Page:A New Survey of the West Indies or The English American his Travel by Sea and Land.djvu/30

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14
A New Survey
Chap. II.

in the Islands of Philippinas; And that their entring into Japan was more to enrich themselves, then to Convert the Japonians to Christianism that whensoever they entred into the Kingdom they conveyed from Mamila whole Ships laden with the richest Commodities of those Islands; that their Trading was beyond all other Marchants Trading, their Bench for exchange money far more accustomed then any other whether for China, for Japan, for Peru and Mexico and that the Viceroy himself made use of none other, but theirs. That to keep out all other Orders out of Japan, they had ingratiated themselves so far, under pretence of Trading, into the Emperors favour by gifts of Watches, Clocks, Dials, Locks, and Cabinets, and such like presents of most curious and Artificial Workmanship, that they had got free access to his Court, and Counselled him to beware of Fryers, which cunningly crept into his Kingdom to Preach a New Law, persuading him by rigorous search and inquiries to root them out : thus Politickly for their own ends hindering the increase of Christianism by any means or instruments save themselves

and blinding the Emperors eyes with their cunning insinuations, that he might not see in them, what they desired he might discover in others, that they might appear in Sheep skins, and others clothed with Wolves skin; and so the Fryers might have little heart to Trade, but enough to do to save themselves from the stormy perfection, whiles they freely might enjoy the liberty of rich Trading. This Brand upon these cunning Foxes was commanded to be Printed, thanks given to Diego Colliado for discovering to the Estate their crafty proceedings, with not a few Tenents maintained by them in Japan even against their own Soveraign; a fat Bishoprick was offered to the Fryer, which he refusing, Commission was given unto him for the raising of forty Fryers out of Spain, and the conducting of them to the Islands of Philippinas, and that it should be free for all Priests and Fryers, as well as Jesuites, to pass t those parts for the Preaching of Christ, and the extending

of