<0ltf^ 
 
 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 M.H. MCCLEAN 
 
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 FRANCIS XAVIER /^^ 
 
 THE APOSTLE OF THE INDIES 
 
 BY 
 
 M. H. McCLEAN 
 
 [Born 1835, Died 1894' 
 
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 Kft^ 
 
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 ^ift^^^ 
 
 LONDON 
 KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., L'^^- 
 
 PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD 
 1895 
 
 BOSTON. COU- 
 
 OH&STN*' 
 
-I 36585 
 
" / would the light of reason, Lord, 
 Up to the last might shine, 
 That my own hands might hold my soul 
 Until it passed to Thine. 
 
 "Long life dismays me, by the sense 
 Of my own weakness scared ; 
 And by Thy grace a sudden death 
 Need not be unprepared. ' ' 
 
 F. W. FABER. 
 
The Story of St. Francis Xavier's life and work 
 has been told in these pages, as far as possible, 
 in his own words. The following are the authori- 
 ties chiefly used : 
 
 " Epistolae S. Francisci Xaverii " (Rome, 1677 ; and 
 later edition, with additional letters, published Cologne, 
 1692). 
 
 " Epistolae Jiidicae " (1563), 
 
 " Rerum a Societate Jesn in Oriente Gestariim Volnmen " 
 (Cologna, 1574). 
 
 " De Vita Francisci Xavierii " (Antwerp, 1596). 
 
 " Vida, Y Milagros de San Francisco Xavier, de la 
 Compania de Jesus, Apostol de Las Indias," For El Padre 
 Francisco Garcia (Barcelona, 1683). 
 
 " Lettres de Saint Francois Xavier," by M. Ldon Pages 
 Paris, 1855), has also been consulted. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 
 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. 
 
 NAVARRE 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 II. 
 
 PARIS 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 III. 
 
 ITALY. . i . . . 
 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 IV. 
 
 PORTUGAL 
 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 V. 
 
 EASTWARD . . . . . 
 
 
 
 
 38 
 
 VI. 
 
 THE VOYAGE .... 
 
 
 
 
 • 47 
 
 VII. 
 
 PORTUGUESE INDIA . 
 
 
 
 
 58 
 
 VIII. 
 
 THE PEARL FISHERY . 
 
 
 
 
 74 
 
 IX. 
 
 TROUBLE 
 
 
 
 
 98 
 
 X. 
 
 WANDERINGS .... 
 
 
 
 
 112 
 
 XI. 
 
 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 130 
 
 XII. 
 
 INDIA, 1548 .... 
 
 
 
 
 146 
 
 XIII. 
 
 JAPAN ..... 
 
 
 
 
 156 
 
 XIV. 
 
 CHINA 
 
 
 
 
 183 
 
FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 NAVARRE 
 
 " Glad sight wherever new with old 
 
 Is joined through some dear home-born tie, 
 The life of all that we behold, 
 Depends upon that mystery." 
 
 Wordsworth. 
 
 We first catch a glimpse of Francis Xavier as a 
 studious lad, gentle and comely, well-born and well- 
 beloved. An old castle, old even in the beginning 
 of the sixteenth century, was the home of his child- 
 hood, not by any means a luxurious or even a cheer- 
 ful one. His father, Don John Giasco, who had 
 acquired it by marriage with the heiress of the 
 Xaviers, was much absent at the Court of Navarre, 
 and his elder sons and daughters following him, 
 left the place desolate and impoverished. Only 
 in the remains of feudal grandeur did the Castle 
 
 A 
 
2 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 Xavier tower above the squalid houses and narrow- 
 streets of the little town of Obanos. Yet though 
 empty halls hung with threadbare tapestry, 
 darkened rooms and dismal courts, formed but 
 grim surroundings, that could not be called a gloomy 
 abode which looked forth across the broad plain of 
 Pampeluna, to the long range of the Pyrenees, rising 
 tall and majestic with hoary sides and cloud-capped 
 pinnacles. Many a day of wild sport and adven- 
 ture must the boy have passed among his native 
 mountains, bracing his nerves and hardening his 
 frame unconsciously^ for the labours of his man- 
 hood — climbing the cliffs to find the eagle's nest, 
 tracking the wolf by torchlight over the blood-stained 
 snow, fishing for his Lenten fare in the dark lakes 
 that lie in the heart of the hills, or rambling, on some 
 long summer day, by pine forest and winding stream, 
 even to where the rocky ramparts of France are 
 cleft as with Titan sword, at the far-famed Breche 
 de Roland, or scaled by the sacred pass of Ronces- 
 valles. 
 
 All the romance of the land was reality to him. 
 Were not Roland and Charlemagne compeers of the 
 noble Spanish Cid, himself the foremost of a long 
 line of Christian champions, represented, even in the 
 
NAVARRE 3 
 
 boy's own day, by gallant knights, who warred 
 against the Moors of Grenada, or who, like Loyola, 
 protected the fortresses of Spain against the invading 
 Frenchmen ? 
 
 A missionary career seemed then a most unlikely 
 destiny for the young Hidalgo. His brothers were 
 all soldiers, scattered in the various armies of Europe, 
 or in those with which Charles V. was forcing Chris- 
 tianity upon the new-found continent of America. 
 It remained for the youngest son to curb the com- 
 bative and adventurous spirit inherent in the race, 
 and turn to study as his means of worldly ad- 
 vancement. The learned profession of the law was 
 chosen for him, and all his talents and energies 
 were early enlisted in its pursuit, although there 
 were many delays caused by financial difficulties, 
 before he was sent to receive a fitting education at 
 the University of Paris. 
 
 In the meantime he was left to the care of his 
 mother, Dona Maria d'Aspilqueta y Xavier, ** a 
 pious and proud lady," says the old chronicler, 
 ** devising to her son many excellent gifts of 
 nature, along with her own honourable name." 
 She brought up Francis pure in heart and fearing 
 the Lord, forming in him habits of self-denial and 
 
4 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 reverence, a love of truth and sense of duty, that 
 coloured his future life. The mother we see once 
 again, dwelling, aged and widowed, in the same 
 abode. Long years have passed there in peaceful 
 monotony, while her boy has been wrestling with 
 all the evils of the wide world that she knows only 
 by report. 
 
 Other sons are with her now, returned from the 
 wars, or the seas, with riches to gladden the an- 
 cestral home, and dutiful care for her comfort, 
 while he, the youngest and the darling, is journey- 
 ing in pilgrim garb across his native Pyrenees 
 and the plain of Pampeluna, on his way to rougher 
 mountains and more burning plains, to a home- 
 less life and a lonely death, in the far and un- 
 known East. Only a few short leagues separate 
 them, yet he will not permit himself to turn from 
 the appointed road, even to bid farewell to her he 
 can never hope to see again on earth, but trusts 
 to rejoin in heaven. 
 
 Female influence of a gentler type helped to 
 mould the character of this knight-errant among 
 saints whose chivalrous treatment of women and 
 mothers and little children has no precedent. His 
 Jesuit chroniclers tell us of a sister, Dona Maria 
 
NAVARRE 5 
 
 Magdalena. Beautiful and gifted, she retired from 
 the pleasures of a Court to the convent of the poor 
 Clares. Her prophecy of the future greatness 
 and usefulness her brother was to attain in the 
 East, seems to prove such intimacy and confidence 
 between them as enabled her to share the secret 
 aspirations of his heart, and it was by her gentle 
 pleadings that his father was reconciled to his 
 altered ambition. 
 
 In 1520, when he was about fourteen years old, 
 there came into Xavier's life the man who was 
 destined to influence him more than either mother 
 or sister. 
 
 Ignatius Loyola was that year in charge of the 
 town of Pampeluna — a soldier, reckless and daring, 
 head of the inefficient garrison of that half-fortified 
 town. 
 
 The land was at peace, the brunt of battle falling 
 on other frontiers, when suddenly, without note of 
 challenge or proclamation of war, French regiments 
 came marching down upon the plain to surprise the 
 place, and menace the independence of the little 
 border kingdom. Any defence of the walls was 
 impossible, but a few brave spirits made good 
 their retreat into the citadel, and held it, in the 
 
6 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 midst of the invaders, for many a long day, until 
 their leader Loyola fell, stricken as it seemed, with 
 his death wound. 
 
 Deprived of his persuasive counsels of self-sacri- 
 fice, honour and patriotism, they surrendered to the 
 superior forces of the enemy ; but the delay gave 
 time for the King of Navarre to remonstrate with 
 his aggressive brother of France, and obtain the 
 instant recall of troops that would have devastated 
 all the country round, had it not been for that 
 skilful check. 
 
 All the neighbourhood gloried and rejoiced in 
 their deliverance, and forgot perhaps the name of 
 their preserver. The feat could not fail to charm 
 the imagination and impress the memory of a brave 
 boy, dwelling within a few leagues of the spot. 
 
 Ten years afterwards Francis met his hero in Paris, 
 and was sorely amazed to find the undaunted cap- 
 tain changed into the theological student, the care- 
 worn ascetic, meanly clad and subdued in manner. 
 But, changed though he was, Loyola soon gained 
 a complete ascendency over the wayward youth, 
 whose steps he haunted like some friendly ghost, 
 and it was his hand that in days soon to come 
 rescued Francis from destruction. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 PARIS 
 
 " Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth, 
 
 Fooled by those rebel powers that thee array, 
 Why dost thou pine within and suffer death, 
 Painting thine outward walls so costly gay ? " 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 Paris was a pleasant place in the days of the first 
 Francis. A city rising into architectural beauty and 
 literary fame, splendid with tourney and pageant, 
 thronged with the noble and the learned of all coun- 
 tries, thrilling with political and intellectual excite- 
 ment — court, camp, and college all in one. 
 
 The young Spaniard led a pleasant life amidst 
 these manifold attractions, while he was yet but a 
 student at the far-famed University ; light of heart, 
 with steady aim and boundless ambition, enjoying, 
 for the first time, liberty, society and success. But 
 when, in 1530, he had completed his course with 
 
8 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 distinction, taken the degree of Master of Philosophy, 
 and commenced reading Aristotle and teaching logic, 
 his peace of mind was gone. 
 
 College honours are, perhaps, harder to bear than 
 any others. A man cannot rest on these early 
 laurels, yet it is painful to leave them and start 
 afresh for some far distant goal. The stimulus to 
 exertion is suddenly withdrawn, the hardworked 
 faculties relapse into indolence, and it takes time 
 before the talents, that learning has tested but not 
 tried, work again. So Xavier, having attained his 
 first ambition and engaged in learned pursuits, felt 
 the need of some stronger excitement. He plunged 
 into theological speculation, and distracted his soul 
 with doubts. He rushed into gaiety and dissipation, 
 and squandered away his slender fortune. 
 
 Pupils failed and comrades left him ; priest and 
 Pharisee passed by on the other side ; but one friend 
 did not forsake him. Ignatius Loyola, living at the 
 College of Santa Barbara, striving with self-denial and 
 mortification to make up for the wasted ^^ears of his 
 own youth, resolved to save his young countryman. 
 He gave him, not good advice, but sympathy and 
 appreciation, cheerful companionship that weaned 
 him from bad society, encouragement and support 
 
PARIS 9 
 
 both in public and in private. He supplied him 
 with funds with a delicacy that no pride could resist, 
 and introduced him to scholars and influential men, 
 whose friendship smoothed the path of ambition 
 before him, and the world again grew very fair. 
 
 Then, when life was bright and fortune smiled, 
 this faithful friend turned upon Xavier with the 
 solemn question : *' What doth it profit a man, if he 
 gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? " 
 Xavier, ambitious and successful, turned a deaf ear 
 to these words, and pursued his worldly course. 
 Still from time to time he sought the friend to whom 
 he owed so much, and for whom he had so profound 
 an affection, and again and yet again this friend 
 repeated : " What doth it profit a man, if he gain 
 the whole world and lose his own soul ? " With 
 sweetness, with persistence, Loyola sought to win 
 this youth, whose great gifts he wished to secure 
 for the service of the Lord. He showed him the 
 vanity of all earthly success, he preached to him the 
 words which have resounded through the course of 
 ages : "What doth it profit a man, if he gain the 
 whole world and lose his own soul ? " 
 
 At last Xavier, touched by the patience and 
 insistence of his master, consented to practise the 
 
lo FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 spiritual exercises which he advised. Disciphne, 
 fasting and prayer, assisted by divine grace, pre- 
 vailed, and Francis came out from his trial breathing 
 only desire for the glory of God and the salvation 
 of souls. 
 
 What, indeed, did it profit any man to gain the 
 whole world and lose his own soul ? What could 
 a man do better, in this world, than win souls to 
 God? 
 
 Boldly and cheerfully, unvexed by the doubts and 
 backslidings that attend resolutions made in the 
 hour of danger or despondency, Francis devoted 
 himself to a religious life in the way that seemed 
 clear to him ; persevering in his ordinary vocation 
 until some harder task should be found for him, and 
 exercising himself, after Loyola's example, in fast- 
 ing and meditation, penitence and prayer. Of the 
 instability of fame and riches he had received a 
 practical illustration, and he laid them down, as he 
 would have laid down life itself, at the bidding of 
 the friend whose love and patience had revealed 
 to him something of the infinite love and patience 
 that watches over the souls of men. 
 
 On the 15th of August, 1534, in the dark crypt of 
 Montmartre, Loyola and his little company gathered 
 
PARIS II 
 
 together for worship in the chapel dedicated to St. 
 Denis, the martyr Bishop of Paris. They were 
 only seven in number ; Loyola, majestic in bearing, 
 his dark eyes glowing with fervent feeling ; Xavier, 
 with his blue eyes and chiselled features, his buoyant 
 step and cheerful bearing, filled with the most 
 absolute faith in his leader, and with that hopeful 
 spirit that never forsook him under the most trying 
 circumstances ; Jacques Lainez d'Almazan, who ably 
 seconded Loyola in all his work, and who, in 1558, 
 succeeded him as head of the Company of Jesus, 
 then grown to be one of the great powers of the 
 Church ; Simon Rodriguez d'Azevedo, who founded 
 the Jesuit College of Coimbra ; and Pierre Lefevre, 
 who carried the work of the Company to Germany ; 
 and two others of less note completed the little 
 congregation. 
 
 Pierre Lefevre was the only priest among them, 
 and he celebrated Mass and administered the 
 Blessed Sacrament to his companions, and then 
 joined them in a solemn vow to renounce the world, 
 to keep themselves in poverty and in chastit}^, to 
 spend themselves in an absolute devotion to the 
 good of souls and the service of God, either in the 
 Holy Land or among the infidels, or in any work 
 
12 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 the Vicar of God should appoint, without reserva- 
 tion, stipulation, or conditions of any kind. 
 
 Chivalrous by nature, brave, confident in their 
 vigorous youth and powers of endurance, these 
 founders of the Society of Jesus came to secure 
 themselves from change by their solemn vow, and 
 they realised that by it they bound their lives, 
 singly so weak, into a faggot that union should 
 make strong enough to do whatever work God 
 might see fit to require at their hands. 
 
 Twice again these friends met in the same place 
 and renewed their vow. Then Loyola, who had 
 been maturing his plans meanwhile, bade them join 
 him at Venice to prepare for their passage to the 
 Holy Land. 
 
 So Francis must leave the fair city of Paris, now 
 become a second home, the college where he was 
 held in high esteem and was about to be received 
 as Doctor of Divinity, and his quiet domicile in the 
 tower of St. Jean Lateran. He must refuse, too, 
 the tempting offer made him of the rich canonry of 
 Pampeluna, which, if accepted, would have restored 
 him to his native place in honour and prosperity. 
 He must start in mid-winter upon travels of which 
 no man could see the end, on foot, and begging 
 
PARIS 13 
 
 his bread, through countries peopled with enemies 
 and overrun with hostile soldiery. How little he 
 shrank from these, or any other sacrifices ordered 
 by Loyola, is shown in the letter* (the first of his 
 preserved to us) that he wrote to his brother about 
 this time : 
 
 ** I desire greatly that you should understand 
 how gracious God has been to me in giving me 
 to know Master Ignatius, the most perfect man 
 in the world. Never, in my life, can I repay the 
 services that he has already rendered to me. Many 
 times he succoured me in distress, and brought me 
 friends when I first needed them, and saved me 
 from the evil companions that my inexperience failed 
 to detect." 
 
 * This letter is addressed to Captain Juan d'Aspilqueta at 
 Obanos. Though not stated, it is generally referred to the year 
 1535, as it relates to Loyola's journey into Spain. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 ITALY 
 
 " I say to thee, do thou repeat 
 To the first man thou mayest meet 
 In lane, highway, or open street — 
 
 " That he and we and all men move 
 Under a canopy of love 
 As broad as the blue sky above." 
 
 Trench. 
 
 There was a joyful meeting in the old sea-girt city 
 of Venice between Ignatius and the friends who had 
 followed his footsteps from afar. Not one of them 
 was lost ; indeed, three others, fervent and faithful, 
 had been added to their number. So ten brave souls 
 took counsel together, concerning the conversion of 
 the world. 
 
 Difficulties and perplexities seemed to encompass 
 them. The Holy Land was far away and hard of 
 access. They waited long for a possibility of reach- 
 
ITALY 15 
 
 ing it, but they found work ready to their hand in 
 relieving the misery and suffering around them. In 
 hospital and prison they began their labours of love. 
 
 All were active, all were devoted, but in zeal and 
 tenderness Xavier surpassed them all. To nurse 
 those afflicted with hopeless and loathsome disease, 
 and wait upon the mean and degraded of his race, 
 could not have been a congenial task to a refined 
 and educated man. Yet he did this, day and night, 
 sparing himself neither disgust nor humiliation to 
 give one moment of comfort or religious consolation 
 to these poor wretches, so near death, and, for the 
 most part, so far from Heaven. In fact, he served 
 at the Hospital of Incurables as if there were none 
 but incurables in the universe. 
 
 His strength lay in this singleness of aim. He 
 left to Loyola with entire confidence, all care for 
 the future of their Society, all subtle reasoning upon 
 its powers and special study of its several members, 
 all tedious balancing of conflicting calls and nice 
 adjustment of means and ends. Counsel he gave, 
 prompt and efficient, sympathy, from the depths of 
 his heart ; but he obeyed now, as unhesitatingly as 
 he commanded afterwards, and, whatever his hand 
 found to do, he did with all his might. 
 
1 6 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 His was a trusting, impulsive nature, able to fulfil 
 to the very letter the Scriptural injunction about 
 taking no thought for the morrow, and the little 
 Latin hymn, ascribed to his hand, is at least in unison 
 with the spirit that dwelt in him : 
 
 '' O Deus, ego amo te I 
 Nee amo te ut salves me, 
 Aut quia non amantes te 
 Aeterno punis igne, 
 Tu, tu, mi Jesu, totum me 
 Amplexus es in cruce. 
 Tulisti clavos, lanceam, 
 Multamque ignominiam, 
 Innumeros dolores, 
 Sudores et angores, 
 Ac mortem : et haec propter me 
 Et pro me peccatore. 
 
 " Cur igitur non amem te, 
 O Jesu amantissime ? 
 Non ut in coelo salves me, 
 Aut ne aeternum damnes me 
 Nee premii ullius spe, 
 
ITALY ■ 17 
 
 Sic amo et amabo te, 
 
 Solum quia Rex meus es, 
 
 Et solum quia Deus es. Amen." * 
 
 The three years passed in Italy were to Francis 
 an invaluable apprenticeship to the business of his 
 life, since it is by contact, close and friendly, with 
 men of every class and age and calling, that abstract 
 human nature can alone be comprehended. For us, 
 
 * " Oh Lord, my God, I love but Thee, 
 Not for the sake of saving me, 
 Nor that in flames eternally 
 Who love Thee not. Thy face must flee — 
 All-embracing Jesus — Who 
 On the cross didst clasp me too ! 
 Piercing nails and spear were borne, 
 Cruel, ignominious scorn, 
 Agony beyond belief, 
 With immeasurable grief, 
 Even to death — and all for me, 
 A sinful man exceedingly ! 
 
 " What can prevent my loving Thee, 
 Most tender Jesus ? Not for fee 
 Of high salvation, nor for dread 
 Of endless judgment on my head, 
 Nor hope of gain unmerited ; 
 But even as Thou hast cared for me 
 I love, and ever will love. Thee, 
 King of my every thought and word, 
 Because Thou only art the Lord. Amen." 
 
 B 
 
1 8 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 this portion of his career is the least interesting, 
 since we have no letters written by him during the 
 time, nor any eye-witnesses of importance, to give 
 account of his actions, apart from the other members 
 of the Society, whose wanderings we shall follow as 
 briefly as possible. 
 
 They all journeyed together to Rome, to ask the 
 Pope's benediction on their labours, were well re- 
 ceived by Paul III. and admitted to preach before 
 him during his meals, obtaining his entire approval 
 and some funds towards their Mission. These they 
 carefully reserved, subsisting while in Europe 
 entirely upon alms. 
 
 On their return to the Venetian States, the scheme 
 of a voyage to the Holy Land being finally aban- 
 doned as hopeless on account of the war with the 
 Turks, they took fresh vows of poverty, obedience 
 and chastity, at the hands of the Papal Legate. Such 
 of them also as were not already priests were 
 admitted to full orders, and Francis celebrated his 
 first Mass at Vicenza with much emotion, having 
 prepared for the holy office by months of fasting and 
 solitary meditation. 
 
 More healthful employment for his energies was 
 found at Bologna, where he and another were sent 
 to preach. Scholarly attainments, polished address. 
 
ITALY ■ 19 
 
 and familiarity with all the peculiar temptations 
 of University life, gave him immense influence 
 among the students, in whose manners and morals 
 he worked great reforms, and turned many minds 
 of the highest order to the service of the Church. 
 His host, Jerome Casalini, Rector of Santa Lucia, 
 seemed to have entertained angels unawares in the 
 enthusiasts, who roused his somnolent piety with 
 morning prayers and midnight meetings, street 
 preaching, public catechising, and prison visiting, 
 such as had never before disturbed the indolent 
 unbelief of his parish. 
 
 In 1538, Rome itself was the scene of a great 
 religious revival. Ten foreign priests, already 
 l^nown by their success in different parts of Italy, 
 assembled there in Lent, pouring forth, from all 
 the principal pulpits, floods of impassioned elo- 
 quence that attracted crowds of curious listeners. 
 In the Church of St. Laurent in Damaso especially, 
 preached one not unknown to us. Xavier, ''ghastly 
 and emaciated by illness and by austerities, seemed 
 to give his congregation warning of the solemn 
 certainty of death, as much by ^his face as his 
 words, while the fervour of his exhortations drew 
 tears to all eyes, and bore witness daily to the 
 power of the Spirit over mortal weakness." The 
 
20 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 voice of dignified rebuke, of convincing argument^ 
 of earnest persuasion, gained a hearing once more 
 in the capital of Christendom, luxurious and 
 abandoned now as in the days of the Caesars. 
 The hard-hearted rich and the discontented poor, 
 the supercilious wise and the brutally ignorant, 
 idlers, oppressors and usurers, were alike moved 
 by these solemn preachers to sudden repentance 
 and visible, if sometimes short-lived, amendment. 
 The work begun in the pulpit was continued in the 
 confessional. These strangers, austere of morals, yet 
 most gentle in manner, contrasted favourably with 
 the corrupt and haughty Roman ecclesiastics, and 
 hundreds came to them who had never sought 
 spiritual aid before. 
 
