the inhabitants of the same city of Omura three were martyred—­Lino, Pedro, and Thome—­the first, because when he was guarding the prison in which the religious I have mentioned were confined, he allowed too much food to be given to the holy prisoners, as he was a Christian at heart himself; the second, because from time to time he sent food to them; and the third, because he carried the food.  All three were promised their lives if they would renounce our holy law; but they chose rather to die, in order that they might live forever in heaven.”

In another letter dated November 10, 1619, the same father writes:  “On the sixth of October, Meaco offered to heaven the richest gift that has ever been seen in that great and populous city.  The gift consisted of fifty-four Christians, who were burned alive for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have already written how there was in the public prison at Meaco a large number of the faithful, incarcerated because they would not bend the knee to Baal.  Nine of these died in the prison on account of the excessive labors and hardships which they suffered there.  They died thoroughly resigned to the divine will, and rejoicing in their happy fate.  When the emperor came to the court of the Dayri, [10] the metropolis of the whole of Japon, they told him of the imprisoned Christians; and since he is an implacable enemy of our holy faith, he ordered that they should all be burned alive.  Thereupon twenty-six stakes were set up in a public place in front of the temple of Daybut, a large and magnificent building, at a distance from the river that flows by the place.  On Sunday, the sixth of October, they took the holy prisoners from the jail, not sparing even the tender young girls nor the babes at their mothers’ breasts.  They marched them through the principal streets of Meaco, accompanied by a crier who announced that they had been condemned to be burned alive because they were Christians.  Most of the soldiers of Jesus Christ were dressed in white, and their faces were so happy and so resolute that the power of the divine grace which upheld them was plainly shown.  They encouraged one another for the trial, and with great calmness bade good-by to the friends and acquaintances whom they met along the way.  From time to time they proclaimed aloud that they were dying for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.  When they had come to the place where they were to offer their lives to the Lord as an acceptable sacrifice, they appeared more joyful, as does one who is about to gain the eternal reward.  Two by two they were now tied to the stakes, the women with their babes in their arms.  Some of our daiicos—­people of our Society like lay brothers, who aid us in preaching [11]—­as well as other Christians who went to the place to encourage the martyrs, were present.  But the servants of the Lord showed such remarkable strength that they really encouraged the spectators.  When the wood was finally set on fire, the majority