ad given to
the said adjutant, under pain of death. Thereupon the lord archbishop
answered, with much courage, that he was prepared to die with the
most holy sacrament in his hands, rather than do anything that would
be an offense against it. Thereupon they left him without a servant,
to the great indignation and sorrow of many soldiers, the governor
remaining as hard and obdurate as if he had not been a Christian.

At one o'clock at night there came a new order that the soldiers should
drive from the streets the religious, who had been upon their knees
with candles in their hands, worshiping the Lord of heaven and earth,
since the time when they had been driven from His presence. They
were driven away, by dragging them and tearing their garments; and
the cassock and cross were taken from the cross-bearer of his most
illustrious Lordship. He cried out to God, begging for mercy--a thing
which melted the hearts of all the city, so that nothing was heard
of but "Mercy!" accompanied by the tears and apprehensions of the
faithful. After this was done, at two o'clock at night there came
another order, that the friars should be made to go back to their
convents, which they had not done. The governor sent the sargento-mayor
to tell them to go back, and not cause any more disturbance. To this
they answered that they had left their convents determined to die
for God, and that whether they died there or in Japon was all one;
that they would not leave that place, because they were in front
of the most holy sacrament; and, if it should fall from the hands
of the lord archbishop, the soldiers must not approach to raise it,
as this was not lawful, but they themselves must do so, as priests.

The sargento-mayor went away with this answer; and as the governor was
at the corner of Santa Potenziana, on the square of the archiepiscopal
buildings, in disguise, he heard all that occurred. He sent another
order, commanding, in the name of his Majesty, that the religious
should retire to their convents; and that, if they did not do so,
they would be dragged thither. Seeing his accursed intention, they
thought it best to let themselves be taken away by the soldiers,
but with much sadness and weeping. The Franciscan friars remained in
their portico, to be near the house of the lord archbishop, so that
they might watch what passed. The governor himself came personally,
and made them retire and go within their convent.

The very next day, which