 Loyola meanwhile was exerting every influence 
 in organising the Society of Jesus, and obtaining 
 its formal recognition from the Pope, and leave to 
 include the promise of obedience to himself among 
 its other vows. Even before the necessary for- 
 malities were completed, a request came from the 
 King of Portugal that some of the fraternity might 
 be sent to Lisbon to accompany an expedition 
 designed for the spread of Christianity in the East 
 Indies, where commerce had been hitherto the 
 only object of European influence. The immediate 
 
ITALY . 21 
 
 interests of the Order seem to have engrossed the 
 Founder's attention at this period, somewhat to the 
 neglect of its first aim. He feared to diminish its 
 prestige by separation, or to weaken its forces by 
 division, and hesitated to despatch his best men 
 on so perilous a mission. Especially he was unwill- 
 ing to part with his dear personal friend, so that it 
 was not until ill-health disqualified one of the two 
 first chosen that brother Francis was called from 
 his work in Rome to the very career that had long 
 been the subject of his pra3'ers by day, and his 
 dreams by night. 
 
 " There's a Divinity that shapes our ends, 
 Rough hew them how we will." 
 
 One day sufficed to make preparation for the 
 journey to the ends of the earth. He left for his 
 benefactor Ignatius a last proof of confidence in a 
 sealed vote for his election as Superior of the 
 Company, and a blank subscription to all the 
 resolutions concerning its form and discipline. 
 Then he bade a long and sorrowful farewell to 
 that brother of his soul, and his trusty companions, 
 and left Rome in the suite of the Portuguese 
 ambassador. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 PORTUGAL 
 
 " Let doctrines be. 
 Thou shalt be judged by thy works ; so see to them. 
 And let divines split hairs : dare all thou canst, 
 Be all thou darest ; — that will keep thy brains full. 
 Have thy tools ready, God will find thee work. 
 Then up and play the man ! " 
 
 KiNGSLEY. 
 
 The journey from Rome to Lisbon occupied three 
 months. It is perhaps to be regretted that the two 
 letters, written at the time, do not give us some 
 details of the style of travelling, the state of the 
 countries traversed so leisurely, or the social as well 
 as the religious characteristics of the ambassador 
 Don Pedro Mascarenas and his miscellaneous follow- 
 ing. But the Jesuits were cosmopolites from the 
 first. The intense interest with which they studied 
 the hidden minds of men often blinded them to mere 
 outward peculiarities. The similarity of human 
 
PORTUGAL 23 
 
 beings always seems to have impressed them more 
 than the differences, and even the black and brown 
 varieties disturbed but little the equanimity of their 
 contemplation. Degrees of comfort by which civili- 
 sation is unconsciously measured must have been 
 inappreciable to bodies kept voluntarily in a state of 
 torture, and beauty even on the face of Nature could 
 not charm eyes that had seen cause to weep over 
 the noblest of cities and the fairest of lands — Italy, in 
 the golden age of Art. 
 
 So we must not expect from this intellectual, 
 eloquent Father Francis, the gossiping chronicles by 
 which a simple garrulous friar in like situation would 
 carry us back pleasantly to bygone days. His eyes 
 were in Heaven and his heart in the Indies, and 
 nothing in Europe affected him now but the friends 
 he had left and the work he had undertaken. 
 Despondingly enough he writes to Ignatius from 
 Bologna : 
 
 " Upon the blessed Easter Day I received your 
 letter. The peace and consolation it brought me 
 God alone knows. Henceforth in this life, I feel 
 but too surely, we can only reach each other by 
 letters, but in the other life we shall meet again, face 
 
24 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 to face, and be united in more perfect love. It 
 remains to us only during our term of exile in the 
 world to bestow mutual consolation by writing 
 frequently, and in this I shall not fail you. .... 
 
 " I am resolved, in whatever part of the earth I may 
 be, to remain in closest union with you and the 
 Company at Rome, by reciprocity of letters and 
 spiritual services. We shall send you faithful and 
 exact accounts of all our affairs, even as children 
 relate their doings to a mother." 
 
 The remainder of the letter is filled with what we 
 may call professional detail upon the churches in 
 which he preached, the number of communicants, the 
 friendly disposition of some cardinal, and the con- 
 descension of the ambassador, ending with a message 
 of sympathy to one Faustina AncoHna, a Roman 
 lady, mourning apparently the loss of a murdered 
 son. "Let her rest assured," he says, ''that even 
 in India I shall never forget to pray for her, nor for 
 her dear Vincent, who was also mine. Already he 
 petitions in Heaven for those who caused his death. 
 Bid his father try to forgive them too." 
 
 The second letter, dated from Lisbon, gives a 
 very general account of the journey, dwelling rather 
 
. PORTUGAL 25 
 
 upon the grace of God, in preserving all the party 
 from sickness, and in permitting His servant, the 
 writer, to minister to their spiritual advancement. He 
 rejoices much over the special providence by which a 
 head groom of the ambassador's, carried away with 
 his horse, in a foolhardy attempt to ford a torrent, 
 was tossed back upon the bank before their eyes, 
 in answer to their despairing prayers. 
 
 "There are a great number of people here kindly 
 disposed to us. Much I regret that it is not within 
 my power to visit and serve them all, as I could 
 wish ; for in many of them I find a serious inclina- 
 tion to good and anxiety to devote themselves to the 
 service of the Lord. It would be infinitely satis- 
 factory to help them on their way to some spiritual 
 exercises, that might resolve them to begin, at once, 
 the task the}^ postpone from day to day. A deep 
 conviction of their duty is, to many persons, a useful 
 spur, so to speak, which urges them on from seeking 
 rest where no peace is. Those who do violence to 
 their conscience, wresting the commands of God to 
 meet their wishes, and following their own wayward 
 wills rather than the inspiration of God in their 
 hearts, move us to deep compassion, though the 
 
26 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 world may envy them. We seem to watch them 
 toiling vainly up a rugged steep, where they will find 
 but a precipice beyond, and ruin, and death eternal." 
 
 No reference is made here to his late passage of 
 the Pyrenees, familiar as the scene must have been 
 both to him and to his reader, nor any mention of 
 his refusal to visit his mother on the way when 
 pressed to do so by Don Pedro. The incident, 
 nevertheless, is so frequently recorded that it can 
 scarcely be without foundation. 
 
 The next fact recorded is the traveller's arrival 
 at Lisbon, and glad meeting with Simon Rodriguez, 
 his fellow labourer, "who was thrown into such 
 transports of joy at beholding me once more, that 
 the quartan fever from which he had been suffering 
 passed its crisis, and he has experienced no return 
 of the malady since." Then follows a description 
 of their kind reception by the most Christian King 
 (a just title for Don John III.), his good sense and 
 gracious demeanour, and the important duties he 
 had assigned them of directing the consciences of 
 the young princes and nobles at his Court, that 
 their influence might hereafter raise the religious 
 standard of the whole people. " His Majesty," Xavier 
 
PORTUGAL 27 
 
 adds, " is advised by some to oppose our departure 
 for the Indies on the ground that we may exercise 
 our zeal to still better purpose here; but others, 
 who are authorised to speak from having dwelt 
 many years in those countries, assure him that the 
 natives are all marvellously inclined to receive the 
 faith of our Saviour Jesus Christ, if only they be 
 fully convinced that the masters and interpreters 
 of it seek no other thing than their benefit. While 
 we persevere in the same frugal life and carelessness 
 of gain and riches and worldly advantages, abroad 
 as at home, these people will not hesitate to believe 
 our words, and we may, in a few years, convert 
 whole nations. At present our most useful work 
 seems that of seeking out, with all care and diligence, 
 such priests as may be willing to accompany us to 
 the East, with no other view than to forward the 
 glory of God and the salvation of man. Could we 
 associate ourselves with even a dozen companions 
 of this character, we might accomplish great things. 
 Already one whom we knew at Paris has promised 
 to come with us, and persist until death in all the 
 rules of our Society. Another, who is only a deacon, 
 offers himself with much fervour, and- a doctor of 
 medicine, also from am.ong our old friends, wishes 
 
28 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 to join us and ' employ his healing art in spiritual 
 interests. Above all things, we must look that those 
 with us, no less than ourselves, are entirely free 
 from avarice or the most distant taint of covetous- 
 ness, that none may for a moment suspect that we 
 go to conquer temporal rather than eternal posses- 
 sions." 
 
 He concludes by mentioning that, at the King's 
 desire, they were to begin preaching in public the next 
 Sunday, though their own wish would have been 
 to confine themselves at first to more humble minis- 
 trations. **We shall therefore apply ourselves to 
 the task with energy, not merely to prove our 
 obedience to His Majesty, but because we are be- 
 holden for the goodwill borne us in this city, and 
 are trusting in Divine assistance for the success of 
 our efforts. We pray God without ceasing that He 
 will increase the faith of those who come so willingly 
 to hear any good, and show forth His mercy not 
 for our sake, but for that of this great people, 
 prepared to listen to us with such touching devotion. 
 May we be enabled to comfort them greatly, and 
 to give them understanding of the things pertaining 
 to salvation." 
 
 We have four other letters of much the same 
 
PORTUGAL ' 29 
 
 character despatched to Rome during the nine 
 months that the Missionary Fathers were detained 
 at Lisbon. Some of them appear to have been the 
 joint production of Xavier and Rodriguez, all of 
 them to have been intended for the perusal of the 
 whole brotherhood, but hardly for the edification 
 of after generations. A certain want of personality 
 and confidential tone in them chills the reader, and 
 makes him suspect that they contained private 
 enclosures for Loyola of which we have no record. 
 Those preserved are business letters. Those who 
 cannot appreciate all Xavier's efforts and anxiety 
 for the establishment of the Society of Jesus, nor 
 care much for his accounts of persons and measures 
 that contributed merely to its temporal power, may 
 find enough to study and revere in the unwearied 
 toil, the thought, and talent spent in the cause 
 which he and his friends held to be the first step 
 towards universal regeneration. 
 
 The following extracts from those letters suffi- 
 ciently explain his sentiments on this and kindred 
 subjects : 
 
 " Our souls are gladdened," he writes to Loyola 
 on one occasion, ** with the news you send us of the 
 
30 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 flourishing and prosperous state of the whole Com- 
 pany ; of the holy and useful labours to which you 
 at Rome devote your time ; of the edifices, spiritual 
 and material, which you found and finish in the sight 
 of this and future generations, that our successors 
 may come into possession of all things needful to 
 continue and perfect the work now begun, with fair 
 hope of performing signal service for our Lord. 
 May He help us, now absent in body though present 
 in spirit, to imitate you, whose example shows the 
 road to follow Jesus. I, too, have news that will be 
 grateful to you. The King, approving entirely the 
 form of our Institute, and, perceiving already the fruit 
 of our toil, expects much from the future. He is 
 resolved, if our numbers multiply, to found a college 
 as well as a residence of our Order. This excellent 
 monarch has not been prompted by any solicitations 
 on our part. He bears great affection to our Society, 
 and desires its increase, like one of ourselves, guided 
 in this, as in all things, by love and faithfulness to 
 God. If we fail to acknowledge such obligations 
 and confess them, according to his wishes, even in 
 the sight of Heaven, we shall soil our souls with the 
 vice of ingratitude, unworthy of an existence that 
 recalls every hour the bounty of King John of 
 
PORTUGAL ' 31 
 
 Portugal, our protector and eminent benefactor. He 
 begs us also to keep him informed of whatever facili- 
 ties the Indies afford for the conversion of their 
 unfortunate inhabitants, showing us that his heart 
 is full of sorrow for their wretched fate, and that he 
 is ready to do anything, everything, to lessen the 
 offences committed daily against the Creator and 
 Saviour of the world by creatures formed in His 
 image and purchased with His blood. I cannot but 
 thank God for having permitted me to know a 
 Sovereign at once so powerful and so pious. Were 
 I not convinced by the testimony of my own eyes, I 
 could scarcely credit the thought that a secular mind, 
 dwelling amidst the tumult of a great Court, and 
 upon the dangerous eminence of supreme rank, could 
 be capable of such entire devotion and charity. May 
 God increase in him these ineffable gifts, and pro- 
 long the days of a life so useful and necessary to his 
 people. 
 
 " Paul and our Portuguese brother sail with me 
 this week for the Indies. We go in high hopes of 
 gathering, by the merciful help of the Lord, a rich 
 harvest into His garner, the Church ; for we have the 
 witness of wise men to assure us, that the very 
 savages are ready to hear favourably the voice which 
 
32 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 shall declare to them pure doctrine, and to grasp 
 joyfully the promises of salvation." 
 
 After speaking of the new Viceroy, in whose ship 
 by especial favour he was to make the voyage, 
 recounting his civilities, his good intentions and 
 flattering predictions concerning the Mission, the 
 writer continues : 
 
 " If persons of experience and judgment augur 
 thus of our success, it is because they know and 
 respect the rules of our Order, and have themselves 
 seen the results of our ministry. For our part, 
 notwithstanding a heartfelt conviction of weakness 
 and insufficiency, we trust that these kind wishes 
 and prophecies will not prove vain. We believe 
 that God will at last take pity on the blindness 
 and devotion even of the least of His servants 
 in mercy to a people who know not God, 
 but worship devils. The inmost thought of our 
 heart is that upon the foundation of Divine aid only 
 can we build our hopes. This support cannot fail 
 us, on it we rest all our confidence for this immense 
 undertaking. It is the spring of our strength, the 
 secret nourishment of our faith. So we shall spare 
 no efforts to succour these most miserable men, and 
 
PORTUGAL 33 
 
 lead them to a true knowledge of our holy religion ; 
 keeping before our eyes the love of the Saviour, who 
 is surely with us while we labour for His glory." 
 
 Praying the Fathers at Rome to send them 
 advice and directions, and rules for their life and 
 form of worship among the heathen, he still says : 
 
 " In truth we do not hesitate to avow, that actual 
 experience must teach and guide us on many 
 occasions, yet our principal hope of discerning 
 perfectly the will of God, in all the conduct of the 
 Mission, lies in counsel from you, who have hitherto 
 been His interpreter to us. We fear to fall into 
 the error of those who neglect to consider and 
 weigh circumstances of place and time, and opposing 
 interests, or who conduct themselves with pride 
 and presumption, without listening to others, or 
 taking the opinion of more enlightened persons, 
 thus losing the grace and light reserved for the 
 humble mind confessing its ignorance and weak- 
 ness. Help us also, we implore you, by special 
 petitions, in addition to your accustomed prayers, 
 that we may have increased support in our greater 
 need in the perils of the distant journey, and of 
 our sojourn amidst an unbelieving race, abandoned 
 
 c 
 
34 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 to every vice, whose pernicious influence may cor- 
 rupt our frail natures, if the grace of God be not 
 bestowed on us abundantly. 
 
 "We will write to you, at full length, by the first 
 ships that sail after our arrival. Now, on the eve 
 of our departure, we have no more to say, but to 
 bid you supplicate the Lord with us, that since 
 we have passed from you for His sake. He will 
 reunite us all in a better world. Here it is vain 
 to hope that we shall ever meet again, not only 
 by the wide extent of land and waters that lies 
 between Rome and the Indies ; but because, with 
 so great a field of promise before us, we must not, 
 and will not, dream of the harvests of other lands, 
 nor seek to pursue elsewhere the labours to which 
 we have consecrated our lives." 
 
 Many efforts were made to keep Father Francis 
 in Portugal ; even the King, who had the Eastern 
 Mission most at heart, being unwilling to part with 
 him on its behalf. 
 
 Strengthened by Loyola's support he remained 
 firm in his purpose, and when the winter was 
 past, and stately galleons waited in the Tagus to 
 convoy the new Viceroy, Don Alphonso de Soza, 
 to the Indies, there seems to have been no longer 
 
PORTUGAL . 35 
 
 any question as to Xavier's departure. Ceasing at 
 last to expostulate, his royal friend dismissed him 
 with every mark of confidence, explaining to him 
 personally the position and circumstances of the 
 different Portuguese colonies and military stations 
 in India, and commending to his care both European 
 and native subjects. Also he placed in his hands 
 the briefs that had been forwarded from Rome, 
 constituting Father Francis the Pope's Nuncio in 
 all the Indies, and recommending him to David, 
 King of Ethiopia, and other native princes on the 
 African coast. Never any man presumed less upon 
 favour. The royal purveyor, charged to provide 
 him with every requisite for the Mission, declared 
 there was more trouble in persuading him to 
 accept a few religious books and warm garments, 
 absolutely necessary for himself and his com- 
 panions, than in satisfying the most exorbitant 
 demands of others. When urged to take with him 
 at least one servant, for the dignity of his office, if 
 not for his personal convenience, he made answer 
 that it was just such false obligations and niceties - 
 that had brought the republic of Christ's Church 
 to its present state. For his part, he hoped to hold 
 his place in the esteem of men by a blameless life ; 
 
36 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 and, while Heaven granted him the use of hands and 
 feet, to serve therewith both himself and others. 
 
 Only two companions were found ready to sail 
 with him after all. These were Paul di Camerino, 
 an Italian who had followed him from Rome, and 
 young Francis Mancias, or Mansilla, described in a 
 late letter as " an excellent creature, abounding in 
 zeal, in virtue and simplicity, rather than in learning 
 or science." Simon Rodriguez had been persuaded, 
 indeed ordered, to remain behind, for the most 
 necessary object of preparing those who were to 
 follow, and of superintending the foundation of 
 colleges that were to supply the world with Jesuit 
 missionaries. Nevertheless, it was not without 
 pangs of self-reproach that upon the day of em- 
 barkation he heard, for the last time, the confession 
 of his more enterprising brother. With awe-struck 
 faith he listened to visions that seemed to portend 
 the future. " Dreams of mighty labours and end- 
 less fatigues, sufferings of hunger, of thirst, of 
 cold, countless voyages, shipwrecks, treasons and 
 persecutions, earthly perils and heavenly ecstasies," 
 so intensely realised, that the sleeper had awakened 
 with the passionate prayer : *' More, more — yet more, 
 O Lord, for Thee." 
 
PORTUGAL ■ 37 
 
 Holding solemn converse upon this and other 
 matters, the two enthusiasts walked down together 
 from the hospital outside the town, where they had 
 made their dwelling among the poor of the land, 
 through the streets and market-places of thriving, 
 populous Lisbon to the water's edge. Then Simon 
 turned back alone to the city, and Francis was taken 
 on board the St. Jago. The anchors were weighed 
 and the two missionaries, in company with the 
 Viceroy and his suite, sailed away out of the shadow 
 of the great rock, till the convent-crowned '* sierra " 
 and all the friendly shores sank beneath the horizon. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 EASTWARD 
 
 " Let Knowledge circle with the winds, 
 But let her herald Reverence fly 
 Before her, to whatever sky- 
 Bear seed of men or growth of minds." 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 In the year 1493 of the Christian Era, Columbus^ 
 exploring for a sea-route to India, stumbled, so to 
 speak, upon another hemisphere, part of which still 
 bears in its name of West Indies a record of his 
 hopes and expectations. Four years later, in 1497, 
 Vasco di Gama, a Portuguese mariner, succeeded 
 where many had failed before him in rounding the 
 Cape of Good Hope. This notable voyage, scarcely 
 less important than the other in its consequences,, 
 opened the great Indian Ocean to foreign naviga- 
 tion. Then the full tide of trade and colonisation 
 swept in, and West and East met face to face. A 
 
EASTWARD 39 
 
 sea voyage, however tedious, does not destroy men's 
 nationality, alter their appearance, or impair their 
 authority, as travels through barbarian lands are 
 apt to do. The planks of the ship seem, in some 
 sort, to bridge the ocean and maintain some actual 
 connection between the mother country and her 
 wandering sons. 
 
 The daring Portuguese, who appeared suddenly 
 upon all the coasts of India, with their natural 
 advantages of dress and appointments, their fire- 
 arms, military discipline and naval skill, their greed 
 of gold and lust of power, were not men to be 
 despised. Wherever they set their foot the natives 
 bowed down before them, and hastened to secure 
 their tolerance and protection, by entering into 
 commercial relations. They planted settlements and 
 depots wherever it best suited them, and insisted 
 on immediate recognition among the ruling States. 
 More humane, or at least more politic, than the 
 "Conquerors" in the West, they contented them- 
 selves with cheating instead of robbing and murder- 
 ing the children of the soil, while the servile Hindoos 
 submitted to their insolent assumption and sought 
 compensation rather than revenge. Fraud was 
 matched with fraud in place of violence with treachery. 
 
40 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 and there was no war of extermination, but hollow 
 peace and great apparent prosperity. 
 
 The Portuguese colonies soon became a sort of 
 Utopia to many for whom *' El Dorado " had no 
 attractions. Officers of character and talent went 
 out to organise the government, merchants of repute 
 engaged themselves in developing the resources of 
 the country. A chain of maritime communication 
 united the several stations round the peninsula of 
 Hindostan from Cambay to St. Thomas. Goa, a 
 central point upon the western coast, and the port 
 most convenient to Europe, rose rapidly into a 
 considerable city. Fortresses were built and main- 
 tained in the African harbours to protect the fleets 
 that sailed yearly to and from Lisbon. All the 
 neighbouring islands joined the trade in jewels and 
 spices, and rich cargoes of silk were received from 
 countries yet unexplored. 
 
 Only in one direction there was little progress. 
 The sovereigns of Portugal, in obtaining from the 
 Pope — as God's regent upon earth — rights of ex- 
 clusive dominion over these far-off countries, had in 
 fact bound themselves to provide for their spiritual 
 enlightenment. They were to spread the faith of 
 Christ while enlarging the borders of Christendom. 
 
EASTWARD 41 
 
 In fulfilment of this serious obligation a Bishop was 
 appointed for Goa, and with him were sent out a few 
 Franciscan monks and other priests of the ordinary 
 type, without any special instructions. These good 
 men found before them lands full of ignorance and 
 idolatry. Amazed and inefficient, they were forced 
 to confine their ministrations to the band of nominal 
 Christians upon the seaboard, while on one hand 
 lay a whole continent peopled by idolaters, and, on 
 the other, innumerable islands inhabited by Moors 
 or Mahometans. 
 
 Their cry of despair reached the ears of Europe, 
 and, in reply to it, the gentle and upright John III. 
 sent forth the Jesuit missionaries to the rescue. He 
 gave Xavier the Pope's commission to preach the 
 Gospel, expound the Scriptures, celebrate religious 
 rites, reconcile heretics, grant dispensations, and 
 regulate the affairs of the Church from the Cape of 
 Good Hope to the utmost Indies. What practical 
 instructions he, and probably Lo3^ola also, may have 
 added to these powers, is now a matter of con- 
 jecture, 
 
 Xavier's bold spirit leapt forward to his task. 
 With visionary zeal he exulted in the wide prospect 
 before him, to be filled with the glory of God ; while 
 
42 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 his heart strained with impatience at the thought 
 of multitudes of human beings dying daily in the 
 darkness that he, and such as he, had power to 
 disperse. He must by this time have been fully 
 aware of his own powers of influencing masses of 
 men. Wherever he had yet preached — in Venice, 
 Bologna, Rome, or Lisbon — he had seen the results 
 in public amendment. The very humility with which 
 he recognised in all this the work of the Spirit, and 
 held himself merely an instrument in the hands of 
 Providence, gave him greater confidence. What 
 were difficulties of language, of position, of oppor- 
 tunity, to one who relied solely upon Divine aid ? 
 He had no personal fear. Suffering and privation 
 were to him the first conditions of a godly life, and 
 death but the final seal of its acceptance. That he 
 was not blind to danger is evident from the tone of 
 his last letter to the brethren, where we find him 
 moved even to agony by the hideous tales of cruelty 
 and iniquity that surfeited with horrors all accounts 
 then attainable of his new sphere of labour. He 
 spent little time in seeking the testimony of others, 
 but strove to keep his mind unbiased, and to see 
 with his own eyes the one step in advance which 
 was all his faithful soul required. 
 
