Part 11

The most ignominious death which a criminal can die in that country is by impalement; and the idolaters determined to stamp Christianity in India with infamy by subjecting its ministers to this punishment. The next morning Father de Britto and his companions were marshalled for the execution; in front marched a detachment of armed men; then followed the man of God in irons, with his eyes raised to heaven and his face beaming with joy; last came the executioners and an immense crowd of people. But Almighty God had yet work for him to do, and suspended the blow as it was about to fall. A messenger arrived from court, bearing an order to General Conmara to come immediately to the capital with all his forces, as an insurrection had broken out against the government. At this news the crowd dispersed, the soldiers made ready to march, and the officers of justice retraced their steps with their prisoner. But they revenged themselves upon him for their disappointment by ill-usage of every kind. At last, after three weeks, he was ordered up to Ramanadabouram, the capital, to see the prince.

On his arrival, he was to his astonishment received with favour by Prince Ranganadeven. He made the missionary sit by his side, and explain the principal doctrines, and practices of the Christian religion. The prince having listened, said, "I grant you your liberty, and your companions may go also: worship your God and preach His law; but do not preach it in my country. It is an excellent law; but it forbids stealing and polygamy, so it will not suit my subjects. If you dare to disobey me, depend upon it I will cut off your head." Thus De Britto obtained his liberty; and as he thought it best to obey the prince's injunctions, he left Marava.

When Father Rodriguez, Provincial of Malabar, heard of the liberation of De Britto, he summoned him to the pearl-fishery coast, to regain his strength after their labours. He obeyed, though he would rather have continued in the mission while any strength remained to him. But his journey to the coast had been ordered by God. Father Francis Paolo, who was returning to Europe in his capacity of procurator of Malabar, had been shipwrecked; and Father de Britto was sent home in his place. He left the fishery in 1687; and after a voyage of ten months he reached Lisbon in September, 1688, having been absent fourteen years and a half.

On the news of his arrival, the whole city rose to greet him, for the fame of his sanctity and heroism had reached Portugal long before. The king, whose page he had been, the infanta Isabella Louisa, the ministers of state and the grandees, the people and the religious orders, all showed him a thousand marks of respect and honour.

He maintained in Portugal the same mortified habits which he had formed in India, wore the same dress, used the same food, and slept on the bare ground. He set about the work upon which he had been sent home with great diligence; and in the college of the Jesuits which he visited, he awoke an extraordinary enthusiasm among the young men; even old priests were seized with the same fervour. Of the volunteers, Father de Britto selected six, and to that number he added several who had been missionaries, but were now occupying chairs in different universities, and whom he wanted to argue with the Brahmins.

Having once selected his band, he commenced instructing them in the details of their work; and when all things were ready, and he had obtained larger funds for the support of this increase to his mission, from the king, they set sail for India in 1690; but not without great opposition; for the King of Portugal would have retained him at home, first to superintend the education of his son, and then to promote him to a bishopric--both of which _persecutions_, however, as he called them, he happily surmounted. They started with a favourable wind, and the voyage was at first prosperous; but presently they were detained by a calm, when their provisions became tainted, and a fever broke out. The holy father fell ill, and two of his missionaries died. De Britto, writing home, gave a horrible account of that voyage, and the miseries they endured from the sickness of the crew, the stench of the vessel, the heat and cold, the contrary winds, the incessant fatigues which they all had to suffer. In his great humility he attributed them all to his own sins.

On their arrival at Goa, his return was celebrated by the whole college of Santa Fé and the Christians there with rejoicings. After a short stay, he passed on to see the Provincial at the pearl fishery, with whom he held a council on the plan of his future campaign. In consequence of the maturity of judgment, which the father displayed on this occasion, he was nominated Visitor of the mission, and immediately after Easter he set out for Madura on his new charge. Then he visited in succession all the stations, encouraged the missionaries, confirmed the faithful, and converted a great number of idolaters to the faith of Christ. But his chief longings were in the direction of Marava, where he hoped to find that palm and crown of martyrdom which five years before had fallen from his grasp. Thither accordingly he bent his steps.

The kings of Marava and Madura were still at war; and all the sufferings which he had formerly experienced under the same circumstances awaited him now upon his second arrival. Soldiers were ravaging the country, and he and his flock were compelled to skulk about in the woods. It is difficult to realize the sufferings which the holy father endured for several months with so much joy and resignation. It was his zeal for the salvation of sinners, and the numerous conversions with which God accredited his mission, that supported him under all. We should scarcely be able to credit the fact, if it had not been asserted on oath by one of the catechists in the process of Beatification; that, in the short space of ten days the blessed father administered Baptism with his own hand to twelve thousand idolaters; and more than once his right hand fell powerless through fatigue.

