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1613 & 1615-1622: John Saris and Richard Cocks in Japan
- English Reports of Christian Persecutions and Executions
"God send us well out of Japon,
for I dowbth it willbe every day worse than ever."
Richard Cocks, Japan, Sept. 7, 1622.
During the official reign of Tokugawa shōgun Hidetada, two English Protestant Christian envoys visited Japan
and reported back home about ongoing persecutions and executions of Catholic Christians, namely:
John Saris and Richard Cocks. They told their stories in both very detailed diaries and letters,
that were well preserved and have been published in print till today.
JOHN SARIS - in JAPAN 1613
Pages 149 & 150
RICHARD COCKS - in JAPAN 1615-1622
Richard Cocks Volume 2: Pages 334 & 335
Beware of Richard Cocks' finishing sentence on page 335, in fine four centuries old English, quote,
"God send us well out of Japon,
for I dowbth it willbe every day worse than ever."
Expressed by Richard Cocks in a letter to the E.I Company, England, dated September 7, 1622, and sent off by ship -
first to be returned because of a fierce storm, then resent from Hirado on NW Kyūshū on November 14, 1622 (Cocks Vol 2, p. 336).
Obviously, for the good of history, Richard Cocks managed to escape from Japan with his team, perhaps in the very last minute ...
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