EASTWARD ■ 43 
 
 It is easy to picture the huge ship, the triple 
 bulwarks thronged with swarthy sailors, the soldiers 
 marshalled upon deck, the Governor and his officers 
 lounging in the shadow of the slanted masts and 
 drooping sails, spread like wings of shelter overhead. 
 In the midst of this goodly company stood Father 
 Francis in his ragged cassock; of noble aspect, 
 bearing himself erect and unabashed, and grasping 
 his crucifix with firm hand. Beneath a brow rather 
 broad than high, dark blue eyes gazed searchingly 
 into the countenances around, and the short auburn 
 beard curled round most eloquent lips, as he dilated 
 upon the power, and the glory, and the loving care 
 of Him Whom the winds and the waves obey, Who 
 holds the seas in the hollow of His hand. 
 
 Week after week the impressive service was 
 continued, until the unlearned could no longer plead 
 ignorance, nor the frivolous forgetfulness of religious 
 truths and commandments, and the sick and sorrow- 
 ful and forlorn, the friendless sailor and the home-sick 
 soldier, were cheered and strengthened by words of 
 love and comfort. 
 
 Nor was pleading the only way in which this faith- 
 ful servant set about his Master's business. He 
 had "a fellowship with hearts to keep and cultivate." 
 
44 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 Very speedily he won the goodwill of all on board, 
 by kindly actions and ready sympath}^ He was 
 found, now closeted with the Vicero}' over high 
 schemes of government and reform, or holding 
 brilliant discussions upon questions of scholarship 
 or theology with the gentlemen of his suite ; now 
 sharing the labour and the confidence of some forlorn 
 cabin-boy, soothing the murmurs of some neglected 
 veteran, or planning blameless amusements for the 
 crew. Rough sailors hushed their oaths, and gam- 
 bling soldiers hid their dice, on his approach ; but he 
 looked on every innocent pastime with cheerful 
 toleration, and was seen now and then holding the 
 stakes to secure good-humour and fair-play, or even 
 taking part himself at chess or other sober games. 
 Standing aloof from every selfish consideration, he 
 became the general arbiter upon all disputed points, 
 and more than once his prompt and fearless inter- 
 position prevented the shedding of blood that so 
 frequently terminates a quarrel among the fierce 
 Southern races still retaining the blood of Moorish 
 ancestry. 
 
 His solicitude for the preservation of life and the 
 relief of the smallest bodily ailments is very notice- 
 able, compared with his own recklessness in risking 
 
EASTWARD . 45 
 
 infection and courting hardship, from a generous 
 wish to share those miseries that he could not 
 banish. He declined the luxuries of the Governor's 
 table, and lived upon the simple fare offered him as 
 alms, until, by reason of the length of time the ship 
 had been afloat, food became scarce among the 
 poorer passengers, and he was fain to accept the 
 daily portion he had before refused, not for his own 
 sustenance, but for the weak and famishing, whom 
 no man regarded. In the same spirit he converted 
 the Httle cabin appointed to his use into the general 
 infirmary, where he would bring, in his arms or on 
 his shoulders, those smitten with any disease, how- 
 ever loathsome, and lay them on his own bed, with 
 more than a brother's care ; while without, upon the 
 bare boards, his head pillowed upon a coil of rope, 
 he slept the sweet sleep of a weary child, the stormy 
 winds and waves cradling him never so roughly. 
 One writes : ** It pleased God to send a great pesti- 
 lence upon the fleet that year, so that in the vessel 
 there were more sick men than sound. Day by day 
 the plague increased. Some ceased to breathe, others 
 were struck down afresh. He who stood feared ever 
 to fall, and none cared but for his own distress. 
 Death spread through the ranks of terror swiftly as 
 
46 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 a victorious enemy through a routed army. For- 
 getting his own danger, afQicted with the sufferings 
 of all, he was, as necessity demanded, doctor or 
 nurse, father, consoler, or servant to the meanest 
 who claimed his care. He nourished and tended 
 those too weak even to feed themselves, and 
 strengthened them with sweet and gracious words, 
 counselling submission to the will of God in their 
 infirmity, and confidence in His mercy at the hour 
 of death. None departed from life without his 
 hearing their last confession, and standing by to 
 support the spirit in the extreme agony, until it 
 passed from his arms into the hands of its Maker." 
 
 All this love, all these acts of charity, so endeared 
 Xavier to all around, that Christians, Mahometans 
 and idolaters alike gave him the title of Holy Father. 
 This he was always afterwards called, and the name 
 served to designate him to the end of his life. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE VOYAGE 
 
 " Then I preached Christ : and when they heard the story — 
 Oh, is such triumph possible to men ? 
 Hardly, my King, had I beheld Thy glory, 
 Hardly had known Thine excellence till then. 
 
 " Thou in one fold the afraid and the forsaken — 
 
 Thou with one shepherding canst soothe and save ; 
 Speak but the word ! the Evangel shall awaken 
 Life in the lost — the hero in the slave. ' ' 
 
 F. W. Myers. 
 
 The remaining incidents of the voyage and its happy 
 termination are thus related by Francis himself to 
 the brethren at Rome : 
 
 '' Leaving Lisbon on the 7th April, the year of 
 our Lord 1541, we only arrived in the Indies this 
 sixth of May, having spent more than a twelvemonth 
 on a journey which seldom occupies half that time. 
 We came in the same vessel with the Governor, who 
 
48 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 treated us always with great consideration. I may 
 add that our health has been perfect throughout. 
 Neither have we wanted for employment in the 
 interval, but have had confessions to hear both of 
 sick persons and whole, while the preaching upon 
 Sundays has never once been interrupted. What 
 gratitude I owe to the Lord, for thus making me to 
 meet, in the midst of the kingdom of the waters, 
 human beings whom I have been enabled to instruct 
 in divine mysteries and admit to the sacrament of 
 penitence, not less needful at sea than on land ! 
 
 '* We touched upon our way at an island named 
 Mozambique, where there are two fortresses, one 
 garrisoned by the King of Portugal, the other by his 
 Mahometan allies. There we had to winter for six 
 months, in company with a host of people, belonging 
 to the five other ships. Numbers of them were 
 taken ill, and no fewer than eighty died. We abode 
 continually in the hospital, charging ourselves with 
 the service of the sufferers; Fathers Paul and 
 Mancias taking heed to their present necessities, 
 while I endeavoured to administer spiritual as well 
 as temporal remedies, purging these unfortunate 
 ones from their sins and making them partakers of 
 the body of Christ. Nevertheless I, alone, could by 
 
THE VOYAGE 49 
 
 no means satisfy this eager multitude. Every 
 Sunday I preached pubUcly to an immense concourse 
 of people, brought together by the presence of the 
 Governor. Often also I was forced to go to receive 
 the confessions of persons at a distance. So the 
 Apostolic work went ever forward, and by the grace 
 of God those six months were made profitable to all. 
 " India lies about 900 leagues beyond Mozambique, 
 and the Viceroy was anxious to reach his destina- 
 tion with all speed, but many of his followers were 
 still unable to proceed, from ill-health. We there- 
 fore begged that some of us might stay awhile on 
 the island, to take charge of those left behind. In 
 deference to this request Paul and Mancias remained, 
 while I accompanied him, his own health appearing 
 so much impaired that it was desirable one should 
 be near to receive his confession in case of the 
 worst. Thus I arrived in India along with his 
 Highness, and expect my comrades daily by the 
 vessels which usually come in September. 
 
 " From Mozambique, our voyage lasted two months, 
 but we passed several days at Melinda, a port held 
 by friendly Mahometans, where the Sultan of the 
 country came on board, to salute the Viceroy, show- 
 ing him every mark of respect and amity. Portu- 
 
 D 
 
50 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 guese merchants frequently make a sojourn in that 
 place, and if it happens that they end their days 
 there, they are buried in tombs distinguished from 
 others by crosses. They have also erected near the 
 town a great stone cross, magnificently gilded. You 
 will understand my joy at that sight. The power of 
 the Cross seemed to declare itself rising thus in 
 triumph in the midst of Mahometan dominions. 
 During our stay, the obsequies of one who had died 
 in the ship were performed with all the ceremonies 
 of religion, to the great edification of the Mahometans 
 who extolled our practices in the burial of the dead. 
 One of the principal inhabitants of the town then 
 asked me if the temples where Christians worshipped 
 were generally full of believers, and if Christians 
 were fervent and assiduous in their devotions. He 
 himself grieved much over the lukewarmness of 
 religion among his people, and desired to know if 
 the case were the same with us. Of the seventeen 
 mosques at Melinda, only three were frequented, 
 and those by few persons. So this man, troubled in 
 his thoughts, could not understand the weakening of 
 religious sentiment in those around, but attributed so 
 dire a misfortune to some unknown crime that they 
 might have committed. After we had reasoned long 
 
THE VOYAGE 51 
 
 upon this point, I told him that God, who is truth 
 itself, abhors every false creed and false prayer, and 
 was therefore making theirs to fail. I found some 
 difficulty in explaining to him my views, which 
 seemed very far removed from his own, when there 
 appeared one of the Kacis or doctors, well versed in 
 all the doctrine of Mahomet. He confessed to me 
 that if the Prophet did not return to the earth and 
 manifest himself among them, within two years, he 
 should certainly renounce his faith. Thus do un- 
 believers and infidels lead a life of anxiety bordering 
 on despair, and it is by God's great mercy they 
 receive these warnings, and are, from time to time, 
 brought out of their blnidness to a knowledge of the 
 truth. 
 
 ** After leaving Melinda, we landed at Socotra, an 
 island of about a hundred miles round. It is a 
 wretched country, consumed by the heat of the 
 sun, and almost without resources, yielding neither 
 wheat, rice, millet, wine, nor any fruits. Barren 
 and verdureless, it abounds only in dates, of which 
 bread is made, and cattle, by which the inhabitants 
 are mainly supported. These inhabitants are 
 Christians in name, rather than ^in reality, for they 
 are profoundly ignorant and uncultivated. The 
 
52 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 greater part know neither how to read nor write^ 
 nor do they possess any historical records ; only 
 they glory in the title of Christians, and claim to 
 be descended from those brought unto the Lord by 
 St. Thomas the Apostle. Crosses with lamps are 
 to be seen in the temples, to which they repair 
 four times a day — at dawn and afternoon, sunset 
 and midnight ; the worshippers being assembled, 
 not with bells, but with wooden rattles, such as are 
 used at home in the holy week. Every village has 
 its Kacis, who takes the place of a priest, though 
 he cannot read or write any more than the rest, 
 and has no books, but recites a few" prayers from 
 memory. They do not themselves understand 
 these prayers, which, in fact, are in an unknown 
 tongue, the Chaldean, I am led to suppose, with a 
 word resembling our Alleluia repeated frequently. 
 The Kacis never baptize any one, but are absolutely 
 unacquainted with the sacred rite. 
 
 '' Whilst at Socotra, I christened a number of 
 children, to the lively joy of their parents, who, for 
 the most part, evinced the greatest anxiet}^ to bring 
 them to us. These poor folks offered us generously 
 of all their possessions, and such was their good- 
 will, that I should have feared to refuse even a few^ 
 
THE VOYAGE ■ 53 
 
 dates, pressed upon me in a spirit so friendly. 
 They besought me earnestly to abide with them, 
 engaging that every creature in the island would 
 come forthwith to be baptized. I also desired of 
 the Viceroy that he would suffer me to remain in 
 a country where the harvest of the Lord was thus 
 ready for the reaper ; but he denied my suit, fearing 
 lest I should be carried away for a slave, since the 
 island has no Portuguese garrison and lies exposed 
 to the depredations of the Turks. I was on my 
 way, he assured me, to other Christians who needed 
 spiritual aid and instruction, no less than the 
 Socotrians, perchance more, and among whom my 
 efforts would be better bestowed. 
 
 '' Of the five vessels left behind at Mozambique, 
 one noted for its great size and laden with precious 
 merchandise suffered shipwreck, the crew only escap- 
 ing with their lives : the others arrived safe and 
 sound at Goa, where we have now been five months. 
 
 *'The capital of the Indies is a magnificent city 
 with a large Christian population. It contains a 
 Franciscan convent and a fine cathedral with full 
 chapter, besides several other churches. We may 
 well be thankful to find the name of the Lord held 
 in honour, so far away in the midst of heathendom. 
 
54 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 ** I have taken up my abode in the hospital, the 
 more conveniently to administer the Sacraments 
 to the sick , but there are so many other confessions 
 to be heard, that were I in ten different churches^ 
 I should have penitents enough. This work once 
 accomplished, and the prisoners also visiied, I 
 transfer myself to the Church of St. Mary, near 
 the hospital, where I have begun to instruct the 
 children assembled there sometimes to the number 
 of three hundred or more, teaching them their 
 prayers, the Creed, and the Commandments of God. 
 The same thing is now done in the other churches 
 by ordinance of the Bishop of Goa. The results 
 are more important than you can possibly imagine^ 
 and are acknowledged through the whole town. 
 
 ** After preaching to the people in general upon 
 Sundays and holy days, I explain to the natives 
 the articles of belief, in the midst of a congregation 
 greater than the building can well contain. Then 
 I make them learn the Lord's Prayer, and the 
 Angelic Salutation, the Creed of the Apostles, and 
 the Ten Commandments of Divine Law. I also- 
 celebrate a Mass for the lepers, whose hospital is 
 without the town, and hear their confessions and 
 admit them to he partakers of the body of the 
 
THE VOYAGE 55 
 
 Lord. There were none there who approached not 
 to the sacred mysteries, and having heard me but 
 once from the pulpit, these afflicted ones manifested 
 an eagerness truly admirable. 
 
 '* Under orders from the Viceroy, I depart shortly 
 for a place where there is promise of many converts 
 — Cape Comorin, about two hundred miles from Goa. 
 I am taking with me three young men of the country, 
 two of whom are deacons understanding Portuguese 
 besides their own language ; the third has only 
 received the minor orders. Also Paul and Mancias 
 are to be sent to rejoin me as soon as they shall 
 arrive from Mozambique. My labours there will not, 
 I am persuaded, be lost to the interests of religion, 
 and I trust that God, moved by your prayers, may 
 deign to forget my sins and grant me abundant grace 
 to serve Him worthily before the people. 
 
 '♦The fatigues of a long sea voyage, the heavy 
 charge of other men's sins, while the soul sinks 
 beneath its own burden, ^the weariness of exile in 
 a heathen land beneath a burning sun, are trials 
 that, borne for the sake of the Lord, as is our 
 bounden duty, become a source of spiritual comfort 
 and joy unfathomable. I am filled with the thought 
 that true followers of Christ find their happiness 
 
56 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 in a life of trial and suffering ; that to fly from the 
 cross, or to be deprived of it, would be in their 
 eyes actual death. Can there in truth be a more 
 cruel death than to live without the Saviour after 
 having tasted His love, to lose Him by seeking after 
 one's own desire ? Verily no cross is to be com- 
 pared to such misfortune. It is sweeter to die daily 
 mortifying every inclination, that we may follow, 
 instead of our own will, the will of Jesus Christ. 
 
 " In the Lord's name I conjure you, my honoured 
 brothers, to give me tidings of every member of 
 our Company. Never more shall I behold them in 
 the flesh, face to face, as the Apostle says, let me 
 at least behold them in the Spirit by means of 3^our 
 letters. Do not deny me this grace for all my 
 unworthiness. Remember that God has so placed 
 you that I have the right both to ask and receive 
 from you abundant support and consolation. 
 
 ** Point out to me, I pray you, the course of conduct 
 I should pursue to serve Christ among the Pagans 
 and Mahometans to whom I am sent. My trust is 
 that God will discover to me through you the true 
 means of bringing them speedily into the bosom of the 
 Christian Church. If I err in this matter your letters 
 will correct me, and I shall endeavour to reform my 
 practice. Nevertheless, I fear not to repose much 
 
THE VOYAGE ■ 57 
 
 confidence in the merits and intercession of our holy 
 Mother Church, and the prayers of her hving members, 
 among whom you are numbered, that Jesus will pro- 
 claim His Gospel throughout the land of the infidel 
 even by the mouth of His unworthy servant. If 
 indeed the meanest of His creatures be employed for 
 so great a ministry, it will abash and bring to con- 
 fusion some whose vocation calls them to all high 
 enterprises, and will encourage many a lowly spirit. 
 Let them consider this man, who is but dust and 
 ashes and the poorest of mortals, as a witness of the 
 scarcity of labourers in the Indies. I am ready to 
 become a servant, even for all my days, to such as 
 will consecrate their strength to planting in this soil 
 the vine of our Father. 
 
 "Here I make an end of writing, supplicating 
 God in His infinite mercy to admit us one day into 
 His perfect bliss, for which also we had our birth ; 
 and to increase our strength in this life, so that 
 serving Him with the zeal He requires we may 
 be found conformable, always and everywhere, to the 
 decrees and inspirations of Providence. 
 
 "Goa, the i8th of September, a.i>. 1542. 
 
 ''Your unprofitable brother in Jesus, 
 
 " Francis de Xavier." 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 PORTUGUESE INDIA 
 
 " And is there care in Heaven, and is there love 
 In heavenly spirits for those beings base, 
 
 That may compassion of their evils move ? 
 
 There is : — else much more wretched were the case 
 
 Of men than beasts. But oh ! th' exceeding grace 
 Of highest God that loves His creatures so, 
 
 And all His works with mercy doth embrace, 
 That blessed angels He sends to and fro, 
 To serve to wicked man, to serve His wicked foe ! " 
 
 Spenser. 
 
 Arrived at Goa, the newly appointed Nuncio 
 made it his first care to seek audience of the 
 Bishop, and, prostrating himself before his superior 
 in the Church, humbly to ask licence for the exer- 
 cise of his calling within the diocese. This 
 act of graceful, well-timed courtesy, greatly im- 
 pressed Dom Joam d'Albuquerque, a prelate of 
 excellent dispositions, though unhappily not a man 
 of action like his relative the famous Christian 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA ■ 59 
 
 conqueror of the Indies. He raised up the sup- 
 pliant, to whom privation and anxiety already lent 
 a venerable appearance, assuring him of perfect 
 independence and admitting him at once into close 
 friendship and confidence. The Franciscan brothers 
 of the monastery, already established at Goa, be- 
 trayed more jealousy of the stranger, whom they 
 suspected, not without reason, of being sent to over- 
 look their proceedings. 
 
 Francis wisely and warily abstained from giving 
 cause of offence. Keeping secret for a time the 
 authority conferred on him by the Pope and aiming 
 only at moral ascendency, he sought to remedy 
 rather than censure their errors, to guide not to 
 govern their way of life ; while his personal energy 
 drove them to wholesome emulation, and his temper 
 and patience quelled the professional rivalries that 
 have often made shipwreck of great and holy enter- 
 prises. In a little while the whole moral aspect of 
 the settlement was changed, as far as human means 
 go, by the exertions of one man. Order and decorum 
 began to prevail over drunkenness and profligacy. 
 Deeds of flagrant injustice, violence, and dishonesty 
 became fewer day by day. The voice of kindness 
 and mercy made itself heard, and religion raised 
 
6o FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 the hymn of penitence and thanksgiving once 
 more. Like the surf that beats incessantly round 
 their island city, the words of the preacher assailed 
 the consciences of the mammon-seeking merchants 
 of Goa, with the old ever-pertinent question : 
 " What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? " 
 
 A dialect of corrupted Portuguese, intelligible to 
 all who heard, was made, in spite of scholarly pre- 
 judice, the medium of vivid eloquence, mournful 
 satire, indignant rebuke and loving exhortation, 
 that riveted the attention of both European and 
 Hindoo ; while, sweeping over the follies and 
 vices of each section of the community, it recalled 
 them to the sacred obligations of their common 
 faith and led them to all things lovely, honest, and 
 of good report. 
 
 The new priest taught diligence and frugahty by 
 example, and charity in its widest sense. The very 
 lepers had a claim upon his attendance, the needy 
 and oppressed found him ever at their service. At 
 the hospital he was a helpful inmate, at the prison 
 a cheering guest. Always mindful of the interests 
 of humanity, he introduced into the management 
 of both measures of care and gentleness hitherto 
 untried ; sending rich penitents to prove their 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA ' 6i 
 
 sincerity by alleviating mortal misery in the 
 former, and imposing as a religious duty upon the 
 Governor a weekly visit to the latter, that he 
 might hear in person the prisoners' complaints 
 and distribute even-handed justice to native and 
 foreigner alike. 
 
 But the teaching of the children was the main 
 feature in his ministry, as in that of his European 
 brethren ; for ragged schools are by no means a 
 recent invention. Francis Xavier especially is 
 represented as walking through the streets and 
 market-places with a little bell in his hand, crying 
 out : " Send your children, all Christian subjects, 
 your sons and your daughters and your slaves, that 
 they may learn the lessons of holiness and the love 
 of the Lord." The little ones flocked after him, 
 and he led them by hundreds to the church, and 
 related to them in few and solemn words the story 
 of the Saviour's love. The warm, youthful imagina- 
 tion seized the loving truths, and words of prayer 
 and praise echoed from infant lips in many a god- 
 less household. 
 
 The same system was pursued by the good Father 
 among the native converts about Cape Comorin, 
 whither he was despatched on a sort of missionary 
 
62 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 reconnoitre not many months later. Indeed, he 
 seems to have been able to do little else at first than 
 travel from village to village, baptizing numbers of 
 unconscious babes, and giving religious instruction 
 to the older children. "Who," he says, ''suffered 
 me neither to proceed with divine service, nor to 
 eat, nor to rest, until I should have taught them 
 their prayers. Now I perceive in truth that the 
 kingdom of Heaven is of the little children, and 
 those like unto them. To refuse their just demand 
 would have been to offend against the Almighty, so 
 I began forthwith to teach them a confession of faith 
 in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, also the 
 Apostles' Creed, the Pater Noster, and the Ave Maria. 
 
 " I recognise in them wonderful intelligence, and, 
 were there any to train them up in religion, doubt 
 not but that they might one day become excellent 
 Christians." 
 
 The Hindoo parents, not hard of heart though 
 slow of understanding, were perfectly satisfied with 
 the arrangement by which the children became in 
 a manner their sponsors, most of them, we are told, 
 being in time reformed by the agency of the little 
 disciples, who were henceforth educated according 
 to Christian principles. 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA ' 63 
 
 St. Francis believed the heathen gods to be verit- 
 able devils, and held himself prepared to do battle 
 with them valiantly for the possession of any human 
 soul. Frequently, in visions, he seemed to encounter 
 them and prevail over them, not without bitter 
 wrestHngs. Whatever hindrances were put in the 
 way of the Gospel, whatever misfortunes of storm, 
 or famine, or sickness befell those who heard it, he 
 ascribed with intense conviction to infernal agency. 
 