He established his head quarters in the principality of Mouni, on the borders of Marava. In order to obtain for the Maravians a proper place for celebrating the holy mysteries, he chose a thick forest not far from Mouni, and there constructed three chapels, to which catechists were attached for the instruction of converts in Christian doctrine; and at night the holy father came to administer the Sacraments. In a short time he gained to the faith a vast number of heathen. And Almighty God deigned to confirm the faith of these converts by the most extraordinary miracles. By the mere touch of the father, devils were cast out and the sick cured. The same power was possessed even by the catechists and neophytes. They read the Gospel over the sick, and made the sign of the Cross, and God restored them to health.

The report of these wonderful cures reached the ears of Prince Teriadeven, the real heir to the throne of Marava, now in the possession of Prince Ranganadeven the usurper, a young man who had before shown some signs of favour towards Christianity. Being taken ill, he sent to the blessed father to come and heal him. The father did not go at once himself, but sent one of his catechists, to instruct the prince in the elements of Christian doctrine, and exhort him to put his whole trust in Jesus Christ, as at once the Saviour of soul and body. The catechist went and read the Gospel to him, made him repeat the Apostles' Creed, and that instant the sickness left him.

Awed by the sudden miracle of which he had been the subject, the prince no longer delayed his resolution, but expressed his readiness at once to be baptized. He sent to the father and desired to be made a Christian, and was the more confirmed in his desire when he had witnessed on the feast of Epiphany a large assembly of the faithful, and the holy sacrament of Baptism conferred upon two hundred catechumens. But the missionary, who knew him to be possessed of five wives, replied that he could not conscientiously grant him so great a favour until he had put away all save one, with the firm resolution of adhering to her alone for the remainder of his life. The noble Indian upon the spot sent for his wives, selected the first of the five, who herself wished to be a Christian, and informed the others of the resolution he had taken in consequence of his miraculous cure by the holy missionary. Stupefied at this announcement, they assailed the prince, now with tears and caresses, then with threats and reproaches; but nothing could change his resolution; and they went away transported with fury against Father de Britto, whom they looked upon as the author of their calamity.

Teriadeven received baptism solemnly with two hundred of his court. This was in the beginning of 1693. Immediately after the ceremony he returned to Mouni, where a great multitude awaited baptism. The joy of the Church was raised to its highest pitch by these glorious conversions, and by the prospect of greater still, when suddenly there burst out the most terrible persecution that had yet fallen upon them. It confounded in its fury the whole of that infant society, and tore from them their sole support, the holy father, to whom they owed their birth unto Jesus Christ, and whose hour of martyrdom had at length arrived.

In every one of the four wives put away by Prince Teriadeven, Father de Britto had raised up an enemy, who would be satisfied with no sacrifice short of his life. But among them all the youngest, who happened to be the usurper's niece, was the most furious. In a transport of rage she ran to her uncle and told him of the outrage she had suffered from the European. Then she appealed to the Brahmins, who hated him too bitterly to remain deaf to her cries. They had long nourished their thirst for revenge, and now they saw an opportunity of slaking it. A consultation was held as to the best course to be pursued, and it was decided that they should go in a body to the king, and make a formal complaint against Father de Britto. They selected Pomparanam to be their spokesman, an old man, and very spiteful, who pronounced a set speech on the occasion.

The king saw perfectly well through the motives of the Brahmins in thus taking up the woman's cause; but as the honour of his own family was concerned in the person of his niece, he acceded to their request. He ordered the Christians to be fined, and their houses to be burnt. The father had foreseen the storm that was gathering, and had warned his flock of the danger, but they all refused to fly. They determined to stand by their dear master, upon whom they knew the great fury of the persecution would fall, and if God required it, die with him. The king despatched four companies of soldiers to seize the missionary. Three of them advanced to the chapels which he had built in the woods, where they arrested the catechists who were in charge of them. The fourth hastened to Mouni, and there they found the holy father. It was the morning of the 8th of January, and he was offering, as was his wont, the Holy Sacrifice, when God revealed to him what was coming; and after Mass he addressed the people, and said that those who had not courage to give up their lives in testimony to the faith of Jesus Christ, had better depart at once and hide themselves. He pronounced these words in so decided and significant a manner, that they all perceived he had received some definite intelligence, and, seized with a sudden panic, they all dispersed except one Brahmin, a convert, and two children, who preferred remaining with him. In the evening, warning came of the approach of a troop of mounted soldiery. He knew their errand, and raising his eyes towards heaven, he offered up his life as a sacrifice to God, and went forth to meet them. They seized him violently, and led him off with his three companions.

