Christians, he suddenly appeared amongst them; so that they had scarcely time to put the Vicar Apostolic into a large basket, covered with a mat, and carry him to a place of concealment: the same precautions were (taken with his coadjutor. As to Father Ximines, relying on his youth and strength, he took to flight, accompanied only by a catechist. The appearance of the soldiers was so sudden, that, notwithstanding the promptitude with which the Christians endeavored to carry the missionaries to the places of retreat prepared for them, they were unable to do so.

were noticed and pursued, and when about to be overtaken by the soldiers, they abandoned their precious load, which they found impos

native priests. As soon as I was informed of this unfortunate event, I employed every effort, but in vain, to get back the letters, and procure the liberation of the catechist. Our enemies would consent to do so only on condition that the faithful of An-Liem would renounce the privilege they enjoyed, of being exempt from contributing to the support of idolatrous superstitions. As we could not in conscience accede to such conditions, we allowed the affair to be carried before the tribunal of the great mandarin. The officer fancied that he had now secured the means of ingratiating himself with the king, and has-Those who were carrying Mgr. Delgado, tened to forward to the court the four letters written to European priests. But the effect which those letters produced was quite the reverse of what he expected. The king, irri-sible to save, and betook themselves to flight. tated at learning that there were still four foreign missionaries in the southern province, wreaked his anger on the mandarin, who was unable to arrest any of them, and immediately pronounced his dismissal. The royal decree granted him, however, a month to arrest the missionaries, and for that purpose placed six thousand men at his disposal: if he succeeded in seizing us, his place was to be restored to him, if not he was to perish on the scaffold which was destined for us. At the approach of this furious storm, we thought only of preparing, in the secret of our retreats, to drink to the dregs the chalice of bitterness which was to be presented to us.

“The first who fell into the hands of our enemies was the head of the flock, Mgr. Ignatius Delgado, Bishop of Mellipotamus, and Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Tong-King. He lay concealed with his coadjutor Mgr. Henares, and Father Romualdus Ximines, in a village called Kien-Lao. A pagan schoolmaster succeeded in learning from a Christian child that the retreat of the missionaries was not far distant. This intelligence was immediately conveyed to the mandarin, who, in order to inspire the faithful with a false security, announced that the European priests had nothing to apprehend, and that they should not be molested. The more effectually to lull all suspicion, he pretended to leave the district, and to take his troops with him on a distant expedition. But to the consternation of the

Thus fell into the power of his enemies the first and most illustrious victim of the persecution. Such was their anxiety to secure their prisoner, that before taking him out of the basket, they put manacles upon him, and they marched him with sound of drum before many of the tribunals of the province, though the holy and venerable old man could scarcely walk. On the same day he was enclosed in a narrow wooden cage, fit only for some wild beast. Next morning he was conducted with great ceremony to the governor's house, and cast into prison with the common malefactors. Tring-Quang-Khanh hastened to announce this news to the court, and was ordered to deliver up his prisoner to the new governor and the supreme judge of the province, to be tried according to the utmost rigor of the bloody laws passed against the missionaries.

"I have succeeded in obtaining from the notaries a copy of the interrogatories to which the mandarins subjected the different confessors. From these documents it appears, that the Vicar Apostolic was frequently called before his judges, that he was questioned as to his name, his age, his country, the number of his priests, European as well as natives, the means by which he succeeded in entering Tong-King, his place of concealment, &c. &c. To the questions which regarded only himself personally, he replied with the utmost frankness; but when they were of a nature to compromise others, or furnish fresh pretexts

of June, 1838. Mgr. Ignatius Delgado, Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Tong-King, died at the age of seventy-six years; named by Pius VI. to the government of that mission, he directed it more than forty years with prudence and success. His flock will feel for a long time a loss which has plunged it into the most profound affliction. As soon as the mandarins were informed of the death of this