 This was strikingly exemplified in one of the 
 villages he first visited, where the inhabitants, 
 being all Pagans and subject to an infidel Sovereign, 
 absolutely refused to hear him preach. He would 
 not be prevented, however, from offering up prayers 
 for a poor woman in her last distress, on whose 
 behalf all the native deities had been importuned 
 in vain. '' I began," he says, '' to invoke the name 
 of the Lord with faith, forgetting that we were in 
 a strange land. I recalled these words : ' The earth 
 is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, the uni- 
 verse and all that dwell therein.' Afterwards, by 
 the aid of an interpreter, I strove to explain to 
 her the first truths of religion. Through God's 
 mercy she was enabled quickly to believe, and, 
 asked if she would become a Christian, replied : 
 
64 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 ' Yes, right willingly.' Then, repeating Gospel words 
 never before heard in that place, I baptized her 
 solemnly. What need I say more ? She was at 
 last delivered of a son, having trusted in the 
 Saviour. The fame of that miracle that our God 
 had worked in that house spread immediately through 
 all the village. I myself went before the chiefs to 
 signify to them in the name of the Lord that they 
 must needs confess Jesus Christ, His Son, the 
 Saviour and preserver of all mankind. Still they 
 would not renounce the worship of their forefathers 
 without at least permission from their Sovereign. 
 I appealed to the Minister of that prince, who was 
 fortunately then in the neighbourhood collecting 
 taxes due to his master. When this person had 
 heard me discourse upon our holy faith, he declared 
 his entire approval of it, and authorised all who 
 would to join us ; but though he gave for others 
 wholesome counsel, he forbore himself to take 
 advantage thereof. Then the great men of the 
 place hastened to make profession of Christianity 
 with all their families, and the people followed the 
 example of their chiefs, until all of every age and 
 condition had received baptism." 
 
 What provision was made for the further instruc- 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA 65 
 
 tion of these new members of the Church CathoHc, 
 stands recorded in no written document, but we 
 may rest assured that the faithful pastor did not 
 forget his flock in the wilderness, nor fail to send 
 them guidance in the path he had opened to them. 
 
 Nothing ever moved him to deeper compassion 
 than the forlorn and spiritually destitute condition of 
 the poor pearl-fishers of Cape Comorin, who had 
 been converted, almost first among the people of the 
 Indies, by the Portuguese, then left for years without 
 priests or teachers, exposed to the hatred and perse- 
 cution of their infidel neighbours. Only when they 
 were reduced to the last extreme of misery, the 
 Saracens having carried off the boats, upon which 
 they depended for the means of subsistence, were 
 any European sympathies awakened on their behalf. 
 The Viceroy armed a fleet for their defence, and over- 
 taking the spoiler with signal vengeance, reclaimed 
 the stolen boats, captured those of the enemy, and 
 bestowed them also on the distressed fishermen. 
 Naturally interested in the people he had befriended, 
 he followed up his generosity by other marks of 
 favour ; the greatest that of deputing his confessor 
 to inquire into their spiritual needs, and establish 
 in their country the worship of the one true God. 
 
 E 
 
66 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 This mission, suggested doubtless by his own 
 good counsel, was accepted by Francis with sanguine 
 zeal. To other eyes the post seems a less important 
 one than was due to his talents and distinction, but 
 to reclaim the lowest specimen of humanity was a 
 task worthy of the noblest that walk the earth, and 
 he undertook it in thorough earnest ; not guessing, 
 perhaps, how well it was for him to have this 
 opportunity of familiarising himself with Eastern 
 character, of hearing native tongues and sounding 
 the native intellect, before entering upon any more 
 conspicuous field of action. On foot, beneath the 
 burning sun, and alone, save for the two or three 
 Christian converts who accompanied him, at once as 
 guides, interpreters and assistant priests, he made 
 royal progress through some thirty villages, arriving 
 at last at Tutucurin, a coast town of importance, still 
 visible to us upon the map of India, on the eastern 
 side of Cape Comorin. After remaining mere a few 
 months, he appears to have retraced his steps, either, 
 according to previous arrangement to report on a pro- 
 vince deemed too barren for Portuguese occupation, 
 or driven by unforeseen exigencies to seek in person 
 supplies and supporters adequate to his designs. 
 
 In the autumn of the same year we find him 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA 67 
 
 again at Goa, writing to Loyola the following account 
 of the college in which he had from the first taken 
 so warm an interest, that he has been sometimes 
 erroneously credited with its foundation : 
 
 "Some persons, visibly animated by the Spirit of 
 God, have founded, very lately, a college at Goa ; 
 the thing of all others most necessary for these 
 •countries. We may all thank God in beholding the 
 daily progress of the establishment destined to 
 secure the education of many neophytes, the conver- 
 sion of many infidels. The principal men in the 
 town preside over its construction, and the Viceroy 
 regards it with especial favour, so convinced of the 
 service that it may render in the propagation of the 
 faith, that he is completing and enlarging it with his 
 own funds. The church belonging to it is admirably 
 designed. The foundations are laid, the walls 
 already rise to the coping, it will be roofed in 
 immediately, and in the course of next summer 
 consecrated for divine worship. To give you an 
 idea of its size, I must tell you that it is twice as 
 large as the church of the Sorbonne at Paris. 
 
 '' This college is already endowed with revenues 
 amply sufficient for the support of our scholars, and 
 
68 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 they will be augmented, we presume, in time. Under 
 God's blessing, we trust that in a few years it will 
 send forth numerous graduates, to serve the cause of 
 religion in these lands, and extend in every direction 
 the dominion of our holy Church. We have even 
 now more than sixty children well prepared under 
 the care of the excellent Diego di Borba, of the order 
 of St. Francis, who, as soon as they are old enough, 
 will transfer them to the college. Judging from the 
 beginning, I hope by the end of half a dozen years 
 to find here upwards of three hundred students of 
 all races, of all nations, of all languages, whose 
 future labours will infinitely multiply the number of 
 Christians in the world. 
 
 " The Viceroy has been corresponding with the 
 King on this subject in order that His Majesty may 
 deign himself to write to the Pope, asking of him 
 other members of our Company for the Indies to 
 become the props and pillars of this institution, 
 called by some the College of St. Paul's Conversion, 
 by others that of the Holy Faith. To me, the 
 latter name appears most convenient, since its 
 sons are destined to scatter among the unbelievers 
 the seed of Christian faith. By His Grace's com- 
 mand, I am to explain to you also the first object 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA ' 69 
 
 of the establishment — to nurture in the principles 
 of Christianity native children from various parts, 
 that, after having acquired a sufficiency of learning, 
 they may be sent home to enlighten their own 
 people. My words can hardly express to you how 
 entirely the great man approves of our Order. He 
 is fully persuaded that, as you have been the 
 means by which we all have been called of God to 
 be followers of the Son, he can only fulfil his own 
 obligations by your aid, and would show you, by 
 letter, the extreme need of good instruction for the 
 students of the college, that you may feel bound 
 to send members of our Company for its behoof. 
 It is his part, he says, to finish the material edifice, 
 and yours to build it up in piety and learning, 
 furnishing it with eminent masters for the guidance 
 of youth. 
 
 " He expects, then, three priests and a master of 
 humanities to help us. I trust that one at least, if 
 not all, will be of distinguished wisdom and virtue, 
 for our Fathers, having at the same time to take the 
 direction of the schools and to endure the excessive 
 discomforts in which this courktry abounds towards 
 missionaries, will be peculiarly tried in strength 
 and courage. The ministry is such that it demands 
 
70 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 a sturdy frame and the vigour of youth, and will 
 better suit young men than those who are past the 
 prime, although older persons, if active and strong^ 
 might equally render good service. All who come 
 will be received with joy and kindness by every 
 member of the college, and speedily appointed to 
 assist in hearing confessions, giving the spiritual 
 exercises, and preaching in public. Assuredly theirs 
 will be a ripe and abundant harvest. 
 
 "Your choice will also, the Viceroy hopes, 
 include a preacher capable of unfolding the Holy 
 Scriptures and the doctrine of the Sacraments, with 
 all else that ought to be thoroughly understood, to 
 the priests who come to us, for the most part, sadly 
 wanting in knowledge. At the same time he must 
 be careful to strengthen them in love of God and 
 charity to their neighbours, which, doubtless, he 
 should do by example as well as by exhortation. 
 You, at least, know that deeds speak more per- 
 suasively than words. The others of our fraternity 
 will be required to devote their zeal to the service 
 of the churches, and the conversion of infidels. 
 Even in this little island of Goa there is much yet 
 to be done ; there are numbers of men, untaught, 
 uncared for, dwelling in the shadow of darkness 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA 71 
 
 and superstition, strangers to the very existence 
 of their God and Creator." 
 
 Another letter, written about this time to his 
 friend Simon de Rodriguez, then in charge of the 
 Jesuit College at Coimbra, shows how bitterly 
 Francis felt the disgrace which sullied the European 
 rule in India by the flagrant dishonesty practised 
 in every office. 
 
 " Do not permit," he writes, " any friend of yours 
 to be sent to the Indies, with charge or control of 
 His Majesty's financial aff*airs. It is surely of 
 persons engaged in such business that we find it 
 written : ' They shall be blotted out from the book 
 of the living, and their names shall not be inscribed 
 among the just.' BeHeve me, however great your 
 confidence in men you know and love, you will do 
 well to oppose them in this matter, to strive with 
 all your might that they may be shielded from such 
 extreme danger. Otherwise, unless they indeed 
 be confirmed in God's grace, even as were the 
 Apostles themselves, do not hope to see them 
 persevere in their duty, or preserve their upright- 
 ness. There is a power, all but irresistible, waiting 
 to drag them down and overthrow them. The 
 
72 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 prospect of gain soon allures them. The facility 
 of the prey entices them on. Their cupidity will 
 increase with the satisfaction of their desires. Evil 
 precedents and customs will pour down upon them 
 like a torrent and overwhelm them, and sweep 
 them along to the end. The idea of crime and 
 disgrace ceases to attach itself to dishonesty, when 
 it becomes the universal habit. There are few 
 questions as to the lawfulness of that which is 
 known to go unpunished. Everywhere and for ever 
 we see goods seized by violence, and treasure 
 heaped up, to be carried home to another country. 
 Possessions once taken are never restored, and 
 who can enumerate all the artifices of plunder ? I 
 am continually amazed to behold, besides the 
 ordinary forms of theft, the various modes in which 
 an avaricious and cruel ingenuity conjugates the 
 verb *to steal ' with a thousand irregularities hereto- 
 fore unknown." 
 
 But we are forestalling events. It was in all 
 good faith that our missionary now took counsel 
 with the representative of royal power concerning 
 matters that lie near the heart of every true governor 
 of men — public education and established religion. 
 
PORTUGUESE INDIA 73 
 
 Devoted priests, faithful interpreters, patient 
 teachers, were urgently needed for the new 
 Christians at Comorin ; but of such there was no 
 superfluity at Goa, and the Bishop and others 
 were anxious to keep, rather than to spare, all who 
 could be really useful. Paul di Camerino and 
 Francis Mancias had, however, arrived during their 
 leader's absence, and were ready to second him in 
 every undertaking with entire unanimity of thought 
 and action — that grand secret of success discovered 
 anew by the Jesuit Fathers amidst the distractions 
 of a discordant age. After much anxious con- 
 sultation with the authorities, civil and ecclesiastical, 
 it was decided that the seminary and the mission 
 must support, not rival, each other, since they 
 were equally necessary to the progress of the faith. 
 Paul was left behind at Goa, as Simon had been 
 left at Lisbon, to make good the foundations by 
 training a younger generation to follow in the 
 footsteps of the brethren ; while Francis, accom- 
 panied by young Mancias, Joam d'Artiaga, a 
 Portuguese, two native priests and several lay 
 coadjutors, embarked again for Cochin, the first 
 station of the pearl fishery, an island on the west 
 side of Cape Comorin off the coast of Travancore. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE PEARL FISHERY 
 
 " I stand amidst the roar 
 Of a surf-tormented shore, 
 And I hold within my hand 
 Grains of the golden sand. 
 O God, can I not grasp 
 Them with a lighter clasp ? 
 O God, can I not save 
 One from the pitiless wave ? " 
 
 Edgar Poe. 
 
 Francis Xavier to the Company at Rome. 
 
 " Cochin, Jan. 15th, 1544. 
 "It is now three years since I left Portugal, and I 
 write to you, my brethren, for the third time, having 
 received but one letter of you — God knows how my 
 soul was refreshed thereby. 
 
 ♦' Dom Paul, Francis Mancias, and myself also, are 
 in the enjoyment of perfect health. The former 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY . 75 
 
 labours yet at Goa, fulfilling with admirable zeal his 
 ministry as Rector of the College of the Holy Faith. 
 The latter abides with me amidst the Christians of 
 Cape Comorin, whereof the numbers are already 
 considerable, and increasing every day. 
 
 '' So soon as I arrived here I began to question 
 the people whether they knew aught of the Lord 
 Christ, but to all my inquiries upon the points of 
 their beHef, or concerning that which they held, 
 being yet infidels, they answered me one thing only : 
 that they were Christians, and that their ignorance 
 of the Portuguese tongue alone hindered them from 
 comprehending the mysteries and precepts of the 
 faith. As I spoke Spanish, and they Malabar, so 
 that they understood not my speech and theirs was 
 unknown to me, I made choice of the more intelligent 
 among them, and sought out carefully such as had 
 some knowledge of both languages. Then, com- 
 muning together for many following days, we suc- 
 ceeded by our united efforts, and not without infinite 
 pains, in producing a translation of the Catechism in 
 Malabar. Having committed this to memory, I 
 began to traverse the villages of the neighbourhood, 
 collecting both young and old by the sound of my 
 little bell, and twice a day rehearsing to them the 
 
76 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 Christian doctrines. Within a month the children 
 were able to repeat it all perfectly, and I bade them 
 teach the same to their parents, their servants, and 
 their neighbours. On Sundays I assemble, in the 
 house of God, men and women, boys and girls, all 
 coming with gladness and full of the desire of 
 instruction. In their presence I recite aloud the 
 profession of faith in the Holy Trinity, the Lord's 
 Prayer, the Angelic Salutation, and the Apostles' 
 Creed, all in the language of the country ; the people 
 following my words, and seeming to do so with 
 pleasure. Then I take up the Creed again, dwelling 
 upon each separate article and questioning my 
 hearers if they unhesitatingly believe it. With firm 
 voice and hands crossed upon the breast every one 
 confesses aloud his Faith. I make them repeat the 
 Creed more frequently than the prayers, showing 
 them that it is those who believe all that it contains 
 who are called Christians. After an explanation of 
 the sign of the cross, I teach them the Ten Command- 
 ments, wherein they have the sum of all Christian 
 law, and may rest convinced that he who observes 
 them all faithfully, is in practice and reality a 
 Christian, assured of salvation, while he who 
 neglects any one of these precepts, is a bad Christian, 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY . 77 
 
 and in danger of the pains of hell, unless his sin 
 be washed away through sincere penitence. Both 
 neophytes and pagans are amazed at these teach- 
 ings, and admire the purity of the Christian law, its 
 perfect consistency, and accord with reason. Some 
 principal prayers are next learned and repeated after 
 the creed, accompanied by a short invocation in the 
 native tongue : * Jesus, Son of the living God, give 
 us grace to believe entirely, to that end we offer up 
 the prayer ordained by Thee.' 
 
 *' Thus I accustom them to petition for grace in the 
 ordinary forms of the Church, often assuring them, 
 that in obtaining this they will receive other gifts 
 very abundantly, even beyond their desires. I make 
 all, especially those about to be baptized, repeat the 
 general confession, and I question them upon their 
 faith, to ascertain whether they truly believe. Upon 
 their formal profession I deliver an exhortation in 
 their own language, explaining briefly the great 
 truths of Christianity and the duties of such as 
 would be saved. Only after this manner of prepara- 
 tion do I admit any to the rite of baptism. 
 
 *' The multitudes that press forward to enter the 
 fold of Christ are indeed so great that my hands are 
 oftentimes wearied with baptizing them. In a single 
 
78 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 day I have thus blessed whole villages, and have 
 persevered until strength and voice failed me, in 
 signing the cross and repeating the prayers. None 
 can tell how great profit there is in the baptism of 
 infants and the instruction of children, as well as 
 of people of ripe age. I myself have full confidence 
 that these young converts will, by the Grace of God, 
 prove far better than their fathers. Already they 
 show an ardent affection for the divine law, a mar- 
 vellous zeal in studying and in imparting to others 
 religious learning. Imbued early with the hatred of 
 idolatry, they stoutly oppose heathenism, and rise 
 up against the idol-worship which still prevails 
 among their families. When I find in any place 
 sacrifices offered to false gods, I lead thither the 
 children of the land, who heap upon the demons 
 insult and reproach, greater than the honours their 
 elders have rendered, and rush upon the images, 
 overthrowing them, breaking them, and treading 
 them under foot. 
 
 " For four months I had dwelt in a Christian town, 
 engaged in translating the catechism, &c., when 
 natives began to come from all parts, beseeching us 
 to enter their houses and invoke God over the beds 
 of the sick. At the same time so great a number of 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 79 
 
 sufferers were brought to us that I was hardly able 
 to repeat a gospel for each. Nevertheless we for- 
 sook not our daily duties, the instruction of children, 
 the baptism of those already taught, the translation 
 of the catechism, controversies upon difficult ques- 
 tions proposed to us, and the burial of the dead. 
 Yet my anxiety was to satisfy the desires of the 
 unfortunate creatures who sought our prayers for 
 their sick, and seeing so many come to plead the 
 interests of others, I feared to let their confidence in 
 our holy religion fail, and judged myself guilty in 
 refusing their reasonable request. So, as the con- 
 course increased and I could myself neither minister 
 to all nor deny any, I chose out children to send in 
 my stead to such places as I was unable to visit. 
 In the chamber of the sick, they assemble the rela- 
 tions and neighbours, reciting with them the creed 
 and giving encouragement to a sure trust in the 
 Lord. Then they repeat the solemn prayers of the 
 Church, and, need I tell you, that often the faith and 
 piety of these little ones has restored health to the 
 body as well as to the soul. Wonderful providence 
 of God, that calls men through suffering to salvation, 
 bringing them, as it were, by force to the faith of 
 Christ ! 
 
8o FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 " The same children are also able to go from house 
 to house, through the streets and public places, 
 charged with teaching the very ignorant some plain 
 rudiments of Christian knowledge ; therefore, when 
 this matter is sufficiently forwarded in one village, 
 I myself pass on to the next, there to pursue a like 
 course. So I visit in succession every part of the 
 country, and, when that is accomplished, begin again 
 my journey, taking the villages in the same order. 
 At each place I leave a summary of the Christian 
 doctrines, to be copied by such as can write, and 
 learned by heart and repeated daily by the others. 
 It is likewise ordained that all should meet together 
 upon holy days to go over the elements of the faith 
 in public, and catechists duly instructed have been 
 appointed to preside over these exercises in the thirty 
 Christian villages of the land, Dom Martin Alphonso 
 di Soza, Governor of the Indies, having, out of 
 regard for us and zeal for religion, assigned a sum 
 of 4000 gold pieces for the support of native 
 teachers. 
 
 ** Infinitely greater numbers might be converted in 
 India were it not for the pressing want of mission- 
 aries. Often I long to present myself before the 
 Universities of Europe, that of Paris above all. 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 8i 
 
 raising my voice everywhere, and crying aloud to 
 the learned doctors whose science exceeds their 
 charity : * Behold this innumerable throng of human 
 souls losing heaven, falling into eternal misery 
 through your neglect ! ' Would to God that some of 
 our fine scholars might apply the same zeal to the 
 saving of souls as to the storing up of worldly 
 wisdom, rendering to God a just account of the 
 talents He has committed to their keeping I Who 
 can tell whether a few, moved by this thought, would 
 not give themselves to spiritual meditation, that they 
 might hear the voice of the Lord in their own hearts, 
 and be enabled to renounce temporal vanities and 
 fulfil their vocation, according to that divine counsel ? 
 From the depths of their being they would cry : 
 ' Here am I, Lord ! Send me whither Thou wilt, 
 even to the Indies.' My God, how much happier 
 would be their life ! How much surer their salva- 
 tion ! With what confidence in the Divine Mercy 
 would they await their last hours, and repeat joyfully 
 the words of the servant of the Gospel : — * Lord, 
 Thou didst give me five talents, and behold I have 
 gained other five also.' 
 
 ** If the days and nights they consecrate to the 
 pursuit of earthly knowledge were given to solid 
 
82 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 and abiding wisdom, if the energy they display in 
 penetrating the secrets of science were spent in 
 teaching the ignorant the things pertaining to salva- 
 tion, they would be better prepared to give account 
 to their master. I fear that some of the divines who 
 devote themselves to the liberal arts in our colleges 
 think more of the honours and insignia of the priest- 
 hood than of its holy functions, to the sacred burden 
 of which these are but witnesses. The thing has 
 come to this, that the most renowned scholars and 
 the greatest geniuses persuade themselves that they 
 are seeking ecclesiastical dignities solely for the ad- 
 vancement of learning and the service of religion. 
 Benighted ones who will not perceive that their 
 learning is turned to their own profit rather than to 
 any Catholic interest ! Fearing that God should 
 baulk their ambition, they suffer not Providence to 
 direct their steps. Heaven bears me witness that I 
 am almost resolved, if I return not to Europe, to 
 write to the University of Paris, that it may know 
 how many millions of unbelievers might with ease be 
 brought to the faith of Christ if there came among 
 them a sufficiency of evangelical labourers, who, 
 forgetting themselves, should seek only the glory of 
 God. Oh, my best beloved brothers, pray ye the 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 83 
 
 Lord of the harvest that He send labourers into His 
 fields ! 
 
 '* There is a certain class of men in these countries 
 called Brahmins, who preside over the worship of 
 the pagan gods, perform various ceremonies in the 
 temples, and guard the idols there. Nothing can be 
 more perverse, more abandoned than this race. To 
 them I apply the words of David : * Lord, deliver 
 me from this sinful generation, from the perfidious 
 and wicked men.' They are given up to falsehood 
 and imposture. With all subtlety they seek to take 
 advantage of the simplicity of the people. They 
 declare publicly that the gods have need of certain 
 ofi'erings in the temples, namely, such things as they 
 themselves desire, for their own consumption and 
 that of their wives, children and servants. They 
 continue to persuade the ignorant that the images 
 live and eat like ordinary men, so that some devotees 
 present, even twice a day, food or money. Then, 
 these Brahmins make good cheer with a sound of 
 musical instruments, and say to those without that it 
 is the gods holding festival. If provisions fail, they 
 denounce the anger of the gods upon the people 
 who have not brought all that was demanded of 
 them ; nor do they hesitate to proclaim that, if they 
 
84 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 be not speedily .satisfied, the country will be plagued 
 with wars and diseases, and the visitations of evil 
 spirits. So the poor, ignorant savages are terrified 
 into blind obedience. The Brahmins have themselves 
 only a shadow of learning, but supply the want of it 
 by cunning and malice. They ate very wroth to see 
 me discover their frauds. When conversing with me, 
 in the absence of witnesses, they plead that the idols 
 are their sole patrimony, since by them and by their 
 own lies they gain their living. They acknowledge 
 that I, imperfect as I am, know more than them all 
 put together. They salute me and offer me presents 
 continually, and appear much hurt at my refusal 
 of their gifts, but this they do to beguile me and 
 make me an accomplice in their frauds. They pro- 
 fess also to be aware that there is one God only and 
 even offer to supplicate Him in my favour. And I, 
 in gratitude for all this, reveal to every one the truth 
 about them. As far as in me lies, I unmask, before 
 the eyes of the multitude, the dark superstition 
 which binds them to these impostors, their illu- 
 sions and their falsehoods. Many of the people, 
 convinced by my arguments, have now abjured 
 the worship of idols and hastened to become 
 Christians — but for the opposition of the Brahmins 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 85 
 
 the whole nation would ere this have embraced the 
 reHgion of Jesus." 
 
