Leatum to be punished
as their crimes merited, and threatened that if this were not done
he would take the punishment into his own hands, as he had, indeed,
already begun to do.

The king of China made no answer to this memorial, for both he and
the mandarins think that they have not broken any of the agreements
entered into with the Tartars, and that all that the Tartars say
is false--except that they admit that they killed the Tartar king's
grandfather, but only because he had been caught robbing in the Chinese
territory. It is known that since this occurred bloody war has gone on
between these two populous and powerful nations; that the Tartars have
always gained the advantage therein; and that if they had so desired
they could have come to the very gates of the court of Paquin, since
fear has taken such hold upon the Chinese that they have closed all
the gates of the city, except one which they use, and have made another
wall completely encircling the one that was already around the city.

The persecution against the Christians and against our Society which
has been going on in China during the past years is now mild. Hence
people are being converted to Christianity as formerly; and our fathers
are safe, for a great mandarin presented to the king a memorial in
our favor, in which he refuted the calumnies that a powerful enemy
of ours had launched against us, and that had been the cause of this
persecution. And, although the king made no answer, by his silence he
consents to our fathers' remaining in China, for it was asked in the
memorial that our fathers should not leave that kingdom; and since
the mandarins know that the king has seen the memorial, and that he
tacitly consents to it, they also, are satisfied with it. As this same
memorial has been circulated throughout the whole of China, everybody
has learned of our innocence and of the excellence of the law of God,
which was dwelt upon at length in the memorial. Accordingly, as they
inform us from here, a great number of literati and mandarins have
become friendly toward Ours, and wish them to spread the holy gospel
to the most interior parts of China. Hence it is believed that from
this time on our holy law will take deeper root in this kingdom.

The bishop of Japon, Don Diego Valente, of our Society, came this
year to Macan, where he is detained because of the bloody persecution
in Japon. Because of the persecution, also, Father Matos,