The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 13]

1604-1605]

CHIRINO'S RELATION

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importunities from wicked men. Her refuge was to
confess and devoutly to receive communion, arming
herself with these holy sacraments. One day, after
she had received communion in our house, one of
these men lay in wait to seize her when alone; and,
with a bare dagger at her breast, was about to slay her
if she would not consent to his evil purpose. But she,
fortified with the bread of the strong, and with the
wine springing forth virgins,l6 told him that she was
ready to die on the spot, rather than offend God. He
abused her with words, and even handled her roughly, but left her, astonished and overcome by her
chastity.
Another man lived for many years in great impiety,
and, forgetful of his God, in mortal sins - especially
a base passion so fixed and rooted in his heart that
when one of our fathers talked with him, striving to
convert him, he seemed mad and beside himself. In
truth, he was beside himself, for he still remained
with that evil companion with whom he had lived,
nor did he seem to have feeling or thought for any
other thing. It pleased our Lord that by serious conversations and arguments he was induced not to visit
his wicked companion; and after a reluctant "yes"
had been drawn from him, almost by force, he did
afterward abandon her, so entirely that it seemed as
if he had never known her. He made a general confession, and began a new life, to the wonder of those
who knew him.
The corsairs from Gelanda [Zeeland] who had
been brought as prisoners to the city of Manila were
condemned to death. The governor of those islands
deemed it advisable that they should be distributed
16 Marginal reference: " Psalms, 77; Zacharias, 9."