 Such being the writer's position towards the 
 followers of Brahm, considerable courage was 
 displayed in his frequent visits to the pagodas, for 
 the avowed purpose of confuting the arguments of 
 any who would come forward to defend their time- 
 honoured creed. Upon one occasion he put to the 
 priests, in the presence of more than two hundred 
 worshippers, a searching question as to the duties 
 enjoined upon them by their gods for the attainment 
 of a blessed existence. None were ready to answer, 
 but at last a very aged and venerable Brahmin spoke 
 for all, asserting as their highest duties to abstain 
 from killing cows, since the deities were adored 
 under that form, and to give presents to the priests I 
 Moved with horror at their abject ignorance the fear- 
 less intruder rose up in the midst, demanding to be 
 beard in his turn, and, with a fire and vehemence 
 that startled the recumbent sages from their slum- 
 bering meditations, declared to them the one true 
 God and His commandments, discoursing of heaven 
 and hell and judgment to come till his hearers 
 sprang to their feet, confessing with loud accord. 
 
86 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 that the God of the Christians must be indeed the 
 Lord, since His law was righteous and His command- 
 ment reasonable. Having convinced them also of 
 the immortality of the soul, and answered foolish as 
 well as wise questions to their satisfaction, the 
 preacher sought to reduce them to the logical con- 
 sequences of embracing and teaching the new 
 religion ; but fear of public opinion and motives of 
 self-interest prevailed against him, and he acknow- 
 ledges after more than a year that but one 
 of the priests of Brahm had become a sincere 
 Christian. 
 
 The high-caste Hindoo, acute and apathetic, cap- 
 able at once of lofty thought and basest practice,, 
 admitting everything, adhering to nothing, professing 
 in secret a rational faith, teaching in public an imbecile 
 superstition, was, to a man in whose own life action 
 had ever followed conviction, a painful problem, a 
 peculiar trial of patience. With bitter emphasis the 
 need of this virtue is urged in a series of letters 
 written to Francis Mancias, who was engaged in 
 revisiting the villages of the coast, whilst Xavier 
 himself took charge of the central stations. 
 
 In the first he says : ** Pray heaven to fortify 
 your soul with mighty patience, the thing above all 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 87 
 
 others necessary in dealing with this people. It were 
 well indeed to consider yourself as being in purgatory 
 suffering the punishment of your sins, and thank 
 God that you are granted in this life a season of 
 expiation." 
 
 Again he writes : " I beseech you, dear brother, 
 with earnest importunity, to treat these perverse 
 people as a good parent does ungrateful children. 
 Let not your patience give way before their re- 
 peated transgressions and backslidings. The great 
 God, whom they continually offend, spares them, 
 when, by a single gesture, he might exterminate 
 them utterly. He wearies not of providing for all 
 their wants. Should He withhold His bountiful 
 hand they would lack all things, and perish miser- 
 ably even as they have deserved. 
 
 " Believe me, your labours in these parts are more 
 fruitful than you can tell, and though you are not 
 permitted to see all the results you desire, be well 
 assured that you are doing good service, such as 
 needs not to be repented of. However small the 
 success, you have a sure consolation in the con- 
 sciousness that you have not remained in idleness, 
 and have not yourself to blame for the untowardness 
 of events." 
 
88 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 He exhorts him never to fail in gentleness and 
 charity towards the natives, " from the lords and 
 great ones to the lowest of the people, so you will 
 naturally become an object of universal regard among 
 them, your way will be made smooth to you, you 
 will prosper in your ministry on their behalf, and 
 your words will have weight to bring them more 
 readily to the faith and service of the Lord. Show 
 forbearance to all their errors and frailties, with the 
 thought that if they be not virtuous now, they may 
 yet become so ; though it come to pass that you 
 never raise them to the high standard of your 
 hopes, repent not of your efforts, but take comfort in 
 whatever good you may have wrought in them. I 
 also have to console myself in like manner." 
 
 In truth, the good Father appears to have found 
 his position a difficult one at this time. The only 
 man of note in a great district half conquered and 
 wholly misgoverned by the Portuguese, he was 
 subject to constant appeals from the oppressed 
 inhabitants, who could not understand that his power 
 to protect them was less than his desire, or that one 
 who had come so far to teach them piety and 
 humanity, should be unable to enforce the same 
 among his own countrymen. 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 89 
 
 Clear sighted and tender hearted, he perceived from 
 his central vantage-ground a thousand evils of which 
 those at home vv^ere ignorant or careless, yet he had 
 no means of influencing the Government, but by the 
 uncertain and tardy course of letters and messengers. 
 All his grievances are poured out to the loyal 
 Mancias with an entire unreserve that seems to 
 admit us to his very heart. 
 
 It is impossible not to admire the spirit in which 
 he relates the wrongs whereof three noble Indians, 
 followers of the King of Travancore, came to make 
 complaint to him : 
 
 " One of our countrymen, they tell me, has 
 carried off from Patani a servant of the Prince 
 Iniquitribirrimus, has taken him in bonds to Punicale, 
 and has even been heard to boast that he will 
 drag him on with him to Tutucurin. When you 
 shall have learned the truth of this story, write it, I 
 pray you, to the Governor, and if this Portuguese, no 
 matter who he be, can anywhere be found, use all 
 your efforts to make him instantly deliver up his 
 prisoner. Should he be to blame towards the 
 Portuguese, let the case be laid before the Prince, 
 who v/ill give a just decision, and maintain, as he 
 has ever done, the rights of our people. But this 
 
90 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 advice comes late ; it is the way the thing ought at 
 first to have been done. The subject of an alHed 
 sovereign must not be seized, unauthorised by him, 
 within his very dominions, under whatsoever pre- 
 text. My distress at the whole affair is greater than 
 words can declare to you. God help us, for it needs 
 strength of mind to withstand patiently disorders 
 and excesses of this nature. I would have you write 
 me (though I have the whole story from credible 
 witnesses) a full and exact account of the circum- 
 stances as they come to your own knowledge. Is it 
 a fact that a Portuguese has taken a slave of the 
 King of Travancore, by force, from his own country, 
 and what reason does he assign for the aggression ? 
 Has he really, as I am warned, determined to carry 
 him prisoner to Tutucurin, and with what object ? 
 I would fain discover some circumstances that might 
 mitigate the odium of the crime, and contradict the 
 exaggerations of public rumour ; for, if nothing of 
 the sort appears, and the event has indeed happened 
 as I hear it stated, I must forego my purpose of 
 presenting myself in person before the great king, 
 with whom I had to treat of many things pertaining 
 to God's service. 
 
 ** Knowing the jealousy with which ^ese people 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 91 
 
 regard any interference with their slaves, or infrac- 
 tion of their territory, I cannot doubt that they are 
 all at this moment meditating bloody vengeance upon 
 the Portuguese nation, and the Christian name. It 
 would be bold indeed to go to offer myself a victim 
 to their wrath. 
 
 " I shall be constrained after all to turn my thoughts 
 to another quarter, to pursue a scheme which has 
 long possessed great attractions for me ; to abandon 
 the Indies, where so m.any obstacles to the propaga- 
 tion of the faith arise in places whence we had least 
 right to expect them, and to cross over to Ethiopia, 
 whither we are called by a well-grounded hope of 
 setting forth the marvellous glory of God, and 
 spreading the Gospel far and wide in lands where 
 there will be no Europeans to oppose our teachings, 
 and overthrow all that we may have achieved. I 
 will not conceal from you that I am strongly minded 
 to this course, and may even take passage hence in 
 one of the native boats, so as to proceed without 
 delay to Goa, and prepare for my departure to the 
 dominions of Prester John." 
 
 This chapter of the great missionary's life cannot 
 be more fitl}^ closed than in his own words of advice 
 
92 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 and encouragement contained and reiterated in every 
 letter of the twenty-six received by Mancias during 
 the year. 
 
 " Be not weary in well doing," he says, ** never lose 
 courage, never slacken your endeavours in the slow 
 and laborious duties of a gospel messenger amidst the 
 ignorant population of this land. Visit assiduously 
 every village, preaching daily to all who will hear 
 and be careful never to leave in any place the 
 newly-born infants without baptismal regeneration. 
 I would fain think that at least the souls which 
 emigrate early from these little bodies, go to people 
 that paradise which the elders will not be persuaded 
 to enter, either by the terror of future punishment, or 
 the hope of eternal felicity. Devote your unceasing 
 attention to secure the religious instruction of the 
 children, in daily schools ; watching well that the 
 masters appointed do their teaching thoroughly. 
 Take care also that the fees of these latter be paid 
 regularly from the funds at your disposal, and do 
 not imagine that money or time can ever be better 
 bestowed, or that you can by any means more 
 acceptably serve the Lord, than in forwarding the 
 improvement of the young. It gives me unspeak- 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 93 
 
 able satisfaction to learn that you prosper in your 
 mission, that heavenly consolations are, so to speak, 
 poured down upon your soul. If God indeed deign 
 thus to remember you, have a care never to forget 
 Him. Beware of despondency compromising your 
 task, nor let the zeal and constancy that you have 
 hitherto displayed fail you in the end. Keep your 
 spirit humbled before God in continual thankfulness, 
 rejoicing always that He has chosen you, and 
 condescended to use you for so excellent a ministry : 
 and, lest you be unduly exalted by success, I would 
 bid you reflect frequently in your own heart, that, 
 if the mill have ground good meal, the praise thereof 
 returns to the Supreme Artificer, Master of the 
 world, who has made the stream to flow that first 
 turns the wheel and imparts motion and power to 
 
 the whole 
 
 " Again, and yet again, I entreat you not to give 
 way to any movement of irritation against the 
 ignorance and weakness of those around you. I 
 know how trying it is to be disturbed in occupations 
 of absorbing interest, by persons who insist upon 
 all your attention for affairs entirely their own. 
 You must learn, as it were, to govern importunity, 
 to preserve your own peace of mind, whilst yielding 
 
94 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 readily to the various calls upon your time, so as 
 to perform all that is given you to do, and neglect 
 only, or defer with perfect equanimity, that which 
 
 is, at present, beyond your power 
 
 ''You must try to satisfy, with courteous words, 
 those whom you are unable to serve, excusing 
 yourself with a good grace, to prove that you have 
 at least the will to help them, and consoling them, 
 wherever it is possible, with some distant hope in 
 place of the unattainable reality. If you cannot do 
 all you desire, content yourself with desiring to 
 do all you can, so long as it does not depend upon 
 yourself to accomplish everything. When the 
 claims upon you seem so many as to surpass human 
 strength, you have but to do your best and rest 
 satisfied therewith, acknowledging the beneficent 
 discipUne of the Providence that has set you in a 
 place where idleness at least is impossible, and where 
 
 you have no leisure to listen to temptation 
 
 '' Take heed to the preservation of your health ; 
 it is an indispensable instrument for the service 
 in which you have already displayed so much 
 
 activity 
 
 *'It seems to me that I have not sufficiently 
 enjoined upon you the importance of making, with 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 95 
 
 unalterable perseverance and zeal, a continual 
 round of the villages throughout the country. Do 
 not take up your abode in any place, nor delay long 
 in visiting each one of the churches to preach the 
 word of God and administer the sacraments 
 wherever there are Christians in need of them. I 
 recommend to you, equally with the laymen, the 
 priests and clerks lately ordained from among the 
 natives of Malabar. Watch over their way of life, 
 give them wise and friendly counsel, and use such 
 means as circumstances admit to guide them in 
 piety and chastity, that they exercise their vocation 
 to the glory of God and show their countrymen a 
 good example of innocence and virtue. Be courteous 
 to all men, especially the magistrates, and deal 
 tenderly with the aged, gaining love and respect 
 wherever you go. If sometimes the malice of 
 mankind seems to render your gentleness of none 
 effect, I would have you use a certain severity, for 
 it is also a work of mercy to chastise criminals, 
 above all when their impunity causes scandal to 
 others. Nevertheless I do not think that at such 
 critical moments, nor indeed at any other time, we 
 should abandon the sinner to his fate. I pity far 
 too much the misfortune of such as are separated 
 
96 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 from their Heavenly Father to wish to call down 
 upon them the Divine wrath. Can we doubt that 
 God will at last avenge Himself on His foes with 
 terrible punishment, even that of hell and death 
 eternal." 
 
 We find the same rules of conduct laid down at 
 greater length and with more precision and formality 
 in a letter of instruction, addressed at a later date, to 
 the missionaries in Travancore. Next after the 
 baptism and education of the younger generation, 
 they are charged to devote their care to the healing 
 of feuds and the amendment of morals. They are 
 desired to base their teaching upon the Ten Com- 
 mandments, to disseminate everywhere copies of the 
 articles of faith and their explanation in the Malabar 
 tongue, and " to have them publicly read every 
 Sunday with a clear, loud and intelligible voice," 
 preaching afterwards upon the wonderful judgments 
 of God, and the necessity of repentance and godly 
 life. They are recommended to use persuasion and 
 gentleness, seeking to be loved rather than feared ; 
 to make personal sacrifices in order to keep on good 
 terms with their countrymen, but to be bold in 
 defending the natives from their injustice and con- 
 
THE PEARL FISHERY 97 
 
 tempt ; to act as peacemakers in private, but to avoid 
 interference in disputes and lawsuits upon temporal 
 affairs, which encroach upon the time, weaken the 
 authority and lower the high calling of God's 
 priests. They are cautioned, also, to be scrupu- 
 lously honest and exact in the application of moneys 
 entrusted to them for the building of churches and 
 the support of schools, to hand over at once to the 
 poor any sums received in payment of vows or 
 thank-offerings, nor ever consent to accept the 
 smallest portion for their personal use. Finally, they 
 are to be faithful in rendering account of their works, 
 submissive to authorities, temporal and spiritual, and 
 not lightly tempted to forsake their appointed place^ 
 even at the solicitation of kings and princes. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 TROUBLE 
 
 " Guide our barque among the waves, 
 
 Through the rocks our passage smooth 
 When the whirlpool frets and raves. 
 Let thy love its anger soothe, 
 All our hope is placed in Thee 
 Miserere Domine." 
 
 Wordsworth. 
 
 From the time of his first arrival in India, Xavier 
 had cherished the hope that, after providing for the 
 spiritual wants of the scattered tribes at the fishery, 
 he would be enabled to push on to the thickly 
 populated provinces beyond, and obtain audience of 
 some of the ruling princes who, once converted to 
 the true faith, must greatly help his efforts for the 
 benefit of their subjects. Thus the new religion, 
 spreading from an accredited centre, might make 
 sure and rapid progress, and Christianity be planted 
 
TROUBLE . 99 
 
 in the heart of the country instead of merely grafted 
 on the outermost branches of the great Hindoo race. 
 The kingdom of Travancore extended at this time 
 over a great part of Southern India, and to its 
 monarch, styled (probably by translation of the 
 name into monks' Latin) Iniquitribirrimus, he long 
 sought to address himself, trusting to obtain at 
 least protection for the Christians against the hosts 
 of irregular soldiery called Badages, who continually 
 harassed the frontier. More than once he had been 
 promised an interview with this potentate, and 
 prevented by some gross breach of faith, on the part 
 of his countrymen, from availing himself of the much 
 desired opening. Can we wonder that such vexa- 
 tious hindrances drew from him wild hints of a 
 visit to Prester John (who he believed to be in Abys- 
 sinia) and despairing assertions, that it were better 
 to die a martyr than to live and witness such sinful 
 resistance to the progress of truth. " Often I 
 weary of existence," he cries, "when I can neither 
 control these things or cease from beholding 
 them." 
 
 We learn in a later letter to Mancias that Francis 
 persevered against all obstacles in negotiations with 
 his royal neighbour : 
 
loo FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 " Dear Brother in the Lord, — 
 
 " An intense longing to see you once more 
 possesses me, and I trust that God in His mercy 
 will soon satisfy my desire. In the meantime no 
 day passes but I am with you in spirit, and I doubt 
 not your heart is with me also, so we are in truth 
 never parted from each other. I beseech you, for 
 the love of God, write to me about yourself, about all 
 the Christians, about your health, your affairs and 
 all that concerns you. I would fain hear everything 
 minutely and precisely. 
 
 ** I am expecting here this week one of the 
 lords of Travancore ; he will not surely fail to 
 come, having himself been at the pains of writing to 
 apprise me of his arrival. What more can I tell you, 
 but that my heart is overflowing with confident 
 hopes of the good that my be effected at this meet- 
 ing. Whatever takes place, you shall learn from us 
 speedily, that you may give thanks to God. 
 
 ** Both the Father who is with me, and I myself, 
 are in excellent health. 
 
 "Tell the boy Matthew, from me, to continue in 
 good behaviour, and to be careful to pronounce the 
 lessons you have taught him, loudly and very 
 clearly, at the catechism meetings. When I come, I 
 
TROUBLE loi 
 
 will bring him some little present, which I doubt not 
 will give him pleasure. 
 
 " Do the children still come willingly to repeat the 
 prayers at the appointed times, and do many of them 
 possess the gift of memory ? Spare, I pray you, 
 neither words nor paper in giving me a full account 
 of your works, and send me letters by the very first 
 person bound hitherwards. The Lord be with you, 
 as I trust He will be with me also. Farewell. 
 
 " LiVARES, April 23, 1544." 
 
 Still awaiting the royal messenger, Francis was 
 laid low for many days with jungle fever. Weak- 
 ened and dispirited, he worked his way back to 
 Manapore, his headquarters at the midmost point 
 of the great bay of Manaar. There the news of 
 a terrible calamity roused him speedily to his wonted 
 vigour for a work of practical charity. The Chris- 
 tians of Cape Comorin, he heard, had been attacked, 
 overcome, and scattered by the Badages, and the 
 greater part led away captive. The rest, taking 
 refuge in the caverns and rocky islets of the sea, 
 were perishing of hunger and thirst. His prompt 
 measures for the relief of these latter are thus 
 recorded by his own pen. 
 
I02 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 " I had set forth with twenty boats laden with 
 provisions, to succour the Christians who have fled 
 before the Badages to the utmost rocks of Comorin, 
 and lie there a prey to mortal anguish, and drought, 
 and famine, but contrary winds raging violently, we 
 were able neither with helm nor oars to make head 
 against the current, nor to land so much as one of 
 our barques. If the storm cease, I shall again 
 embark for that destination, to bear what relief is in 
 my power to these unfortunates in their extreme 
 distress. It would be cruel indeed to slacken or 
 cease in our endeavours to remedy a misfortune, 
 the greatest in the world, that has befallen these 
 wretched people, worshippers of the Lord, even as 
 we ourselves. Every day, numbers of them come 
 to seek shelter at Manapore, naked and emaciated 
 by famine, despoiled of all things. I am writing to 
 the Patangats of Coimbatour, Punicale and Tutu- 
 curin, bidding them collect alms for the sufferers, 
 exacting nothing from the poor, neither constraining 
 the rich, but exhorting them to send us according to 
 the measure of their charity. I wish, indeed I 
 think it necessary, that you (Francis Mancias) bestir 
 yourself in the matter, as the justice and wisdom 
 of the magistrates inspire me with little confidence. 
 
TROUBLE 103 
 
 " Heaven onl}- knows what I have suffered in this 
 expedition, having been eight days at sea. You can 
 imagine, from your own experience, the discomfort 
 of being on board these httle boats in such a gale 
 as we have had, so strong that no human arms nor 
 exertions could prevail against it." 
 
 At last, he tells us, he succeeded in reaching by 
 land the victims of the Badages' (or brigand) in- 
 cursion. " Never has any one beheld a more horrible 
 scene. Faces pallid and distorted by hunger ; here 
 the scorched ground strewn with corpses, unburied 
 and loathsome, there men expiring beneath the 
 burning sun from untended wounds and maladies 
 without cure. Old men, bowed down with years and 
 privation, trying vainly to totter onward ; women 
 become mothers in their flight, sinking, for want of 
 sustenance, before their husband's eyes. I have taken 
 care to transport the most wretched to Manapore, 
 where, indeed, a great part of this distressed popu- 
 lation are already to be found, with whom we have 
 to deal according to our means. Pray the Lord that 
 He may speak to the hearts of the rich, and inspire 
 them with compassion for the many miserable ones 
 who are perishing here in utter desolation." 
 
I04 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 A month later the inhabitants of Tutucurin were 
 overtaken by a like disastrous fate, and Mancias is 
 despatched to the rescue by the following missive : 
 
 " Grievous news has reached me concerning the 
 Governor of Tutucurin. His fleet has been burned, 
 his houses and possessions destroyed by fire. 
 Without resources, having lost his all, he has fled to 
 the isles, where he still preserves a miserable 
 existence. Hasten to help him for holy charity's 
 sake, with all the vessels you can find at Punicale, 
 taking abundant provisions ; and, above all things, a 
 supply of good water, in which these isles are sadly 
 deficient. Speed your best, for his state of absolute 
 destitution admits of no delay, and see that there be 
 boats enough to bring back to the mainland the 
 crowd of fugitives driven by the same blow to those 
 inhospitable rocks. I would go myself, leaving you 
 in peace at Punicale, could I hope that my presence 
 would be acceptable ; but this man has, not long 
 ago, declared me his enemy in a letter full of violent 
 accusations. God and men know whether I have 
 done him wrong. However, this is not the time to 
 justify my actions, or complain of his, only, knowing 
 his feelings towards me, you will understand that I 
 
TROUBLE 105 
 
 avoid meeting him for his own sake. My presence 
 would be galHng to him in his humiUation, and the 
 sight of my face would add bitterness to his woe. I 
 am exhorting the Patangats of Coimbatour and 
 Bembar to collect instantly all the boats at their 
 disposal, and speed them with water and provisions 
 to the place, and you, as you would do the service of 
 our heavenly Master, put forth your utmost zeal in 
 the matter, that you may never have to regret that 
 you failed in timely succour to one fallen suddenly 
 from high estate. 
 
 " We owe him every good office of kindness and 
 pity, and our charity must extend to all the Christian 
 sufferers wrecked, as it were, in the same tempest, of 
 whom the bare thought makes me beseech you to 
 neglect nothing that may bring them swift and effec- 
 tual aid in their dire extremity." 
 
 To provide against the recurrence of such calamities 
 was the' province of the civil rather than the religious 
 authorities, but the whole district had now become a 
 scene of confusion and terror, and there was no one 
 there capable of organising resistance or obtaining 
 redress. The missionaries stood alone amidst a 
 timid and helpless population, whose docility in 
 
io6 FRA NCIS XA VIER 
 
 accepting the Gospel had brought upon them the 
 vengeance of evil and bloodthirsty men. Father 
 Francis at once took the head of affairs, writing to 
 Mancias as follows : 
 
 " Nothing on earth could tempt me to forsake these 
 people in their hour of danger and tribulation, 
 neither would I have you persuaded to depart with 
 Joam d'Artiaga, at least until these troubles be past. 
 It grieves me beyond measure to think that your 
 presentiment of being taken prisoner may perhaps be 
 some day realised ; but in truth I share all your 
 alarm on that score. Only, if so great a misfortune 
 should happen to you, be very sure that I shall never 
 rest until God restore you to us — I trust speedily. 
 I also, believe me, am encompassed with the like 
 perils and anxieties ; nevertheless, let all be done to 
 the glory of the good God, our sovereign Lord. 
 
