Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume II.djvu/154

140 soon as he should have placed in it the image of the true God.

This palace, which had been built but a very short time, was capable of accommodating ten missionaries, and in other respects particularly well adapted for a religious house. The price having been fixed at one half of what it had cost to build, Father Ricci did not hesitate a moment about the purchase, and did not concern himself in the least on the subject of the diabolic apparitions; for besides that the house was an excellent bargain; it was a point of the highest importance to the security of the mission, to possess premises sold thus by an authentic act of the president of public works. This fact alone constituted a legal authorisation, and would serve to cut short many future intrigues of the petty mandarins or jealous men of letters. The contract of sale was signed and sealed by the president, and the missionaries with great joy installed themselves in their palace, though not without having previously sprinkled it well with holy water. They never heard any unpleasant noises, nor saw the smallest sign of a ghost, and from that time all Nankin was talking, not only of the knowledge of these foreign doctors, but of their power over evil spirits; and it was inferred also that their religion must be a holy one, since their presence was thus sufficient to silence and put to flight a whole army of demons.

This event did not fail to make a great impression on the Chinese, and disposed them strongly in favour of the European ecclesiastics.