for persecution, his answers were vague and "It is impossible to detail all the holy cononly explained facts already known. The fessor had to endure before his death. Exfollowing are the terms of the sentence pro-posed to the oppressive heat of summer, which nounced by the mandarins against him: It is his narrow prison rendered still more insupin obedience to the law, that we condemn the portable, subjected to the vexations and indigBishop Ignatius, whose name in our language nities of the mandarins and soldiers, often is Trum-Ca. This stranger, who entered the denied even the necessaries of life, he spent kingdom clandestinely, spends his life in the the time of his captivity in a continual agony. study of the things of the heart, and in the But his patience and resignation to the Divine meditation of what is incomprehensible. For will were alone superior to his sufferings; his more than fifty years he has been teaching strength was exhausted under so many trials, errors, which the simple among the people and a dysentery, for which the mandarins take for truths. He is the chief of those dan- would not allow any remedy to be adminisgerous men engaged in diffusing a false reli-tered, took him from his church on the 12th gion amongst us. He has, at length, been seized and brought to judgment, but he refuses to reveal the secrets which it is of importance to know. We are, therefore, of opinion, that a crime, which becomes every day more contagious, ought not to be tolerated, and that we cannot allow it to remain unpunished without violating the wisest laws of the state. Therefore, after having read, with all due submission, the decree of king Minh-Menh, pub-illustrious confessor, they ordered his body to lished by the mandarins of the court, in the be brought to the place of execution, and seventeenth year of his reign (1835) con- there beheaded. The head was for three days ceived in the following terms: We order all exposed in public, and afterwards put into a chiefs of cities and towns to arrest the Europe- basket filled with stones, which was thrown ans that may be concealed in their districts, and into the deepest and most rapid part of the to hand them over to the mandarins, by whom river Vihoang that the Christians might not they are to be judged conformably to the law find it. The faithful endeavored in vain to passed against those who lead the people astray, ( recover the precious treasure, and already by teaching them a foreign and false religion; looked upon it as lost to them, when, on the for these reasons, all who shall conceal or assist first of November, a Christian fisherman dissuch impostors, are declared guilty and worthy covered and brought it to our brethren. It of death. And whereas there also exists a was still in such a state of perfect preservalaw against sorcerers, and that under this tion, that the hair, beard, and even the features name are comprised those who, by artifice, of the countenance, had not undergone the induce the people to follow a false worship; slightest alteration. The body of the bishop we declare that such is the crime of this was also recovered by the Christians with conmalefactor, and that, by virtue of the afore-siderable difficulty, and having been put into said law, he is worthy of strangulation; but, in order to proportion the punishment to the crime, and give an example which may undeceive and intimidate the people, we ordain that Ignatius Trum-Ca, here present, be beheaded, and his head exposed in the public place. All shall take cognizance of his judg-shed his blood in testimony of the faith, was ment, that the iniquity we have pointed out may be dried up in its source.' The sentence before it was executed was forwarded to the king for his approbation.

the same coffin with the head, was buried at Bin-Chu with as much honor as our misfortunes permitted us to give those sacred remains.

"The second missionary arrested in this persecution, and the first who had the glory to

Mgr. Henares, a Dominican, coadjutor to the
Vicar Apostolic, and destined to succeed him.
He was born at Vaena, in Andalusia, and had

rogatories they underwent. The questions put to Mgr. Henares, his answers, the treatment he received in prison, and the sentence pronounced against him, are in all respects similar to what we have seen in the trial of the Vicar Apostolic.

"The catechist Francis Chien, also bore glorious testimony to the Gospel. It was in vain that he was promised pardon for the past, on condition of his renouncing the faith; and when pressed for the last time to choose between apostacy and death, he replied, that no earthly consideration could induce him to trample upon the cross; and that he was ready to make to God the sacrifice of his life. This declaration, which clearly showed the judges that the confessor would not allow himself to be intimidated or seduced, was followed by the sentence of condemnation pronounced against him in the following terms: 'Van Chien, a Tonkinese by birth, convicted of