 *' I have despatched one of our priests along the 
 coast with notice to the villages that they equip and 
 launch their boats, to be ready for instant embarka- 
 tion and flight when the brigands invade the country, 
 which I hear they are now preparing to do, in great 
 force. My informant is one of the great chiefs, very 
 favourable to the native Christians. I had sent him 
 
TROUBLE 107 
 
 a letter, addressed to the King of Travancore, 
 praying him to dehver it in person, since he is much 
 esteemed by that Prince, and to use all his influence 
 and earnest solicitations to support my petition, and 
 persuade his Sovereign to put down, with royal 
 authority, all future incursions upon the territory of 
 our unhappy converts. I added, that the Viceroy of 
 the Indies would consider their injuries his own, and 
 avenge them accordingly. 
 
 ** I had good reason to trust that this chief would 
 do something on our behalf, being a friend of mine, 
 and, as I told you before, well disposed towards the 
 Christians, among whom are many of his own 
 relations. He came to me himself, not merely to 
 show respect, but to proffer help and service on this 
 occasion. Now I had written to him that, if it were 
 not possible to put an immediate check on the 
 depredations of the Badages, he should at least give 
 me timely warning of their movements, thus we 
 might arrange beforehand for the embarkation of our 
 people, and send them and theirs fairly to sea 
 beyond reach of spoliation and massacre. This 
 warning he has now faithfully given. 
 
 " I have written also to the Viceroy beseeching 
 him to send one of his armed vessels for the 
 
io8 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 protection of all these defenceless boats. Never 
 cease exhorting the inhabitants, especially such as 
 live away from the shore, to establish a watch at 
 every commanding point, that they may be roused 
 in time, not surprised by some midnight raid of 
 cavalry and cut off before they can reach the boats. 
 But having done all this, I would not advise you to 
 trust much to the effect of your words. I know too 
 well the indolence and provoking obstinacy of these 
 folks ; they will grudge the expense of the neces- 
 sary sentinels. Watch them and act for yourself ; 
 make your own followers launch their barques im- 
 mediately, and see that the women and children 
 are put on board the first. Do not fail either to 
 improve this season of trial, by impressing upon 
 all, especially such as are most helpless by age and 
 sex, the needs of making supplication to God. 
 Fear is a great teacher of prayer, above all when, 
 as with these poor souls, there is no hope but in 
 God alone. 
 
 " My store of writing paper is exhausted, but I left 
 with you a quantity in a box, which I will beg you 
 to send me as soon as possible. By the same 
 messenger I shall expect to hear from you that 
 the embarkation is progressing, that the little 
 
TROUBLE . 109 
 
 property of the families exposed to danger, and their 
 household goods are being placed in safety, as well 
 as the mothers and children. If this has not yet 
 been done, you must bestir yourself in the matter. 
 Go at once to Antonio Fernandez, and entreat him, 
 by his friendship for me, to assist these unfortunate 
 people, to use his authority in forwarding their 
 preparations, to make them perceive that not their 
 liberty only is at stake, but their lives — yea, their 
 flesh and blood ; for, while the rich among them 
 may perchance be carried off in hope of ransom, 
 the poor, from whom avarice can expect nothing, 
 will be sacrificed by these bloodthirsty robbers. 
 Again, first and foremost, I counsel you to lose no 
 time in appointing watchers all along the coast, 
 at least during these nights when the full moon 
 may light the enemy's march. 
 
 ** God have you in His keeping, for He only is 
 infallible. Farewell. 
 
 " Your loving brother in the Lord, 
 
 " Francis." 
 
 Badages, according to the early biographers, 
 ^ere — " Barbarians by nature. Gentiles in religion, 
 and robbers by profession ; " in fact, direct emissaries 
 
no FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 of the evil one, and, as such, we hear that they 
 were speedily put to rout by the mere presence of 
 the holy man, who is said to have scattered a whole 
 army of them, by advancing at the head of a few 
 trembHng converts, ^'with uplifted cross and 
 sonorous rebuke, in a language unknown and 
 terrible, with awful eyes in a face of unearthly pallor, 
 flashing from beneath his sable cowl. A moment 
 they stood spell-bound, watching their flight of 
 arrows fall harmlessly around their opponent, then 
 they turned and fled away, no man pursuing." 
 
 Meanwhile, by patient negotiations, threats of 
 Portuguese interference, appeals to patriotic, com- 
 mercial, and even personal motives, the good Father 
 did at length succeed in securing some shadow of 
 peace for his afQicted pearl-divers. Not until he 
 had seen them restored to their homes or estab- 
 lished in new ones, and unmolested in the pursuit 
 of their perilous calling; until he had himself 
 relieved their wants, visited their sick, baptized 
 their new-born babes, reassembled the children's 
 classes and the weekly meetings for public worship ; 
 not, in fact, until he had replaced the church at 
 Comiorin in working order, did he permit himself 
 to proceed on any further mission. His presentation 
 
TROUBLE 
 
 III 
 
 to the King of Travancore, accomplished this time 
 in spite of all difficulties, does not seem to have 
 afforded any grounds on which to build up fresh 
 hopes. No record of the actual interview is left us 
 in the letters (the writer having probably found 
 opportunity to visit his correspondent on his return 
 and relate his adventures in person), but we gather, 
 by degrees, that the temporary suppression of the 
 Badaiges, and toleration of the new faith, were its 
 main results. The monarch appears to have been 
 gracious only from political considerations (re- 
 quiring Portuguese assistance against his too 
 powerful lords, &c.), and would not, by any means, 
 be persuaded himself to become a Christian. Among 
 his subjects, however, many converts were made, 
 and churches and schools established, at the royal 
 expense, by priests from the Fishery still acting 
 under Xavier's directions. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 WANDERINGS 
 
 " Seize the banner, spread its fold, 
 Seize it with no faUering hold, 
 Spread its foldings high and fair ; 
 Let all see the Cross is there. 
 
 " What if to the trumpet sound 
 Voices few come answering round, 
 God will aid the work begun, 
 For the love of His dear Son." 
 
 Keble. 
 
 The Indies of the sixteenth century lay mainly to 
 the south of the Peninsula of Hindostan, the interior 
 of which had hardly been explored by the Portu- 
 guese, while their utmost settlements extended no 
 farther on the north-eastern coast than St. Thomas 
 of Miliapur, now lying in ruin close to the modern 
 city of Madras. The innumerable islands with their 
 rich products and convenient ports, and various 
 advantages of climate and population, were of far 
 
WANDERINGS 113 
 
 more importance in European eyes than the con- 
 tinent itself; and Xavier must have heard many 
 marvellous accounts of them and their inhabitants 
 during the two years that he had been journeying 
 to and fro upon the coast opposite Ceylon. Indeed, 
 he and Mancias had already paid some short visit 
 to that land of Eden, appropriated by tradition as 
 the scene of our first parents' abode, but seemingly 
 now delivered over to the angels of darkness in the 
 shape of petty tyrants, cruel, sensual, and wilfully 
 ignorant. In spite of this malignant influence, a 
 few brave men had already succeeded in planting 
 the cross at the foot of Adam's Peak, and preaching 
 its mercies to the long-suffering Cingalese. Their 
 words were listened to, even in the King's palace, 
 and the heir to the throne professed himself a 
 convert. He was immediately put to death by 
 command of his father, and his body cast out to be 
 devoured by the wild beasts and the fowls of heaven. 
 Men said that the ground where it lay opened in 
 the form of a cross to give him Christian burial, 
 and Francis relates that infinite numbers were 
 thereby moved to become Christians. Francis, pro- 
 bably in his capacity of inspector^of missions to His 
 Portuguese Majesty, returned to the continent with 
 
 H 
 
114 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 a brother of the murdered prince, who had desired 
 admission into the same faith and was forced into 
 exile in consequence. 
 
 He tells us that he held many interesting con- 
 versations with the royal fugitive by the way, and 
 desired exceedingly to see the intelligent God- 
 fearing youth succeed to the throne, and rule, as he 
 confidently hoped, over an entirely Christian people. 
 He did not, however, feel justified in prompting the 
 Government to active interference on this occasion 
 as in the more aggravated case of the persecution of 
 the Christians of Manaar by the neighbouring King 
 of Jafnapatan, who reigned in the extreme north of 
 the island. That affair, which was the immediate 
 cause of his leaving the Comorin coast, is thus 
 related in his own words : 
 
 "The inhabitants of Manaar, an island some 
 hundred and fifty miles distant, sent me messengers, 
 beseeching me to come and baptize them, since they 
 were resolved to make themselves Christians. I 
 could not immediately yield to their request, being 
 detained by other matters of grave import to the 
 cause of religion, but I sought out a venerable 
 priest, willing to go in my stead so soon as the 
 
WANDERINGS 115 
 
 thing was possible, and regenerate them by the 
 waters of baptism. Through his cares very many 
 had received the sacred rite, when the King of 
 Jafnapatan, suzerain of the island, caused the whole 
 congregation of converts to be put to a cruel 
 death, only because they had professed themselves 
 Christians. 
 
 "Blessed be the Lord Jesus, who has suffered 
 these things to be done even in our own times — who 
 has permitted, in the mystery of His Providence, 
 that the few who bear witness in their lives to the 
 divine goodness and mercy, shall be strengthened 
 by the host of martyrs passing through death unto 
 salvation ; so that human barbarity is left, as it 
 were, to fill up the ranks and complete the reckon- 
 ing of the redeemed." 
 
 Xavier's remarks on this subject were more 
 patient and philosophic than his actions ; for, leaving 
 to his assistants the charge of his new converts in 
 Travancore, he hastened through that country to 
 Cochin, and thence to Cambay, to plead in person 
 with the Viceroy for the immediate chastisement of 
 the offending monarch. '' I have told you ver}^ 
 often," he continues to his European brethren, 
 
ii6 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 **how well disposed the Governor of all the Indies 
 has shown himself to support me and our Company 
 in all things. Moreover, he was so moved with 
 horror on learning of the bloody slaughter of the 
 neophytes, that he had commanded the arming of a 
 great fleet for the extermination of the tyrant 
 almost before I had opened my mouth on the 
 matter; and I have rather to restrain than excite 
 the vehemence of his just indignation. Now the 
 lawful heir to the throne of this royal executioner 
 is a brother, whom the terror of his cruelties has 
 driven into exile. This prince has promised for 
 himself and all his followers to accept Christianity, 
 if put in possession of his just inheritance. So the 
 Viceroy has ordered the Portuguese captains to place 
 him on the throne upon these conditions, and to put 
 the oppressor to death, or leave him to be dealt with 
 according to my will. I do not utterly despair that 
 the mercy of God and the prayers of those martyred 
 ones may, even yet, bring him to the consciousness 
 of his great crime ; and that, by wholesome peni- 
 tence, he may at last obtain God's pardon for his 
 atrocious barbarity." 
 
 Xavier had another object in returning at this 
 
WANDERINGS .117 
 
 time to the haunts of civiHsation ; to confer with 
 Miguel Vaz, the Vicar-General, before his departure 
 for Portugal, and entrust him with letters and 
 statements of importance to lay before the home 
 Government. These two men, the most earnest, 
 and in some respects the most enlightened, in all 
 India, met at Cochin, in December 1544, and spent 
 many days and weeks together, making arrange- 
 ments for the welfare of the churches they had 
 founded, and discussing, in the refreshment of mutual 
 confidence, matters that lay very near the hearts 
 of both. 
 
 "You will hardly find anywhere," Xavier writes 
 to his old colleague, Simon Rodriguez, "a man so 
 filled with zeal and devotion to the service and 
 glory of God, as Miguel Vaz. I cannot doubt that 
 his presence and discourse will be most welcome to 
 you, for, only in beholding the peace and serenity 
 that shine on his countenance, you will not fail to 
 form an exalted notion and a most just estimate of his 
 worth. You may entirely trust his every word, and 
 he will place before 3^ou, in full and without reserve, 
 the present state of our affairs in the Indies." 
 
 At the same date he writes to the King of 
 Portugal, as follows : 
 
ii8 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 '' Sire, 
 
 " If it be indeed permitted me to point out to 
 your Majesty the sentiments by which I would have 
 you actuated, let me bid you look into yourself, and 
 consider how Our Lord has chosen you out before 
 all other princes of the earth, and bestowed upon 
 you this great empire of the Indies, to try and to 
 prove your virtue, your faithfulness in a Sovereign's 
 duties, and your gratitude for infinite benefits. The 
 design of Providence was not to fill your treasury 
 with the precious products of the East, and the 
 gold of barbarian kings ; but to give scope to your 
 heroism, to afford your piety and benevolence new 
 opportunities of development, and to prepare, by 
 your ardent zeal, a way whereby the efforts of your 
 faithful servants may avail to bring the inhabitants 
 of these regions to the knowledge of the Creator 
 and Saviour of the world. 
 
 " Your Majesty, then, may well make it the first 
 duty of your envoys in the East to extend the rule 
 of Christianity on every side, and propagate our 
 holy faith ; conscious that God will demand from 
 you a reckoning of all these your people, who are 
 ready to enter into the way of truth if any man 
 would direct them therein, whom the want of 
 
WANDERINGS . 119 
 
 teachers leaves in the darkness of ignorance and 
 the depths of degradation, where they incessantly 
 offend their Maker, and fit their souls for eternal 
 ruin and damnation. 
 
 " From the report of Dom Miguel Vaz, coadjutor 
 to the Bishop of Goa, now returning to Portugal, 
 your Majesty will learn the disposition that prevails 
 among the natives to embrace our faith, and other 
 circumstances favourable to the progress of religion, 
 whereof he himself can bear witness. He leaves 
 behind him such deep regret in the hearts of all the 
 Christians in the land, that his return seems almost 
 a necessity for their consolation and spiritual well- 
 being. Your Majesty will indeed serve your own 
 highest interests in sending back to Goa forthwith a 
 minister as wise as he is zealous in the business he 
 has undertaken — the promotion of the knowledge and 
 glory of God throughout the Indies. Having charged 
 this faithful and experienced servant with the 
 execution of your wishes, your soul may be at rest^ 
 assured that the rare merits which have won the 
 veneration of a whole people will be an earnest of 
 his vigilance, in losing no opportunity of supporting 
 and forwarding the cause of religion. The Bishop, 
 no doubt, is a prelate of consummate virtue, but your 
 
I20 FRANCIS XA VIER 
 
 Majesty must be aware that advanced age and 
 numerous infirmities have deprived him of the 
 physical strength needful for the immense labours 
 of his charge. He has preserved only the powers 
 of his mind, which become truly ever more ad- 
 mirable ; the weakness of his body being overcome 
 by the fulness of spiritual grace. Even thus the 
 Lord recompenses His faithful ones after a lifelong 
 devotion to His service, after the sacrifice of time 
 and strength to great works undertaken for His 
 sake. It is the triumph of the spirit over the flesh, 
 the crown that divine goodness permits a few 
 valiant athletes to grasp in their decHning days, 
 for the example and encouragement of those who 
 follow after and see them born again, as it 
 were, by a renewal of the mental forces, when 
 nature, failing and enfeebled, is already verging 
 upon dissolution. As life passes away from these 
 venerable mortals, their earthly body is gradually 
 transfigured into a heavenly spirit. Surely now, 
 more than ever, our saintly Bishop has need of 
 some vigorous helper in the arduous duties of his 
 Apostolate. 
 
 " Call to remembrance. Sire, your former ardour, 
 the delicacy of conscience with which you were 
 
WANDERINGS 121 
 
 wont to acquit yourself of every obligation of your 
 high position, as in the sight of God alone ; I adjure 
 you thus for the safety of your own soul. Send to 
 the Indies a Governor, armed with the necessary 
 powers to protect and provide for the infinity of 
 human souls that stand imperilled at this hour. 
 Above all things, let his authority be independent 
 of that of the Crown treasures, that the malver- 
 sations and scandals which have disgraced Christen- 
 dom be avoided henceforth. 
 
 '' In charity I write thus to your Majesty, in the 
 compassion that burns for you in the depths of my 
 heart, when I seem to hear accusing voices rising up 
 to Heaven to complain that our King has acted the 
 niggard towards this empire, grudging, out of all the 
 treasure with which it has enriched him, a small 
 portion to provide for its people's greatest and 
 abiding want. Send us, gracious Sovereign, yet 
 many of the working brethren of our order, that 
 they may not only be sufficient to baptize the crowds 
 that come forward daily in these parts, to join our 
 religion, but may also be sent to Malacca and the 
 neighbouring States, where frequent conversions are 
 even now taking place. 
 
 " Francis Mancias bears me company upon the 
 
1 22 FRA NCIS XA VIER 
 
 Comorin coast, among the Christians first converted 
 by Dom Miguel Vaz. With us also are three native 
 priests. 
 
 " That I shall die in the Indies and see your face 
 no more on earth, is to me a perfect certainty : there- 
 fore I do entreat the aid of your prayers that we 
 may meet again in the blessed abode of peace. 
 Supplicate for me, as I shall for your Majesty, that 
 we may so think and act in every circumstance of 
 life, as we shall desire to have done, when we draw 
 near the hour of death. 
 
 " Your Majesty's servant, 
 
 " Francis." 
 " Cochin, Feb. Sth, 1545." 
 
 Whether in consequence of this letter or no, the 
 Governor De Soza was recalled and to his successor 
 the King writes as follows : 
 
 " The first obligation of a Christian ruler is to watch 
 over the interests of rehgion and maintain the faith by 
 all means in his power. The same causes me to 
 communicate to you that I have learned with deep 
 sorrow that, not only in many parts of our Indian 
 dominions, but in our own city of Goa, and places 
 where Christianity ought assuredly to flourish, false 
 gods are still objects of public worship. 
 
WANDERINGS 123 
 
 *' Now, being fully aware that heathen ceremonies 
 are performed in the light of day, we command you 
 to search out the idols and destroy them, and break 
 them in pieces wheresoever they be found, and to 
 publish rigorous penalties against any person who 
 shall dare henceforth to make, mould, grave, design 
 or paint, produce or import, any idolatrous image 
 in metal or bronze, wood, clay, or any other sub- 
 stance, &c. 
 
 "We have been informed, to our great grief, by 
 reverend men worthy of all credence, that certain 
 Portuguese are in the practice of buying slaves at a 
 low price, to dispose of them afterwards to the 
 Moors and other unbelieving traders for the sake of 
 iniquitous profits. Thus they damage even the 
 souls of these unhappy creatures, who might other- 
 wise be converted to our faith. Use your best 
 endeavours to check this evil, to put a stop to 
 this traffic. You will perform a service pleasing to 
 God, and very satisfactory to us, if by the exercise 
 of due severity you can restrain so serious an 
 abuse. 
 
 ** In all cases and upon every point we desire you 
 to hold counsel with Father Francis Xavier. Ex- 
 amine with him more especially whether it be really 
 
124 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 conducive to the influence of religion on the 
 Fishery stations to let the new converts dwell in 
 idleness. If you decide upon permitting them so to 
 do, it should be well seen that, with their new creed, 
 they have put on new morals and put away the 
 licence of their former lives. We are warned, on 
 the other hand, that many who have forsworn 
 paganism for our pure faith, find themselves de- 
 spised and maltreated by their relations and neigh- 
 bours, who hunt them from their dwellings, and 
 despoil them of their goods, so that they are often 
 reduced to extreme penury and hardly sustain life 
 by weary and unceasing toil. You will do well to 
 employ the Vicar Miguel Vaz to relieve the misery 
 of these, entrusting him with funds from our 
 treasury, to be distributed by the priest, according 
 to his best judgment. 
 
 ** A young man from Ceylon, we have been 
 advised, has lately taken refuge at Goa, to escape 
 the rage and fury of his near relations. He is 
 reputed to be of royal blood, with rights of succes- 
 sion to the throne of his country. Now it seems 
 good to us, in consideration of his profession of 
 Christianity, and for the encouragement of other 
 neophytes, that he should be worthily received at 
 
WANDERINGS 125 
 
 the College of St. Paul in that town. Entertain him, 
 therefore, at our cost suitably to his high birth, that 
 our liberal intentions towards persons of the like noble 
 character may be seen of all men. At the same 
 time, take pains to inquire closely into the reality 
 of his pretensions, and forward to us the result of 
 your investigations, that we may take such measures 
 as are desirable. It is our will that you forthwith 
 bring the tyrant of Ceylon to strict account for the 
 barbarous treatment he has seen fit to inflict upon 
 his subjects newly converted to our holy faith. 
 Oblige him to give such satisfaction for these acts of 
 detestable cruelty, that all the rulers of India may 
 acknowledge that justice is dear to us, and that we 
 are ever ready to protect the oppressed." 
 
 During the two years that these affairs were 
 pending, Father Francis pursued a somewhat de- 
 sultory course of voyages from port to port, guided 
 at times by inspired dreams, driven at times by the 
 force of outward circumstances, at the mercy often 
 of the winds and waves ; but ever intent upon one 
 object, ever busied in clearing a way for Gospel 
 truth to the hearts of benighted lands, and of ignorant 
 and misguided men. About Jafnapatan we quote 
 
126 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 his own words : — ** This expedition has ended in 
 naught ! The prince who promised to become a 
 Christian has not been reinstated in his inheritance. 
 An evil chance has ruined all. A ship that belonged 
 to the King of Portugal, returning from Pegu with 
 a rich cargo, was caught by the tempest and driven 
 ashore upon the coast of Jafnapatan. The king of 
 the country seized the merchandize, and the Portu- 
 guese have thought it expedient to hush up the war 
 until restitution of their property be secured. So 
 the Viceroy's orders have not been regarded, but 
 they shall yet be fulfilled, if it please God." 
 
 These sudden changes of policy threw Francis 
 into great perplexity and indecision of mind with 
 regard to his own further movements. " Oh, that 
 Our Lord," he exclaims, ** would grant us the grace 
 so ardently desired, so long awaited — the grace to 
 know by some sure sign His holy will — where He 
 would have me to go ? — how but to proclaim His 
 glory? We hold ourselves in readiness to obey the 
 first call, to fulfil instantly the divine behests, be the 
 difficulties never so great. Marvellous indeed are 
 the ways whereby the Lord makes manifest His 
 intent. A secret conviction penetrates the soul and 
 illumines its darkest depths, as with a ray from 
 
WANDERINGS . 127 
 
 Heaven. To those in whom this Hght is revealed, 
 there remains no more uncertainty concerning the 
 ways or the works destined for them by Providence. 
 It has been said, and with perfect truth, that mortals 
 passing over the face of the earth must needs, by 
 law and condition of their nature, acknowledge 
 themselves as strangers and travellers here below, 
 nor suffer themselves to be withheld by attachment 
 to any place or object from a free flight whither- 
 soever their reason points to the highest good, the 
 aim and end of their hopes and their existence. So 
 ought we ourselves ever to stand ready for a 
 summons to regions and employments the most 
 foreign, and oftentimes the most distasteful to our 
 minds. Our ardour must prepare us to accept all 
 things with great alacrity, and speed at the bidding 
 of our Heavenly Master ; east, west, south or north, 
 all alike in our eyes, and our choice determined 
 solely by the greater or less results which each 
 enterprise promises for the honour and glory of God." 
 His final resolution and the manner of its adoption 
 were communicated to the Fathers at Goa in some- 
 what more guarded terms. *' I remained for many 
 days at Myapatan, till at last the winds, adverse to 
 my return, changed the direction of my voyage. 
 
