452

IV.

CHAP. imprisonment of the vicar apostolic did not satisfy his enemies. They could not rest until they had obtained his expulsion from the country, where he had laboured twenty-four years, and the emperor was at last prevailed upon to issue an order for his banishment. On his arrival in Ireland, he wrote the following letter to the Pope.

"Having been expelled the empire of China, by order of the emperor, I am at length arrived here, after a long voyage, and great sufferings and fatigues. I judged my first duty was to apply myself to your Holiness, and mentally kiss your feet, with the profoundest respect, to beg your apostolic benediction. I will say nothing of what has passed in China, nor of the present condition of the Christian religion there, because your Holiness will be more certainly and perfectly informed by letters from your Legate. What I humbly request of your Holiness is, that you will appoint in my stead an apostolic vicar in the province of Fokien; for having no further hopes of being able to return to China, and finding myself grown useless by reason of my great age, I am necessitated to retire to our seminary5 at Paris, there to prepare myself with the greater care for the great day of the Lord. There shall I lament the unhappy condition of those who are appointed to defend the cause of God and the Church, in the midst of the oppositions and vexations brought upon them by the Fathers of the Society of Jesus. And I pray God your Holiness's Legate has not already felt by fatal experience, how much truth there is in what I say.' This letter then concludes with an expression of his readiness to have all the accusations brought against him, "in a great number of

5 The Sorbonne.

Letters and Libels" put forth by the said Fathers, impartially investigated; and he offers to submit to any punishment which he may be found to deserve. He wrote from Galloway, May the 4th, 1708.6

and

"As

15. This letter can need no comment. The apprehension which the writer expresses for the Legate's safety proved too prophetic. Harassed by the opposition and intrigues of the Jesuits, his health now began to decline; on the 18th January, 1707, he wrote to them a letter, from Nankin, in which there is a passage painfully expressive of his feelings, and descriptive of the view he took of their conduct. for me," he writes, "I weep day and night bitter tears before the Lord, as well on account of the afflicted state of these missions, as of those who distress them. I should have been less distressed by these calamities if I had not known what was their cause, and who were their authors. The Holy See has condemned your practices and every one ought to condemn that ungovernable audacity with which you are determined to bury your shame under the ruins of the mission. What confidence can I have in those who in their transactions with me have recourse to all manner of deception?" This letter, remarks a romish missionary, ought to have convinced the Jesuits all over the world,

6 "A true account of the present state of Christianity in China, last page."

7 Damnata est praxis vestra a supremâ Sede, sed magis detestandus immoderatus agendi modus, quo pudorem vestrum cum eversione Missionis cepelire contenditis-Quis credendum iis, quorum conversatio mecum semper fuit per insidias? The letter from which this extract is transcribed, was printed at Rome, in the Mémoires de Fatinelli, which he composed by order of Pope Clement XI.

8 R. P. Norbert. Mémoires Historiques. Tom. iii. p. 467.

CHAP.
IV.

Removes to Tan-Scian for the recovery of

bis health:

and a Man

Pekin.

that they had little reason to complain of the Bull of Benedict XIV., for condemning their proceedings, conscious, as they must have been, how justly they deserved the Pope's censures.

Seven days after the date of this letter, the Cardinal published a Decree, forbidding every conformity to the idolatrous rites of the country, and commanding the faithful publication of Christian doctrine, and an exact performance of Christian duty, in all parts of the country. This Decree he required to be received as the rule and law hereafter to be observed by all the missionaries and others-" of what order soever they be, even by those of the company of Jesus" "under penalty of excommunication Late Sententiæ.9

16. These efforts, under such painful circumstances, increased, as might be expected, the Cardinal's indisposition. The Emperor seemed is visited by to be much concerned at this, and recommended threeJesuits him to try the warm baths at Tan-Scian and darin from afterwards, when informed of the benefit that he had derived from them, his majesty expressed great satisfaction at the result. The Cardinal was no sooner convalescent, than he resolved to return to Pekin, in order to complete the objects of his mission. But this the Jesuits were as determined to prevent; and finding that he was not to be dissuaded from his purpose, they did not scruple to take measures to remove him beyond the possibility of giving them any further trouble. While preparations were making for his journey, three Jesuits arrived from Pekin, purporting to come express from the Emperor, who, they pretended, was very solicitous for his recovery, and had sent them to

9 "A true narrative of the present state of Christianity in China."

watch over him. At Pekin there were three establishments of Jesuits, French, Portuguese and Italian, who respectively deputed one of their number to attend on the Cardinal. So that these three men, whose names were, Father Perennin, a Frenchman, Father Suarez, a Portuguese, both priests, and brother Bandini, a Piedmontese; (this man was an apothecary,) a mandarin also, who was devoted to the interests of the Portuguese, arrived about the same time from Pekin, with a message of civility from the Emperor.

The Legate received these men with great courtesy, inviting them to take up their abode with him. The mandarin excused himself, pleading the necessity of his immediate return to Pekin but it is suspected that he knew what was about to happen, and did not wish to be present. The other three accepted the invitation, and the Legate conversed familiarly with them until noon, when his physician announced that his repast was ready. He then apologized to his visitors for not dining with them in person, and retired to his chamber, according to his usual custom, to partake of the simple meal that had been prepared for him.

A. D.

1707.

Attempt to

by poison.

17. Not long after the family had dined, a servant in attendance upon the Cardinal filled destroy him the house with alarm, calling out that his master was suddenly seized with violent sickness, and entreating all the family to come to his assistance. His physician, apothecary, and the other members of the household, hastened to his chamber, where they found him foaming at the mouth and convulsed with pain. A powerful emetic was instantly administered, which had the desired effect; and upon a careful examination of the matter ejected from his stomach, both

CHAP.
IV.

He recovers, and returns to Pekin.

his physician and apothecary pronounced that he had taken a most active poison. The promptitude with which he was relieved saved his life, but he did not wholly recover from the effects of the poison as long as he lived.

The next object of anxiety was, to ascertain who had committed this atrocious act. The cook, who is described as a man of integrity, when closely examined, confessed, that being hurried by the unexpected arrival of the guests from Pekin, he availed himself of the proffered assistance of a native Christian, whom Father Perennin had brought with him, and trusted him to finish the food that he was preparing for the Cardinal. It was now too evident who were the authors of this diabolical attempt upon his life; and it was remarked, that while every one else was in a state of consternation at what had happened, the three Jesuits appeared, not merely unconcerned, but more cheerful than before. Yet nothing could be done with them. Indeed, their interest in the country was too great, the whole body of Jesuits in China being considered as implicated in the deed, for the inquiry to be prosecuted further at that time.

18. On the following day, the Jesuits strongly urged the Cardinal to undertake his intended journey to Pekin, thinking, as was suspected, that in his present condition he must die on the road. His physician protested against it; but he allowed them, notwithstanding, to carry him to the place where the Emperor had appointed to give him an audience. On his arrival he was too weak to appear; and the Jesuits about the Emperor assured him, that his illness arose only from excessive alarm, fearing lest the Pope should cut off his head for neglecting faithfully to execute all his com