r it only God, with His unbounded wisdom, knows. All that we
here can understand is that the sins of the city provoked His wrath,
and that for two years past interdictions and censures upon it have
been continuous. Even the day before this disaster occurred, God took
from it (as He did another [?]) Father Rodrigo, of the Society, who
was one of His zealous servants, and transported him to another and
a better life. When news of this reached Goa, great demonstrations
were made there to appease the wrath of God, that He might not afflict
that city as He had afflicted Bacani.

_Of Great China_

In China, within recent years, a very severe persecution of Christians
broke out; and on account of the enmity of a mandarin, who was the
cause of this storm, four fathers were ejected from the residences
of Sanguin and Paquin [_i.e._, Pekin]. One of them was Father Diego
Pantoja, [61] a native of Toledo, a noted religious, one of the
most noted men who have been in China, and one who has learned most
of the Chinese letters, sciences, and language. Upon reaching Macan
from his exile, this father passed from this to a better life. There
still remained in China eight fathers of our Society. These, with
some others, are cultivating the vineyard of the Lord, maintaining
in the faith those already converted, and bringing into it others,
who, forsaking the false belief of idolatry, receive the water of
holy baptism. In short, these fathers are promulgating the holy
gospel. They write that they found, in one of the many provinces of
that extensive realm, a people who worship the holy cross, and who
are called Christians--although they are so only in name, for they
are in truth heathen. They also found a synagogue of more than twelve
thousand jews who live under the law of Moses. [62]

The Tartars, who usually are at war with the Chinese, this year invaded
China on the north side by way of the border province of Lona [_sc._
Liao?]. [63] They routed the Chinese armies, made a great slaughter
among them, took some cities, and destroyed many villages; and then,
because the winter is so cold, they retired to their own country
to remain till another year, when, they say, they will come with a
great force. And although they fear that they are not possessed of
everything necessary for this invasion, yet a short time before, [64]
a violent storm demolished for them that famous and strong wall, six
hundred leguas long, which separated China fro