Note 1 — Events in Filipinas, 1630–32

Christoval Ferreira was born in Portugal, in 1580. At the age of sixteen he entered the Jesuit order, and in 1609 was sent to the Japan mission; he remained there through many years of persecution, and was long the provincial of his order in Japan. In 1633 he was seized and imprisoned, and finally, under the strain of cruel tortures, recanted his faith—being, it is claimed, the only Jesuit who in all those fierce persecutions, became an apostate. His life was spared, but he was compelled by the Japanese to witness the martyrdom of his brethren, and even to decree their fate. At last Ferreira, tormented by remorse and shame, surrendered himself to the authorities as being still a Christian, and died (1652) as a martyr, suffering long and extreme torments. See Crétineau-Joly’s account of his career, in Hist. Comp. de Jésus, iii, pp. 161–164.

Murdoch and Yamagata say of this Jesuit (Hist. Japan, p. 633): “As to the story that Ferreyra repented and was fossed at Nagasaki in 1653 (at the age of seventy-four), there seems to be no foundation for it.”