been named bishop in the year 1800. When the soldiers suddenly invested the villages mentioned above, he made an ineffectual effort to secure his safety by flight, and lay concealed for the remainder of the day in the house of a Christian. During the night he crossed in a boat to the opposite bank, but such was the terror of the Christians, that it was with difficulty the illustrious prelate could prevail upon them to open their houses to receive him. Two days after, he took refuge amongst the fishermen, but finding that the coast was guarded as closely as the villages, he was forced to run the risk of making for a distant part of the coast in an open boat. Whilst the boat was getting out from the shore, an infidel thought he noticed an expression of alarm in the countenances of the rowers, and was thereby led to suspect that they had a missionary in the boat. In order to ascertain the truth of his suspicions, he addressed himself to some Christian fish-having allowed himself to be led astray by a ermen who were on the shore, and feigning to be alarmed at the danger to which the boat was exposed, he begged them to receive amongst them, without fear, the priest, who was no doubt concealed in it. He not only promised to keep the secret, but also to assist them in concealing him. Our good Christians allowed themselves to be taken in the snare laid for them, and made signs to the rowers to return to land. The latter, who could with difficulty hold out against the wind and waves, hastened to return; and how great "The sentences pronounced against the was the joy of the poor fishermen to see their bishop and the catechist were submitted to holy bishop in the midst of them! with what the royal approbation, and sent back on the satisfaction did they conduct him to a neigh-25th of June to the capital of the province, boring hut, where he might take some rest, until the sea should become calmer! But he had no sooner entered the hut, than the perfidious pagan gave information to the officers of justice, who soon made their appearance with five hundred men, and arrested our worthy coadjutor, and the catechist, Francis Chien, who accompanied him. Mgr. Henares was put into a cage, similar to that in which the Vicar Apostolic was confined, the canga was put upon the catechist, and they were both conducted in this manner before the governor. The narrow limits of a letter do not allow me to transcribe the different inter

European malefactor, of having embraced his religion, in violation of the laws by which it is proscribed, has declared that he loves it, and that he will never renounce it. His obstinacy in refusing to trample upon the cross renders him guilty of rebellion against his sovereign and the laws of his country; for these reasons we condemn him to be beheaded, that by his death the people may learn what severe penalties are reserved for great crimes.'

with orders to have them executed without delay. At nine o'clock on the morning of the same day, the confessors of Christ were led to punishment, escorted by a great many soldiers, and accompanied by crowds of Christians and infidels. The bishop, enclosed in his wooden prison, prayed with the utmost composure, and followed by his catechist in chains and loaded with the canga. Before them were carried in large characters the grounds of their condemnation; on their way through the streets and in the public places a mandarin cried aloud to the people: Hearken and know, O people, that this man is an Eu

ropean, come amongst us to preach the false only to give new vigor to the persecution. religion of Christ; it is for this crime that the Father Joseph Fernandez, a Spanish Dominiking has condemned him to death; avoid such can, thought to escape the perils which surdoctrine, if you wish to escape the like fate!' rounded him in his district, by taking refuge "At one o'clock in the afternoon, the pro- in the western vicariate. He brought with cession reached the place of execution. The him Peter Tuan, a secular priest of the southcatechist placed himself on his knees, and ern mission. They were both received as having with a holy joy recommended his soul brothers by the fathers of that vicariate, and to the Almighty, had his head struck off at a concealed in the house of a fervent Christian. signal given by the mandarin. In the mean But their place of concealment was soon distime the bishop was taken out of the cage; covered by the mandarins of the province, he also knelt down, and, though the axe was and they were therefore compelled to seek raised over his head, continued to pray with another asylum. They fled in a small boat, perfect calmness, to the great admiration of and after two days' fatigue and danger they the spectators. An unsullied purity of life, reached the house of a pagan, who had on indefatigable zeal for the salvation of souls, former occasions manifested much zeal to an entire devotion to the duties of the apos- serve us. His love of money on this occatleship, and an ardent desire of martyrdom-sion made him guilty of treachery, and such were the virtues of which he constantly induced him to give up to the mandarins those gave us the example. He was also remarka-who had confided in his honor. Father Ferble for his perseverance in prayer, his study nandez was put into a cage, and Peter Tuan of the holy Fathers, and an unbounded love of was loaded with a canga. In this way they the poor. He died at the age of seventy- were conveyed to the capital of the southern three years, forty-nine of which he devoted to province. The first had been for a long time the good of the mission. The mandarins suffering from a dysentery and other serious caused the bodies to be interred in the place distempers, which the rigor of captivity only of execution; but the Christians contrived to augmented; struck with paralysis on one side have them deposited in a more becoming of his body, he could not make use of his place: that of the bishop reposes in the terri-hands at his meals. It was in such a state of tory of Sue-Thuy-Ha, and that of Francis Chien at Frung-Le, the place of his birth. The head of Mgr. Henares, after having been exposed for three days, was cast into the river, but was found soon after by the same fisherman who had already found that of the Vicar Apostolic. A practice prevails here which arises from the absurd credulity of the people; as soon as the executioner has beheaded the victim, the persons who are present at the execution run away in all directions, lest, as they say, the spirit of the victim should have time to seize upon any of them; on this occa-him sentence of death, which was confirmed sion, however, as well as whenever a martyr is put to death, so far from taking to flight, the pagans rivaled the Christians in their desire to gather up the blood and collect the clothes of our martyred brethren. This took place even in the presence of the mandarins, and in spite of the efforts of the soldiers who had orders to prevent it.