In a neighbouring village, there was being celebrated at that time a grand festival to one of their gods. Thither on their arrival they drew the Christian victims, and harnessed them to the triumphal car of the idol, and exposed them to the jeers of the multitude. Next day they were taken to the royal city of Ramanadabouram, and there the saint was incarcerated in a filthy hovel, and with him the three catechists who had been arrested in the forest chapels. The holy father embraced them, and exhorted them to continue firm to the end. The heroism of the two children is especially recorded. They animated each other to suffer for Jesus Christ.

The imprisonment lasted for several days. Teriadeven only heard of their captivity when it was too late to avert it; but he gave orders that they should be treated with kindness till the king's wishes should be known. Those orders, however, were not attended to, and the brutal jailors amused themselves with the sufferings of the martyrs, and fed them with food which the soldiers rejected.

At last the prisoners were brought before the chief minister of state. A small crucifix had been found upon De Britto, and the judge asked him what that image represented. "It is the image of my God," said the father, "who being immortal and impassible in his own nature, was made man, and died upon a cross to rescue us from the slavery of the devil." At these words the impious wretch threw it down upon the ground in contempt, and stamped upon it with his feet. The holy man, although chained and bound, fell upon his knees, and crawling with difficulty to the crucifix, pressed it to his breast, and watered it with tears, in reparation of the insult. There was a great crowd of spectators present, who regarded this action as a contempt of court, and loudly demanded sentence. But the judge, not knowing what to say, ordered the confessors back to prison, and there they remained for a month.

Prince Teriadeven boldly pleaded their cause before the king, in face of the personal danger he incurred by his advocacy of the Christians. Ranganadeven, in a rage, ordered him at once to adore the gods. The prince refused, and said he would rather die than again offer the worship to idols which was due only to Jesus Christ. The tyrant answered that he would soon show which religion was the most powerful, and forthwith gave orders to the magicians to prepare a certain incantation considered infallible in its operation, to cause the death of the missionary. The incantation failed, to the shame of the king, and the discomfiture of his priests; and Father de Britto was sent for, and asked whether the failure of the sorcerers was owing to the enchanted book, meaning the Breviary, which he was still allowed to retain in his possession. The missionary replied that that book was devoted to the praise of God, and to nothing so hateful as sorcery. The tyrant ordered the book to be hung round his neck, and the executioners to shoot at him in the market-place: "And we shall see," said he "whether your God can deliver you." He was led away, and the soldiers were taking aim, when Teriadeven broke through their ranks, and ordered them to desist. They obeyed, knowing him to be the true owner of the crown; and as he was very popular, the tyrant feared a revolt if he should persist in the execution. De Britto's death was accordingly again deferred; and the tyrant ordered him to be sent to Oureiadeven, his brother, who lived at Orejour, a distance of two days' journey from the court, with instructions that he should be put to death on his arrival.

The father rejoiced when he heard whither he was going, for he knew that it was to die; but he wept at leaving his dear companions; they separated, never more to meet again in this world. He had to travel barefoot, tightly bound, and surrounded by guards, who hurried him over rocks and briers, through sand and brushwood. The blood gushed from the wounds he had received in prison, and from his torn and blistered feet; but instead of receiving pity from these wretches, they heaped abuse upon him. On his journey, the Christians assembled to see him pass, and receive his blessing.

He arrived at Orejour on the last day of January, and was immediately taken before Oureiadeven, the king's brother. This prince laboured under an incurable leprosy. Having heard of the missionary's gift of miracles, he doubted not that he would gladly purchase his life by exerting it for his cure. The father replied, that it appertained to God alone to cure disease; all that he could do was to apply the remedies, and entreat Almighty God to bless them; and he added, that if the prince desired to be made whole of his bodily disease, he must first heal the sickness of his soul, by accepting the true faith. When the prince saw that nothing would move the holy man, he turned to one of his suite named Margharittei, and bade him cut off his head upon the spot. Margharittei answered, that he was a Christian himself, and nothing would induce him to imbrue his hands in innocent blood. Then the prince's own wife rushed in, and threatened her husband with the judgments of heaven if he dared to execute the sentence of the king. Moved by these remonstrances, he ordered the servant of God to be carried back to his dungeon.

As soon as this got abroad, the Brahmins, fearing that their prey might escape their hands, went to the governor of the town, who was a bitter enemy of the Christians, and represented the case to him. Mourougapapoullei, for that was his name, instantly demanded an audience of the prince, and in the strongest terms reproached him for not obeying the commands of the king. The cowardly prince yielded through fear of the king's displeasure, and granted the governor leave to execute the sentence of death. It was on the morning of the 4th of February, being Ash-Wednesday, that the servant of God was apprised of his final sentence. At the joyful news, his countenance lighted up; he fell on his knees, and returned thanks to God. Then rising up, he said to the executioners, "I am ready." He walked to the place of execution without restraint, and with his Breviary hanging from his neck, his eyes fixed on heaven, and his steps so rapid that his guards were compelled to restrain him. Along the road a multitude of the faithful were waiting to see him pass.

