ments ready for death, and clothing himself in the habit of one of them, re-appeared on the upper deck, and mingling amongst those who were being strangled, received the grace for which he thirsted, and was cast with the others into the ocean. It was on Saturday, July 15th, 1570, that these forty martyrs entered into their rest. That very day, S. Theresa, in her monastery at Avila, being in meditation, was suddenly rapt in an ecstacy, and beheld the heavens opened, and forty of those who had shed their blood for Jesus entering Paradise, their countenances dazzling with celestial light, crowns upon their heads, and palms in their hands. She remained absorbed for a long time in contemplation of their glory, especially when she perceived by their habits that they were of the Society of Jesus, and that her own relation, Francis Peréz Godoy, was amongst the number. She confided this vision to her confessor, Father Balthazer Alvarèz, by whom it was made known before the tidings had reached Spain, and verified it in every detail. Father Azevedo appeared also on the very day and hour of his death to his brother Jerome, then with the Portuguese army in the East Indies; his face serene, his voice full of joy, declaring that he had died by the hands of heretics, and was entering heaven. Jerome recovering from the trance into which the apparition had cast him, exclaimed, "My brother, my dear brother!" but Father Azevedo had already vanished. From that moment, through all the military honours he obtained, and the harassing disappointments which afterwards befell him, Jerome had but one real object in life, to work out his salvation and become worthy of his relationship to the glorious martyr. He chose him. for his special protector; and caused a painting to be 1 made which represented him as he appeared at that moment; it was hung up in his oratory, and became the object of his tenderest devotion. No one could doubt, from the effect on the after-life of Jerome, that he had really beheld what he said. Amongst the martyrs nine only were Spaniards, the rest were Portuguese; two only were priests, twentytwo were intended for the priesthood, but had not yet completed their studies, the other sixteen were laybrothers, who performed domestic functions, and were also employed when necessary as catechists. The Calvinists did not long hesitate, when they had despatched their victims, to lay their sacrilegious hands upon whatever they could find that had belonged to them. They expected, no doubt, to discover hoards of valuable treasure; but altar furniture, church ornaments, chalices, missals, reliquaries, spiritual books, rosaries, images, and medals-all presents to Father Azevedo from the Pope and other prelates at Rome, for the mission in Brazil-these were all they could find. Disappointed in their covetous search, they wreaked the most wanton outrages on the simple but sacred objects of devotion. They hacked with their knives the image of their crucified God, and crushed beneath their feet medals and rosaries. They dressed themselves in the sacerdotal vestments, with shouts of derision. One of them having discovered, by its superscription, a piece of the true cross, called one of the Portuguese, who was looking on in horror and indignation, and exclaimed, as he cast it into the fire, "Come, superstitious men, and see if this wood will not burn as well as any other." The silver chalices and ciboriums were profaned at their drunken revels; and every outrage that impiety could suggest was heaped upon all that bore witness of the Holy Faith. A few of the garments of the missionaries were preserved, and afterwards bought at a high price by the governor of Gomera, one of the Canary Islands. As to the other missionaries, who had been left behind at Madeira, they learnt the news with profound and bitter grief; but there was so much of consolation in the nature of their brethren's death, that by degrees they felt only sorrow that they had lost the same glorious privilege. Especially Father Pedro Diaz, to whom Father Azevedo had committed his authority before his departure, regretted unceasingly that he had lost. the opportunity of sealing his faith with his blood. But for him the crown was only suspended a little longer. The very next year, when continuing his voyage to Brazil with Vasconcellos' squadron, he fell into the hands of the same heretics, and, with eleven of his companions, went to receive the same crowns and palms as Father Azevedo and his sainted band of martyrs. END OF VOL. VII. Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & Co. |