did not seem the least disposed to renounce his faith, and that on that point nothing could be expected from him. Upon receiving this information, the king himself pronounced

30th of June, the magistrate received official information of this, and on the same day the confessor of Jesus Christ was led to execution. He was more than seventy years old when he watered, with his blood, the mission which during forty years he had labored to fertilize. The faithful obtained permission to remove his remains, and bury them in the ter

demption. The intrepid missionary declared that he was ready to die for the God whom they wished him to outrage. That day he was led to the scaffold in the same manner as the other confessors; with this difference, how-against him the sentence of death. On the ever, that, worn out with infirmities and unable to move, Father Fernandez was carried by the soldiers to the place of execution. Placing himself upon his knees, his body supported by a soldier, he terminated by a glorious martyrdom, a life, thirty-three years of which he spent in the exercise of the apostleship. "His zealous companion in captivity, Pe-ritory of Tho-Ninh. ter Tuan, underwent the same questions, and "According to the law of this country no made the like generous confession of the faith. one can be condemned to death at eighty years He was repeatedly assailed with promises and of age, whatever may be the crime he may threats to induce him to profane the image of have committed. Either temporary or perhis God; his constant answer was, that he petual imprisonment becomes then his punpreferred death to infidelity. He was sen-ishment. But when have human laws affordtenced to be beheaded, but before the con-ed to the Christian an asylum which his enefirmation of the sentence by the king reached mies have respected? Father Bernard Due, a the governor, the servant of God, worn out by secular priest of the mission, furnishes anthe sufferings which he endured in prison, other example of this. He was eighty-three was carried off by a dysentery on the 15th of years of age when he learned the sentence July, 1838. He was seventy-three years old, which condemned the vicar apostolic to death. thirty-four of which were spent in the painful He immediately begged those who surrounded labors of the mission. The mandarins or-him to carry him before the mandarins, for he dered him to be buried in the public road, and up to the present moment we have not been able to remove his remains.

wished to die with his bishop. Perceiving that they were unwilling to comply with his request, he began to cry out with all his "On the 2d of June, Father Vincent Yên, strength that he was a priest of Jesus Christ, a native of the country, was also found wor- and ought to be put in prison. The Christthy to suffer for the sake of Christ. He wasians would have considered themselves guilty loaded with insults, and urged by the manda- of his death, if they had allowed him to give rins to renounce his faith. To every solicita- himself up to our enemies; they had him contion and to every insult he uniformly answered veyed therefore to an isolated dwelling, inthat the Christian was the only true religion; habited by a leper: but all their precautions that he had the happiness to be one of its were in vain; the old man continued his cries ministers, and that he wished for nothing more until he was heard by soldiers who were passthan to be esteemed worthy to be a martyr to ing, and conducted by them before the governit. The governor, who wished to spare his or. The fortitude he displayed before the life, endeavored to persuade him to give him-judges corresponded with the ardor he maniself out as a physician. But the holy con-fested for martyrdom. He was led to execufessor refused to purchase any favor by a lie, tion with Father Dominic Diên, whom the and continued to glory in his character as a Almighty had judged worthy of sharing the priest. The governor could not yet prevail up-same crown. When near the fatal spot, the on himself to pronounce sentence against him; latter said, 'We must now offer up fervent he solicited the authorization of the king to prayers to the Lord, that he may be pleased to send the accused to the place of his birth. In grant us the happiness we so long desired.' this letter he mentioned that the missionary They were still in the act of prayer, when the