128 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 Suffering myself to be led by circumstances, I came 
 to the town of St. Thomas. In the venerable sanc- 
 tuary of the Apostle, I failed not to beseech the Lord 
 with fervent supplication that He would deign to 
 discover to me His will, since I was resolved to 
 follow it entirely. I trusted that He who gives us 
 to will any good thing shall give likewise the power 
 to do it. In His infinite mercy the Lord remembered 
 His servant. With a thrill of joy, that penetrated 
 my inmost soul, I perceived that I was called of God 
 to Malacca, and thence to Macassar, where many are 
 already turning to Christ, and need to be strengthened 
 in the faith. I have had the elements and precepts 
 of our religion, with short explanations of the same, 
 translated into their language ; for is it not reasonable 
 that those who have joined us of their own free will, 
 should receive at our hands every assistance ? They 
 should have prayers in their own tongue, where- 
 with to petition for the increase of their faith and 
 strength to keep the commandments of the divine 
 law ; a form of general confession to use daily, for 
 acknowledging their sins before God, in lieu of 
 sacramental confession, so long as they have not 
 among them any priest capable of understanding 
 their speech. 
 
WANDERINGS . 129 
 
 " I trust that God will bestow upon me special 
 protection during this voyage. Of a truth, as I have 
 now told you, He has not disdained to reveal to me 
 His sovereign will, and I am so firmly resolved to 
 fulfil the inspiration of Providence, that should I 
 indeed have the misfortune to fail in this matter, it 
 would seem to me that I had revolted against 
 Heaven, and was cut off" from hope, in life, or in 
 death. If it happen that I find within the year no 
 opportunity of making the passage by a Portuguese 
 ship, I shall not hesitate to trust myself in any 
 Saracen or Indian trader bound for Malacca. So 
 unshaken is my confidence in Him for whose sake 
 alone I undertake this voyage, that even though 
 there sail not any merchant vessel at all this year, 
 but only the most miserable boat for my destination, 
 I shall still embark without fear, assured that divine 
 help is ever at hand. 
 
 " As I have put my trust in God alone, I entreat 
 you, beloved brethren, to commend me to Him, me a 
 miserable sinner, in your holy Masses every day, 
 and in your continual prayers. Towards the end of 
 August I think to depart, since it is about that time 
 that the favourable winds most commonly arise." 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 
 
 *' As o'er each continent and island 
 The dawn leads on another day, 
 The voice of prayer is never silent, 
 Nor dies the strain of praise away." 
 
 Hymns A. & M. 
 
 " Lone on the land, and homeless on the water, 
 Pass I in patience till the work be done. 
 
 " Yet not in solitude, if Christ anear me 
 
 Waketh Him workers for the great employ. 
 O not in solitude, if souls that hear me 
 Catch from my joyaunce the surprise of joy ! " 
 
 F. W. Myers. . 
 
 Exactly six months later (November, 1545), this 
 pioneer of Christianity gives the following account of 
 his further proceedings : 
 
 " Since my arrival some weeks ago at Malacca, a 
 very famous port, by reason of the concourse of 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO - 131 
 
 merchants frequenting it, I have not wanted for 
 spiritual occupation. On Sunday I preach to 
 the assembled inhabitants of the city, who seem 
 in truth better pleased with my exhortations than 
 I myself am content therewith. Every morning I 
 ■devote an hour or more to teaching the chil- 
 dren some simple prayers of our Church. The re- 
 mainder of the day is spent in the hospital, where I 
 hear the confessions of the sick, celebrate Mass, and 
 administer the Sacrament. My penitents come 
 in so great number that I sometimes know not how 
 to deal with them all. Besides this, I employ much 
 of my time in translating the Catechism from the 
 Latin into the language used in Macassar ; it is so 
 painful to be quite ignorant of the speech of those 
 about one. 
 
 ** Whilst awaiting the ship that should bring me 
 hither, I fell in with a merchant, disembarking his 
 goods at the port of St. Thomas. The man, having 
 some perception of spiritual things, speedily began 
 to comprehend the existence of merchandise more 
 precious than aught of his, albeit hidden until now 
 from his quest. Therefore, forsaking at once his 
 trade and his possessions, he came to proffer me his 
 fellowship, and bear me company likewise in my 
 
132 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 voyage to Macassar. Jean D'Eyro by name, he is 
 thirty years of age, and a soldier of the world up to 
 this day. He has now resolved to embrace holy 
 poverty for the remainder of his life, and enlist with 
 heart and soul in the service of Jesus Christ ; 
 wherefore he desires the favour of your prayers 
 that he may be accepted of the Lord. 
 
 ** Letters from Rome as well as from Lisbon have 
 followed me hither. The comfort they have given 
 and still give me is greater than words can tell. 
 Each time I read them over, and that is very often, 1 
 can fancy that you are here with me, or that I am in 
 Europe again with you. If it may not be so in the 
 body, then in the spirit. 
 
 " I have but one prayer to make to you, my dear 
 brethren ; that there come after us every year 
 many members of our order, for truly there are 
 many needed. Not great literary attainments are 
 required for the conversion of the heathen, but virtue 
 seasoned by long experience." 
 
 The latter sentiment is still more strongly ex- 
 pressed in a little note written from this place to 
 Simon Rodriguez at Coimbra, not otherwise interest- 
 ing to us. Nor is there much worthy of notice in the 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO i33 
 
 letter to Paul di Camerino and the newly arrived 
 brethren at Goa. We miss the frank outpourings to 
 Francis Mancias, who seems, one cannot tell how, to 
 have forfeited his place in his leader's confidence. 
 His name is now only mentioned incidentally, the 
 new-comers being recommended to take him as their 
 iguide at Comorin ; afterwards he is summoned along 
 with them to Malacca, where, however, he never 
 appears. Thenceforth no word more is heard of 
 him in the letters, those which might have thrown 
 light on the cause of estrangement having been 
 perhaps suppressed by the biographers, who tell 
 us only that he was turned out of the Society for 
 •disobedience, by Xavier himself, in 1547; that he 
 persevered nevertheless in good works, and died in 
 great sanctity at Contam some twenty years later. 
 
 The great missionary found his scheme of an 
 expedition to Macassar forestalled by a priest sent 
 thither by the authorities at Malacca under escort of 
 a military force. He was urged to wait for the 
 return of the ship that had conveyed these warlike 
 Gospel-bearers, before risking more lives on the faith 
 of flattering rumours already half discredited. He 
 yielded for a time, and began to turn his thoughts to 
 ^other islands in the neighbourhood, as greatly in 
 
134 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 need of spiritual enlightenment as Macassar, and in 
 January 1 546 set sail once more, in a vessel bound 
 for the Banda Isles, which put him, with his new 
 comrade, John D'Eyro, ashore at Amboyna on the 
 1 6th of February in the same year. 
 
 " For when," writes he, ** I saw that the favourable 
 winds had ceased, and still there came no tidings of 
 the priest and soldiers that had been sent to 
 Macassar, I thought it not right to delay longer, 
 and leaving Malacca, departed forthwith for the 
 Moluccas. 
 
 " At the farthest extreme of these islands the 
 King of Portugal holds a fortified place called 
 Sernate. Some two hundred miles thence, but 
 nearer the Indies, is the island of Amboyna, with a 
 great population both of natives and foreigners. It 
 has been bestowed by his Majesty upon a Portuguese 
 lord of illustrious virtue and piety, who comes, they 
 say, in a year or two, to settle here with his wife 
 and children, and all his household. It contains but 
 seven Christian villages, all of which I have visited, 
 baptizing the young children, and many others who 
 had not received the sacred rite. Some of them 
 departed this life but a little while afterwards, so 
 that it seemed that their existence had been 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 135 
 
 prolonged only until the way of eternal life was 
 opened to them. 
 
 "About that time eight Spanish vessels put into 
 harbour here for three months. With what diverse 
 occupations I was overwhelmed during their stay ! 
 With constant preaching I strove to incite the 
 members of the different crews to a sober and godly 
 life. I heard their confessions, I comforted them in 
 sickness ; I stood by them in the hour of death, that 
 they might quit the world in faith and resignation ; 
 difficult sentiments for men who had long lived in 
 contempt of all the divine laws. Such people dis- 
 play, in their last moments, much as terror of death 
 and despair of God's mercy, as they had formerly 
 shown boldness in plunging into the mire of in- 
 numerable crimes. Nevertheless, many who had 
 lived in violence and strife, no rare condition among 
 men who have made war their calling, were b}^ 
 especial grace reconciled to their enemies, and 
 restored to lasting peace. 
 
 "At last the fleet sailed for the Indies, and I, 
 accompanied by Jean D'Eyro, of whom I have 
 spoken to 3'ou, went on in the opposite direction — 
 that is to say, towards the Moluccas. 
 
 "Beyond them again, perhaps at two hundred 
 
136 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 miles distance, lies the land of Moro (Gilolo), where, 
 long years ago, many of the inhabitants made 
 profession of Christianity ; but, being neglected, 
 left orphans, so to speak, by the death of the priest 
 who had instructed them, have fallen back into 
 ignorance and primitive barbarism. 'Tis a region 
 full of peril to travellers, as the people are savage 
 in the extreme, and are much given to mix poison in 
 the food they offer strangers. The fear of their 
 cruelty has hitherto withheld any priest from ex- 
 tending his ministry to these islanders ; but, behold- 
 ing the immensity of their wants, with none to 
 teach them any good or to purify them by holy 
 sacraments, I feel myself constrained to strive after 
 their salvation even at the risk of death. I am de- 
 termined to make my way thither so soon as it be 
 possible, and to face whatever dangers may beset my 
 path. Verily I have put my hope in the Lord, and 
 will, so far as in me lies, prove the words of Jesus : 
 * Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it ; and who- 
 soever will lose his life for My sake, shall find it.' 
 
 "The precept seems very simple to the under- 
 standing, but in practice it is far otherwise. When 
 the hour is come to lose one's life to find it again 
 only in Heaven — when the perils of death are 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 137 
 
 imminent and we see clearly that to obey the Lord 
 may cost us our existence — the brightness of the 
 promise is overshadowed, we know not how, and 
 hidden in the great darkness. The wisest men are 
 powerless to comprehend this glorious sentence, 
 which is only realised by those within whose hearts 
 God Himself is a ruling presence through the 
 special gift of His grace. It is on such occasions 
 that the weakness and infirmity of our nature stands 
 revealed in the light of day. 
 
 ** My friends here conjured me not to venture 
 amongst these savages, and since they could not 
 persuade me, even with tears and prayers, they 
 brought me, every one, some new charm or antidote 
 against poison, but I refused them all, lest the 
 number of the remedies should lay upon me another 
 burden, that of fear, from which I have hitherto 
 been exempt. My trust is in Providence ; I dare not 
 rely upon any human help to distract my thoughts 
 from God ; therefore I thanked them, and besought 
 them only to pray for me — that is the true safeguard 
 after all. 
 
 ''To look back at our voyage to the Moluccas. It 
 was far from favourable. We were exposed to in- 
 cessant alarms from the pirates of Ihe coast, and 
 
138 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 to still greater dangers from the sea. Our ship 
 was cast among the shoals by the violence of the 
 tempest, and drifted along for miles, ploughing the 
 sands with its rudder. If, as we dreaded each 
 moment, any hidden rock or sunken reef had lain in 
 our course, we must inevitably have been wrecked, 
 and have perished, every soul. I witnessed many 
 tears on this occasion, much anguish and lament- 
 ation when death seemed very near. Nevertheless, 
 God willed not our loss, but to enlighten our minds 
 by present danger that we might know from ex- 
 perience our mortal frailty whenever we should be 
 tempted to lean upon any human devices. When 
 we are convinced once for all of the impotence of 
 our own efforts and have withdrawn our confidence 
 from all earthly powers, to rest it unshaken in the 
 sovereign Arbiter of the world. Who can, in one 
 moment, turn aside the dangers we have encoun- 
 tered for His sake ; then we know indeed that the 
 universe is ruled by the hand of Providence, and 
 that our very lives are of little worth beside the 
 heavenly happiness which is prepared for us. 
 Truly, one cannot fear death, possessing such con- 
 solations. And when the peril is past, though 
 words fail most strangely to express our feelings, 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 139 
 
 there remains a soothing sense of divine protection 
 which prompts us day and night to accept gladly, to 
 suffer patiently, every trial for the love of our dear 
 Lord. The thought of Him commands our lifelong 
 homage. It is from His infinite goodness alone that 
 we derive strength and courage to serve Him faith- 
 fully. 
 
 '* The Moluccas are composed of a great number of 
 little islands, but whether any part belongs to the 
 mainland, is not yet certainly known. The inhabit- 
 ants (for most of them are peopled) dwell in big 
 villages, and would willingly turn towards Chris- 
 tianity, were there any to exhort them thereto. Had 
 we but one of the houses of our Company here, the 
 greater part of the people would be won over to the 
 faith of Jesus. Foreseeing this, I have made a vow 
 to compass the estabhshment of the same for our 
 brethren. The Pagans, in this island of Amboyna, 
 are much more numerous than the Mahometans, 
 the two races being kept apart by a deep-rooted 
 hostility. The latter, in fact, tyrannise over the 
 former, compelling them either to worship the 
 Prophet, or to become the slaves of his followers ; 
 nevertheless, for the most part, they abhor the name 
 of Mahomet even more than the yoke of bondage, 
 
I40 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 and reject the Moslem superstition. The name of 
 our Lord is less distasteful to these oppressed ones, 
 nor are they so far removed but that they might be 
 drawn to Him, would any man call them into His 
 flock. It is now seventy years since the venom of 
 Mahometanism was first spread amidst these simple 
 Pagans. Certain priests, called Kacis, from Mecca, 
 the city of Arabia where the body of the execrable 
 impostor is still kept with great veneration, pene- 
 trated hither, and led many of the people into their 
 errors. Since, however, they have left them quite 
 ignorant and unlearned in the doctrine they profess, 
 I hope to banish it without difficulty. 
 
 " I communicate all these details that you may 
 share my concern, and experience some natural 
 regret at the loss of so many souls, for the mere 
 want of Christian aid. Let those who come to help 
 us, lose no time. Know they ever so little of 
 literature or science, they will be capable of the 
 ministry here, provided only that they come filled 
 with noble ardour, to spend their lives and to breathe 
 their last sigh amidst these people for Jesus' sake. 
 Came there in this spirit but twelve men every year, 
 the hateful sect of Mahomet were speedily annihilated, 
 and all the people brought to Christ 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 141 
 
 " There are islands, too, amidst these seas where 
 they feed upon human flesh, that of prisoners taken 
 in war, principally. Of such as die a natural death, 
 they do not touch the bodies, but cut off the hands 
 and feet as a delicacy. Nay, if certain stories are to 
 be credited, they carry barbarity to such a point, that 
 one desiring to make a great feast, will demand of 
 his neighbour an aged parent, to be slaughtered and 
 devoured, promising to accommodate him with a like 
 victim on a future occasion. Next month, never- 
 theless, I go to visit an island where the dreadful 
 crime of cannibalism is of the most frequent occur- 
 rence. I do so because of a rumour that the 
 aborigines are minded to forsake their sinful and 
 detestable practices, and to conform themselves to 
 the sanctity of the Christian code. 
 
 " These isles are favoured with the brightest skies, 
 covered with tall and noble trees, watered by 
 abundant showers, protected on every side with high 
 cliffs and natural ramparts, so that on the approach 
 of an enemy the inhabitants have only to retreat 
 behind the bristling rocks, to find themselves secure 
 from attack, with neither need nor use for artificial 
 defences. There are, however, frequent earthquakes 
 in these parts, of so great violence that ships in the 
 
142 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 shallow seas are struck as it were upon a rock, the 
 ground heaves with terrible noises, and every mortal 
 is seized with unspeakable horror. Many of the islets 
 also emit flames, and belch forth subterranean fires 
 on every side, with such fury that no brass cannon 
 of whatsoever magnitude casts forth projectiles with 
 the like force. Often great masses of rock are flung 
 to a distance by these explosions. It seems, if I 
 may so speak, that God has here opened for a little 
 space the very gates of hell, that these creatures, to 
 whom none have foretold the punishment destined 
 for the wicked, may perceive, as in a vision, the 
 fiery furnace wherein the souls of sinners are 
 eventually to be consumed, so that the horror of the 
 scene may warn them, and enable them at least to 
 realise the torments that await them if the}^ shun not 
 the abysses of crime and infamy. 
 
 *' A different language prevails in every island. 
 The idioms are various, and the dwellers, even in 
 neighbouring villages, speak not with the same 
 accent ; nevertheless, for convenience of trade, the 
 Malay tongue is well-nigh universal. Therefore, 
 when I was at Malacca, I busied myself in translating 
 into that language the Apostles' Creed, with the 
 explanation of the sign of the cross, the formula of 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 143 
 
 General Confession, the Lord's Prayer, the AngeHc 
 Salutation, and the Ten Commandments, so as to 
 make my speech intelligible to the people, at least 
 upon these high subjects. 
 
 ** The Malays have scarcely any written records ; 
 only a few ot them know how to read or write, and 
 these use the Arabic character taught them by the 
 false priests of Mahomet." 
 
 Later he writes from the island of Moro : 
 
 "There are here many Christian villages long 
 deprived of religious culture by reason of the 
 distance from the Indies ; the barbarians also having 
 put to death the single priest who had come to dwell 
 among them. I baptized great numbers of infants, 
 and in the space of three months visited all the 
 communities and brought them again into subjection 
 to the truths I proclaimed in the Lord Jesus. 
 These islands are full of perils, the inhabitants being 
 ever at war among themselves, barbarous and 
 ignorant, without record of the past or any know- 
 ledge of letters. They destroy their enemies by 
 poison, and great numbers of them perish by that 
 death. The land is barren, without vines or corn, 
 and fresh water exceedingly scarce 
 
 " I give you these details, beloved brethren, that ye 
 
144 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 may also understand the measure of spiritual glad- 
 ness with which the soul is overwhelmed in these 
 wildernesses. All dangers, all trials borne for the 
 love of our Saviour Jesus Christ, become abundant 
 treasures of divine consolation, so that after a few 
 years in these islands our eyes might seem as 
 strangers to the light of day by reason of incessant 
 yet most blessed tears. Nowhere do I remember 
 to have entertained more lively or durable im- 
 pressions of spiritual joys, nowhere have I borne 
 so lightly bodily fatigue and suffering than here, 
 surrounded by open enemies and doubtful friends, 
 cut off from all succour in time of sickness ; nay, 
 even from things most necessary to existence. 
 Truly, according to my experience, those islands 
 should bear the name of heavenly hope, rather than 
 that of fearful death." 
 
 It is related of Xavier, that while celebrating Mass 
 at Moro, in a hut he had built for the purpose on 
 the sides of the volcano, the mountain threw up 
 wreaths of flame to heaven, and the earth tottered 
 under his feet, and the building shook to its base ; 
 the terrified worshippers fled, but Xavier, standing 
 in meek composure before the rocking altar, deli- 
 
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO 145 
 
 berately completed the mysterious sacrifice, rejoicing, 
 as he tells us, that the demons of the island then 
 winged their flight before the presence of Christ. 
 
 There does not seem to have ever been any inten- 
 tion on Xavier's part of remaining in these islands. He 
 only went to test the possibility of doing so, to show 
 the way to spirits less daring than himself. " God 
 forbid " (he said to one questioning the expediency 
 of his constant journeyings) "that I should risk 
 other men's lives in any place where I had not first 
 ventured my own, or desire my fellows to do aught 
 that I had not myself tried." 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 INDIA, 1548 
 
 " Thine to work as well as pray, 
 Clearing thorny wrongs away ; 
 Plucking up the weeds of sin, 
 Letting heaven's warm sunshine in." 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 " Salvation ! oh, salvation! 
 The joyful sound proclaim, 
 Till each remotest nation 
 Has heard Messiah's name." 
 
 Heber. 
 
 Two years of stirring adventure were succeeded 
 by one of comparative calm, devoted by the inde- 
 fatigable missionary to righting all that had gone 
 wrong in his absence — in fact, to a general supervision 
 and settlement of the affairs of the Society through- 
 out the Indies. His work consisted in revisiting 
 the churches and colleges already founded on the 
 western coast and promoting the establishment of 
 
INDIA, 1548 147 
 
 others ; in despatching, to those places where the 
 services were most needful, the members of his Order 
 who now began to come after him in answer to his 
 reiterated summons ; and in diligently collecting 
 information about newly discovered lands, especially 
 the islands of Japan, destined to be henceforth 
 associated with his memory. On the 20th of 
 January, 1548, he reports himself safely returned 
 to Cochin, the central station of Western India. 
 How short a time was afforded to repose after the 
 fatiguing voyage from Malacca, may be inferred 
 from the fact that four important letters bear date 
 of the very day after his arrival. From one of these, 
 addressed to the brethren at Rome, we gather many 
 of the particulars recorded in the preceding chapter, 
 and learn also the fair measure of success that had 
 attended his preaching. 
 
 ** I have good cause," he writes, '' to thank God 
 for the fruit of these labours. Our converts in the 
 Moluccas are so filled with ardour that they are con- 
 tinually chanting the praise and glory of God. The 
 children in the market-place, the young maidens and 
 wives within their houses, the labourer in the fields, 
 the fisherman upon the waters, all rehearse in their 
 songs the blessed truths of Christianity ; and the 
 
148 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 words of their hymns being in the native tongue, 
 are intelligible alike to the new Christians and their 
 unconverted neighbours. Finally, the Lord per- 
 mitted that the Portuguese of the country as well 
 as all the other inhabitants conceived, in a little 
 while, some friendship for me, so that I seemed to 
 have found favour in their eyes. 
 
 " On my return to the Moluccas about the season 
 of Lent, the greater part of the native wives of the 
 Portuguese residents became partakers of the holy 
 Sacrament, which they had never before in their 
 lives been bidden to approach. Also during the six 
 months I remained in those parts, the Europeans 
 there, as well as their women and children and the 
 native Christians, made great progress in piety. 
 When, at the end of Lent, I desired to sail again 
 for Malacca, I received the most touching proofs of 
 affection, not only from the faithful, but likewise from 
 unbelievers. I sought to embark secretly by night, 
 to escape the tears and lamentations of my beloved 
 flock, but my departure could not be concealed, and 
 I found myself overtaken by my friends. This 
 sorrowful parting in the darkness of the night with 
 the children whom I had, as it were, born to the 
 Lord, was very bitter to my soul, and I feared 
 
INDIA, 1548 149 
 
 greatly lest my absence should affect their welfare. 
 I exhorted them every one to recite diligently each 
 day at the same hour the Catechism, and to commit 
 to memory the short explanation of the holy symbol 
 which I had prepared for their use. A worthy 
 priest, and good friend of mine, has undertaken the 
 charge of instructing them for two hours daily, and 
 teaching once a week the articles of faith to the 
 wives of the Portuguese, also of preaching to them 
 on the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. 
 