The spot which had been selected for the martyrdom was a little hill by the bank of the river, not far from the city. On arriving there he was allowed by the guards to retire for a short time to pray. The executioner who at that moment came up, seeing the servant of God absorbed in prayer, was afraid to disturb him. More than a quarter of an hour had elapsed, when the son of the prince ran up and reprimanded the executioner for his delay in executing the sentence. Then the holy man approached the side of the river, and, after embracing the executioner, knelt down, and holding out his head, said, "I am ready; do as you are commanded." The executioner drew his scymitar, and raising his arm, was about to give the fatal blow, when he perceived the martyr's reliquary hanging by a cord from his neck. Taking it for granted that it was some charm which would ward off the stroke, he had first to remove it; but he durst not take it away with his hand, lest he should be bewitched. He therefore severed the string with the scymitar, and made a frightful gash on the breast and shoulder. The holy martyr offered to God the first fruits of his sacrifice; and then the executioner, no longer fearing any amulet to turn the edge of his weapon, raised the scymitar and hewed off his head.

This glorious triumph of the faith of Jesus Christ took place at Marava, on the 4th of February, 1693.

After Father de Britto's death the executioner drove a stake into the ground, on which he impaled the body; and having cut off the hands and feet, he hung them, along with the head, from the waist. The faithful tried hard to obtain possession of the relics, but in vain; they were too well guarded by the soldiers. His crucifix the martyr had given to a faithful convert, who transmitted it to Father Laine, and from his hands it reached his house of profession in Paris. And all that could be collected of the clothing, writing, objects of devotion, and instruments of penance were forwarded to the same father, by whom they were laid up in the Jesuit Church at Pondicherry, and thence they found their way to Goa. But it was some time before any fragments of the body fell into the hands of the Christians. The soldiers kept guard over the body while it remained impaled on the stake; but at last a violent storm came on, and the cord which supported the head and hands broke; the head rolled into the river, and was saved; but wild beasts preyed upon the body. When the soldiers had retired, the catechists came and gathered up all they could find of the body. In the river they discovered the head; they bought the stake, on which his limbs had been impaled, of the soldiers, and the scymitar of the executioner; this scymitar Father John de Corte brought with him to Europe a few years afterwards, and presented it to the king of Portugal, Pedro II. And these are all the relics that remain of the blessed Father John de Britto.

[12] 'Annales Archeologiques,' Tom. xxiii. p. 232.

[13] "Vie des Saints" Tom. ix. p. 22.

[14] Elmasini 'Hist. Sarac.' Lugd. Batav. 1625, p. 267.

[15] This article is condensed from an article by the Author in the Quarterly Review for October, 1867, on "Portraits of Christ."

[16] For information on this Order, see Jan. 15, S. Alexander.

[17] See for more information on the Iconoclastic heresy the life of S. Tarasius, Feb. 25th.

[18] This very term "Symbol of Christ," as applied to the Holy Eucharist, is indication of heretical views on the Presence.

[19] Gofredus in Vita S. Bernardi.

[20] Eugenius III.

February 5.

S. AGATHA, _V. M. at Catania_, A.D. 251. S. AGRICOLAUS, _B. of Utrecht, beginning of 5th cent._ S. AVITUS, _B. of Vienne, in France, circ._ A.D. 524. S. GENUINE, _B. of Savio, circ._ A.D. 640. S. BERTULF, _Ab. at Ghent; beginning of 8th cent._ SS. INDRACT, DOMINICA AND COMPANIONS, _MM. at Glastonbury, beginning of 8th cent._ S. VODAL, _Mk. at Soissons, beginning of 8th cent._ SS. DOMITIAN, _Duke of Carinthia, and_ MARY, _his wife, beginning of 9th cent._ S. POLYEUCTUS, _Patr. of Constantinople_, A.D. 970. S. ADELHEID, _V. Abss. at Villich; circ._ A.D. 1015. SS. JAPANESE MARTYRS, _at Nangasaki_, A.D. 1592-1642.

S. AGATHA, V. M.

(A.D. 251.)

[Roman Martyrology and all others. Famous also among the Greeks. There are various editions of the Acts of her Martyrdom in Latin and in Greek. The latter are not as trustworthy as the former, which are very ancient, and though apparently tampered with by copyists, are on the whole to be relied upon. The Latin Acts were written by eye-witnesses, as appears from a passage in them, "From this we supposed he was her angel." There is an older version of the Greek Acts than that given by Metaphrastes (fl. 867), and there is a sermon on S. Agatha by S. Methodius. The name of S. Agatha occurs in the Canon of the Roman Mass; among the first five Virgin Saints enumerated in _Nobis quoque peccatoribus_.]