Our religious men did accomplish his desire, the which was an incredible ioy vnto all the dwellers of the citie, and a content vnto himselfe.
[Sidenote: The Spaniards rise at their midnight mattens and whip themselues.]
So after that he was made a Christian hee remayned in the monasterie amongest the other, but yet would he neuer eate any other thing but colde herbes: and he seeing that all the religious men did arise vp at midnight to mattens and discipline themselues, spending the greatest part of the night in prayer before the holy sacrament, hee did not faile one point, but did imitate them in all their dooings, with outwarde showes of a verie good will. All the which did incyte the Fryer Costodio and all the rest of his companions to put in execution their great desire they had, according as it hath beene tolde you. Whereupon he went once againe vnto the gouernour to intreat him by faire meanes that which before they had comoned with him of, and that he would procure some order or meanes, that those religious men might go to the kingdome of China to preach the lawe of God, offering himselfe to be one of them, with protestation that if he would not giue them leaue, they would procure to go without it, with that authoritie the which hee had of God and of his superiors, for to teach and instruct these poore infidels their neighbors: and this should be done with the first opportunitie they might finde or haue.
But neither this, nor yet the example of that good Chino, which was newe christened, was sufficient to perswade the gouernor to consent vnto their request; but perseuering in his first opinion, he answered and said, that it was too timely, and that the friendship which they had with the Chinos as yet was very small, and how that the fathers of S. Austen had manie times attempted the entrie into that kingdome, and yet neuer could obtaine their desire. And howe that the Chinos that did carrie them did deceiue them, and left them in certaine ilands, till such time as they heard farther newes of the rouer Limahon, and of the returne of the captaine Omoncon, who did carrie them with the good newes of the straight siege in the which they had the rouer: and yet for all that they commanded them to returne from Aucheo, without giuing them anie licence to remaine in the countrie to preach the holy gospell; and nowe to attempt the same, was but to giue occasion vnto the Chinos euerie day to mocke and make a iest of the Spaniardes, and willed them to staye till such time as it were the will of God to giue way vnto the same, which could not be long.