Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/384

372 372 CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC. more apostolic labourers. He was already preparing to set out again on his way back to China, with a nume- rous colony of young missionaries, when he fell seriously ill, God it would seem being pleased with his servant, was willing to call him to himself, that he might reward him. The good priest, feeling his end approach, had himself removed to Ucline, that he might die in the convent where he had received the habit of St. Francis. He asked, as a consolation, to render up his life to the Lord in the same place where it had been consecrated entirely to Him ; this grace was not denied him, and his patience and resignation during his long illness excited the admiration of those same brethren whom he had so much edified by his piety at the beginning of his career. As modesty induced him to remain silent re- specting the great things that he had done for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, his superiors gave him a formal order to write an account of his apostolic journeys. He obeyed with simplicity ; but as he was unable to write, it was brother Henri de Glatz who served as his secretary and received his narration. When he had ended his interesting tale, this admirable priest pronounced the following words : — "I, brother Oderic of Friuli, certify before God and Jesus Christ, that all those things which have been here written I have seen with my own eyes, or heard from persons worthy of belief. There are many others which have not been written, because they would appear impossible to men of our country, excepting those who have travelled as I (poor sinner) have, in the land of the infidels." As we have related, according to the account of Oderic de Friuli, some facts which have, perhaps, ap-