 ''In 1546, I had written from Amboyna to the 
 brethren newly arrived from Portugal, that they 
 should take advantage the following year, of some 
 vessel sailing from the Indies to Malacca, and follow 
 me thither. This they have now done. Thus, of 
 the Company (two of their number, Jean de Biera and 
 Minez Ribiero, being priests duly ordained), arrived 
 most fortunately just as I reached Malacca, on my 
 homeward way. We dwelt there together for a 
 month to my great satisfaction, for I doubt not they 
 will now be capable of rendering the greatest service 
 to the cause of religion in the Moluccas, whither 
 they departed in August. Whilst we tarried thus 
 at Malacca, I made them acquainted with the ways 
 of the countries I had visited, and gave them the 
 
ISO FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 light of my experience as to the best manner 
 of deahng with the inhabitants. Their abode will 
 be so distant that we may hardly expect to re- 
 ceive from them one letter in the year. I have 
 desired them therefore to make report to Rome also 
 every year of the progress of religion in those 
 countries and their prospects for the future. This 
 they have faithfully promised me to do. 
 
 " Nor were the four months of my sojourn at 
 Malacca, awaiting a favourable opportunity to pass 
 on to India, otherwise void of religious occupation. 
 Indeed, as I could not by myself satisfy all who 
 needed holy services, it was not possible altogether 
 to avoid giving offence ; nevertheless, such slight 
 discontent, having its root in softened and expectant 
 feeling, gave me no concern, but rather comfort, as 
 proving increase of piety. Much of my time was 
 devoted to overcoming and reconciling the quarrels 
 and hatreds that uprise so frequently among the 
 Portuguese, always a warlike people 
 
 ** Most earnestly have I commended that congrega- 
 tion to the care of a secular priest. He is to take 
 my place among them, to celebrate the same services, 
 to follow the same order of daily instruction; and I 
 trust that, by God's grace, he may be enabled to per- 
 
INDIA, 1548 151 
 
 form his promise without hindrance. The chief 
 citizens of Malacca entreated me when I was leaving 
 their town to send thither with all speed two 
 members of our Company, that the divine Word 
 might be continually proclaimed to them, their wives 
 and neighbours, nor their children and servants lack 
 such instructions as I had given in religious doctrine. 
 This claim was urged with so much ardour that I per- 
 ceive it to be my solemn duty to forward zealously 
 the pious desire to men who have indeed deserved 
 well at our hands." 
 
 During Xavier's sojourn at Malacca, Alareddin, 
 a Mahometan chief of Sumatra, laid siege to the 
 town, which prepared to capitulate, but before 
 this was accomplished Father Francis came into 
 the harbour in his little weather-beaten boat. 
 With all the fire of his Spanish blood he called 
 upon the subjects of the most faithful King not to 
 put the foul scorn upon themselves of yielding to 
 their barbaric enemies. He took the command, or- 
 dered seven of the ships to be equipped for sea; he 
 animated the crews with promises of both temporal 
 and eternal triumphs, and despatched them to meet 
 and conquer the enemy. The flotilla sailed, but a 
 sudden tempest drove it out to sea. Day after day 
 
152 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 passed without intelligence, and rumours of defeat 
 were rife. Xavier's name was repeated from mouth 
 to mouth with cries of vengeance. The excited 
 populace sought him, and he was found kneeling 
 before the altar. On a sudden he raised aloft his 
 crucifix, and with deep emotion breathed a prayer for 
 victory. A solemn pause ensued, and after a brief 
 but agonising silence he bounded to his feet, and 
 with a clear and ringing voice he cried : " Christ 
 has conquered for us f we shall see our fleet 
 again." 
 
 It came, but amid the shouts of triumph and ador- 
 ing gratitude, the Saint turned away and retraced 
 his toilsome way to the shores of the Indian penin- 
 sula. After his return to Goa he writes the follow- 
 ing striking epistle to Diego di Pereira, Ambassador 
 from the King of Portugal to China : 
 
 " May the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ 
 be ever with you for your comfort and salvation. 
 
 "I would gladly have seen you before your depar- 
 ture for China in place of simply writing to you, but 
 the Viceroy has bidden me hither to Goa, and it 
 seemed my duty to obey his wish. I had designed 
 to visit my brethren on the Comorin coasts, and had 
 likewise hoped to meet with you, my excellent friend. 
 
INDIA, 1548 . 153 
 
 and hold counsel with you concerning the plan I 
 have conceived of going to Japan. Next year I shall 
 not fail to execute the same, for I am now well 
 assured that in that country we shall find an abun- 
 dant harvest for the Lord, and be enabled to propa- 
 gate the faith of Christ. 
 
 ''In the name of our friendship I counsel you, 
 before departing for China, to secure the treasure 
 of inestimable price so frequently neglected by 
 merchants — that is, a good conscience — a thing of 
 which many of them scarcely acknowledge the 
 existence. They are all persuaded that the care of 
 their soul or their conscience would be the infaUible 
 cause of their ruin. Nevertheless, I trust that with 
 the divine aid, my worthy friend Diego di Pereira 
 may furnish himself with the priceless pearl, nor fail 
 to prosper in his calling, whilst others, regardless of 
 spiritual riches, may fall, perhaps, into grievous 
 poverty. I will not cease to pray the Lord that He 
 may give you good speed in China, and bring you 
 back to us in health and safety, richer even in grace 
 than in goods 
 
 '* May the Lord Jesus Christ abide with you, as 
 I pray that He may be with me likewise. 
 
 " Francis. 
 
 " GOA, April 2nd, 1548." 
 
154 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 To Loyola he writes : 
 
 "How great were the perils of my voyage from 
 Malacca hitherward ! For three days and three 
 nights our barque seemed the plaything of a tempest, 
 such as I never before witnessed. Many on board 
 were weeping at the near prospect of death, or 
 making vows nevermore to approach the sea, if, by 
 Heaven's help, they were at this time spared. The 
 traders were fain to purchase their lives by abandon- 
 ing their goods to the devouring waves. While the 
 storm was at the worst, I entreated the Lord through 
 the potent intercessions of our spiritual friends, and 
 of all faithful Christians, appealing by the Church, 
 the Spouse of Christ, whose supplications ascend 
 continually from her earthly exile to the gates of 
 Heaven, for the protection of the Almighty in our 
 evil strait 
 
 " It seems to me that I am oftentimes shown 
 inwardly of the Lord the countless bodily risks and 
 spiritual failings from which I have been preserved 
 for the sake of my brethren, striving upon my behalf 
 while here below, nor forgetting me amidst the joys 
 of Heaven. And these words of mine. Fathers and 
 brothers beloved in the Lord Jesus, are my confession 
 to you of the immeasurable benefits I owe to God 
 
INDIA, 1548 . 155 
 
 and to you ; for truly I have no power to repay 
 either. 
 
 " I know not how to stop, when once I begin to 
 write concerning our Company ; yet the speedy 
 departure of our ships warns me to make an end of 
 my letter, nor can I do it otherwise than by this 
 solemn declaration : — ' When I forget thee, O 
 Brotherhood of Jesus I let my right hand forget its 
 cunning.' " 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 JAPAN 
 
 " Those whom Thy Spirit's dread vocation severs, 
 To lead the vanguard of Thy conquering host, 
 Whose toilsome years are spent in brave endeavours 
 To bear Thy saving name from coast to coast." 
 
 Hymns A. & M. 
 
 At Malacca, Francis Xavier, holding himself in de- 
 vout readiness to follow the divine guidance he con- 
 tinually implored, received a call, scarcely less 
 doubtful than that of the Apostle to the Gentile 
 world of old, who " beheld a man of Macedonia 
 saying, ' Come over and help us.' " 
 
 "About the month of April, 1547," he writes to 
 the brethren in Europe, " I fell in with a Portu- 
 guese merchant, a man of exceeding piety and 
 veracity, who talked to me unceasingly of the 
 great islands of Japan, lately discovered. It 
 
JAPAN 157 
 
 seems that the Christian religion might prosper 
 better there than in any other region of the 
 Indies, since the people are of inquiring minds and 
 eager for enlightenment beyond any upon earth. 
 This merchant was accompanied by a Japanese 
 named Auger, who after certain conversations with 
 persons from Malacca was moved within himself to 
 come and seek me out. He had held counsel with 
 his friends among the Portuguese trading at Japan, 
 revealing to them the uneasiness of his conscience, 
 asking of them some means to save his soul, and 
 turn away the wrath of God. These men brought 
 him forthwith in their ship to Malacca, but I, alas ! 
 was then absent at the Moluccas, and he turned 
 sorrowfully towards his own land again. Already 
 was he within sight of it, when a sudden tempest 
 arose and drove him back to us without grave peril. 
 Then he learned of my return and came to meet me, 
 earnestly craving religious instruction. He is par- 
 tially acquainted with the Portuguese tongue, so that 
 we understood each other without an interpreter; and 
 if all his countrymen have the Uke thirst of know- 
 ledge they, must exceed in intelligence any nation 
 hitherto discovered. Being present at the Catechism 
 meeting, he carefully wrote down in a book the 
 
1 58 ERA NCIS XA VIER 
 
 articles of faith. In the church, before all the people, 
 he recited from memory the lessons he had learned, 
 asking numberless questions with great acuteness. 
 His desire of learning is inordinate, and what can 
 be a more powerful aid to the understanding of 
 truth ? The eighth day after his arrival at Malacca 
 he sailed for India. I would have had him in the 
 vessel with myself, but the ties that bound him to 
 others making the same voyage, permitted him not 
 to separate from the true friends who had already 
 done him so great service. I now look for him to 
 join me at Cochin ere ten days be past. 
 
 " I inquired of this Auger whether, should I indeed 
 return with him to Japan, he considered it probable 
 that the Christian religion would be accepted there. 
 He made answer, that his countrymen were not 
 wont to give immediate assent to all that was pro- 
 pounded to them, but that they would question me 
 so as thoroughly to understand the dogmas I 
 brought, and would watch very closely whether 
 my actions accorded in every case with my words. 
 Could I satisfy them in these respects, both 
 appeasing their reasonable curiosity by conclusive 
 arguments, and showing myself pure and blame- 
 less in life, he doubted not their instruction and 
 
JAPAN . 159 
 
 enlightenment would speedily follow, bringing to 
 the faith King and Court and citizens, since it is 
 the character of this people to obey the dictates of 
 reason. 
 
 " My friend the Portuguese merchant, who had 
 passed some time in Japan, has left me notes, 
 collected with much care, descriptive of the country 
 and the manners of the inhabitants, with details of 
 such things as he has himself seen, or heard from 
 credible witnesses. These papers I forward to you 
 with my letter. 
 
 *' I have a secret conviction that within two years 
 either I, or some other member of our Company, 
 must go to Japan. This Auger will by that time 
 have perfectly mastered our language. He will 
 have witnessed the power of the Portuguese in 
 the Indies, and perceived the advantages of 
 European industry and civilised life. He will 
 have prepared himself worthily for baptism, and 
 will have helped me in translating into Japanese 
 the Catechism and the history of our Lord, if, as 
 1 trust, he possess the art of writing the language 
 of his country. 
 
 *'A11 our merchants from Japan assure me that 
 in proceeding thither I should do far better than 
 
i6o FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 by remaining in the Indies ; that I should, in fact, 
 find myself at once in friendly relations with men 
 of understanding, and of a teachable spirit. It is 
 true that the voyage is beset with danger, from 
 the terrible storms that prevail in these seas, no 
 less than from the Chinese pirates, and many 
 vessels are lost by the way. Nevertheless, I 
 expect much, fathers and brothers well-beloved, 
 from your prayers to the Lord for our deliver- 
 ance, in circumstances that might prove fatal to 
 others." 
 
 His next letters to Rome reveal to us some 
 melancholy convictions now matured in the writer's 
 thoughts, while they also touch on the new 
 schemes that were springing from the grave of 
 former hopes. 
 
 '' O my only Father in Jesus Christ," he addresses 
 Ignatius. *' Doubtless you have already learned 
 from communications lately forwarded to Rome by 
 our brethren here, what precious fruits have been 
 gathered in these lands by God's mercy and with 
 the benefit of your prayers. There remains to 
 me the duty of making you acquainted with the 
 
JAPAN . i6i 
 
 actual condition of countries so far removed from the 
 metropolis of the world. 
 
 " The Indian races, so far as I have been able to 
 judge, are totally savage, and can only be attracted 
 by discourses flattering to their barbarous nature. 
 They are mostly indifferent to the knowledge of 
 truth and salvation, and opposed to virtue by per- 
 verse dispositions ; unstable in the extreme, of 
 little faith, and of no energy — brought up in lying 
 and wickedness. These are the people we are 
 striving to turn into Christians ! Think what it 
 must be to labour amongst men, who neither know 
 God nor give heed to reason, but rebel against the 
 voice calling them to forsake sins that have grown 
 a part of their nature ! Have not we, your sons, an 
 especial claim on your care, a right to continual 
 remembrance in your petitions ? 
 
 ** You can imagine the difficulties of teaching men 
 who know not God and rebel against reason — who 
 rise in indignation against the friend who calls them 
 to forsake their sins, and cling to the false gods who 
 do not curb their pleasures. 
 
 " The human frame is sorely tried in these climates 
 by the burning heats of summer and the bitter winds 
 that prevail in the rainy season. Food and all the 
 
 L 
 
1 62 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 necessaries of life are scarce, whilst the labour both 
 of mind and body in dealing with men of this nature 
 is immense. I may add that the languages of these 
 countries are most difficult to acquire, and the 
 dangers to which we are exposed are countless. 
 Nevertheless, let the Company of Jesus thank the 
 Lord on our behalf, for I can declare that all your 
 children in India have been mercifully preserved in 
 body and in soul. We have won also the good 
 graces of our countrymen and of the natives, so 
 that the goodwill borne to us moves all men to 
 wonder. 
 
 ''According to my experience, all the Indians are 
 profoundly ignorant. It follows that those who are 
 sent to preach the Gospel to them have less need of 
 science than of virtue, of learning than of charity. 
 Patience, obedience, purity amidst endless tempta- 
 tions, vigour both of mind and body, are the qualities 
 our brethren here require. I speak in this way that 
 selection may be made of these sent to us, that 
 they may be proved when possible, and that only 
 men of pure lives and humble minds may be sent 
 to us. 
 
 ''The Rector whom you send to direct the col- 
 lege of Goa should possess two principal quali- 
 
JAPAN 163 
 
 ties ; he should be able to obey and to conciliate — 
 to win by gentleness and humility the goodwill of 
 all. 
 
 " Let him not attempt to govern the brethren under 
 him by severity as if they were slaves. Such 
 rigorous treatment would cause many to leave the 
 Society and few to enter it. In my opinion, no 
 person ought to be retained among us against his 
 wish. I would permit, nay enforce, the departure of 
 all to whom the rule of our order is irksome ; treating 
 with tenderness and regard those who are suited to 
 their profession, that we may keep them with us and 
 give them opportunity to exist in grace and virtue 
 through the trials that await them here in the service 
 of our Lord. The Fraternity of Jesus is in truth 
 the fraternity of love and union ; severity and servile 
 fear must be banished from it. 
 
 ** My knowledge of this country permits me to 
 have no hope that our Society can be perpetuated 
 through the natives. Hardly could the Christian 
 religion survive were we and our fellows withdrawn ; 
 it is necessary therefore to send us new men 
 for every part of India where there are any 
 Christians. Our brethren are now to be found, four 
 at the Moluccas, two at Malacca, six at Cape 
 
i64 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 Comorin, two at Contam, two at Barciam, four at 
 Socotra. These places are very different from each 
 other. The Moluccas, more than a thousand miles 
 from Goa, Malacca five hundred, and the nearest, 
 Contam, one hundred and twenty miles distant. 
 
 " You must understand that the Portuguese are 
 masters only of the Indian coast, possessing but 
 a few fortified places inland. The indigenous popu- 
 lation seem so delivered over to sin that we have 
 small hope of seeing many of them become'Christians ; 
 nay, the very proposal of such a thing is taken as an 
 insult, and all our care is to try and hold fast the 
 few converts we have already made. If some con- 
 sideration were shown there we might do better, but 
 the sight of the contempt with which our converts are 
 treated by the Portuguese, makes the natives refuse 
 to enter our churches or listen to our teaching. 
 
 *' M}^ labours therefore become less profitable 
 here, while I know that Japan, a country beyond 
 China, is entirely peopled by infidels thirsting for 
 knowledge. 
 
 " Shall I not go thither ? I would undertake the 
 voyage rejoicing in the Spirit with unspeakable hope, 
 looking forward to an abundant and lasting harvest 
 among that people. 
 
JAPAN . 165 
 
 " At the college of Goa there are now three 
 Japanese students, who returned with me from 
 Malacca last April. They give marvellous accounts 
 of their country. They are young men of irreproach- 
 able conduct and lively intelligence, especially Paul 
 (Auger), who addresses a long letter to you. In the 
 space of eight months he has learned to read and 
 write in Portuguese. He is now exercising himself 
 with great profit in spiritual meditations. He is well 
 instructed in the mysteries of the Christian religion, 
 and I trust, by God's grace, he will be the means of 
 making many Christians in Japan. Immediately 
 upon my arrival I purpose presenting myself to the 
 sovereign, and afterwards making my way to the 
 colleges and universities, where I shall doubtless find 
 an abundance of hearers, according to the statement 
 of this Paul. The Japanese take their religious 
 doctrine from the University of Cenic, a city beyond 
 China and Cathay, a journey of a year and a half 
 from Goa, where I shall be able to obtain for you 
 some more definite information concerning the 
 customs and literature of the nation. The doctrines 
 and statutes of this university, I am told, are 
 recognised throughout China and Cathay, so I shall 
 not neglect to send an account of it to the University 
 
1 66 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 of Paris, that the universities may be advised of our 
 discovery. 
 
 ''I take with me on this expedition but one. 
 European, Cosmo de Torres, the Andalusian, who has 
 joined our Company here. The three young Japanese 
 of whom I have told you accompany me, and about 
 next April, if the Lord permits, we shall set out. 
 Japan is more than thirteen hundred miles from Goa, 
 by the way of Malacca and China. The voyage 
 is said to be so unsafe, on account of sudden storms 
 and hidden reefs as well as pirates, that it is con- 
 sidered fortunate when one of two vessels reaches 
 its destination. 
 
 ** Notwithstanding this, I am filled with the utmost 
 happiness at the thought of this enterprise, nor 
 could I think it right, were I forewarned of worse 
 perils, to shrink from the labour put before me. The 
 discourses of the Japanese Paul, nay rather, the 
 thoughts that Heaven has raised within my soul, fill 
 me with hope that this journey is for the advance- 
 ment of the Christian faith. 
 
 ** The enclosed letter from Paul will sufficiently 
 show you the facilities which this great empire pre- 
 sents for the sowing of the Gospel seed. 
 
 " There are in the Indies about fifteen places 
 
JAPAN 167 
 
 where houses for our Society might be estabHshed if 
 the King could be induced to assign for the purpose 
 funds from his Treasury. I have myself addressed 
 his Majesty on the subject. I have likewise com- 
 municated with Simon Rodriguez, and have shown 
 him how greatly it might advance religious interests 
 were he himself with your consent to come hither, 
 bringing a goodly band of our brethren, and above 
 all a powerful reinforcement of preachers ; supported 
 by royal authority he might be instrumental in 
 founding many colleges of our order. 
 
 " O Father ! trust me in this matter. The 
 favour that Simon enjoys would make his coming 
 most seasonable to our cause. He would be armed 
 with power from the King to estabUsh colleges, to 
 protect both existing Christians and the natives who 
 would be converted if assured of safety. I pray you 
 to encourage him with your approval. Antonio 
 Gomez assures me that it is Father Simon's full in- 
 tention to come to the Indies with a great party of 
 followers from the college at Coimbra. Are there 
 not plenty both at home and elsewhere who have 
 neither talent for preaching nor great learning, yet 
 who might do good service to religion, if only they 
 had some experience of the world, and among other 
 
i68 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 virtues necessary for the ministry in heathen lands, 
 the gift of chastity, and the strength of mind and 
 body to undertake the heavy labours that will here 
 fall to their share ? 
 
 " You would be doing a good work, and I think a 
 pleasure to the Lord, were you to send to all mem- 
 bers of the Company living in the Indies a letter of 
 spiritual direction which would be to us a testament 
 where you bestow on us, the last of your children 
 and exiled from your presence, the riches of the 
 heavenly blessing you have received from above. 
 
 *' I ask of you but one favour on my account, 
 which is, that some priest of our Company would 
 celebrate a monthly Mass for me in the chapel 
 of St. Peter's in the Janiculum, at the place 
 where the Apostle was crucified. You might like- 
 wise charge one of the Fathers to write to us con- 
 cerning the Company, to tell us who have lately 
 made profession and to keep us acquainted with the 
 labours and triumphs of the brethren. 
 
 ** I have arranged that my letters should be sent 
 from Goa to Malacca, and at Malacca they are to be 
 transcribed, and copies forwarded by different routes 
 to Japan. 
 
 ** Finally, O Father of my soul ! most venerable 
 
JAPAN 169 
 
 in my eyes of all mankind, I beseech you on my 
 knees as I indite these words, cease not to implore 
 the Lord that so long as my life shall last, He 
 will grant me knowledge of His most holy will and 
 strength to perform the same. 
 
 " Cochin, i^th January, 1549." 
 
 The next letter is to the Simon Rodriguez spoken 
 of in the preceding pages : 
 
 " I cannot express in words, oh, my dearly beloved 
 Simon, what joy I felt on the arrival of Antonio 
 Gomez and his company. We have sore need of 
 help here and in the city of Ormuz and at the 
 fortress of Din, and I have decided on despatching 
 Antonio to Ormuz, where his gift of eloquence and 
 general capacity will find full scope. 
 
 " It were indeed meritorious in the sight of God 
 should you yourself hasten to the Indies, bringing 
 with you some brethren of experience and wisdom. 
 It is not deep science that will convert the infidels. 
 The people here are barbarous and uncultured, so 
 that even unlearned men of steadfast virtue and 
 robust health may do great good in advancing God's 
 kingdom. In whatever place throughout the Indies 
 we can have a preacher of the Company, with a 
 
lyo FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 brother to assist him in the ministry, there may be 
 estabHshed a residence to direct the education both 
 of Portuguese and native children. 
 
 " I have written to Father Ignatius asking him to 
 authorise your coming, and Hkewise to the King 
 praying him to send you to the Indies, with many 
 followers and much authority, for in truth your 
 presence here might be most beneficial to us all. 
 Another object of my letter to his Majesty was to 
 commend to him the Portuguese orphans whose 
 parents, dying in his service, have left their children 
 alone and unprovided for. They do not even receive 
 the arrears of their fathers* pay, and it surely were a 
 useful work to found homes where these might be 
 well brought up and instructed in all good works. 
 Nor have the native children less claim upon his 
 Majesty, and it would be well if these could be taught 
 the Catechism of our faith by the King's command. 
 Some money has already been assigned for these 
 purposes at the prayer of Miguel Vaz, former Vicar- 
 General of the Indies, but it is not by any means 
 sufficient. 
 
 " I have recently obtained information about the 
 empire of Japan, situated more than six hundred 
 miles bevond China. The inhabitants, I am told. 
 
JAPAN . 171 
 
 have subtle minds and long for instruction of all 
 kinds. All Portuguese returning from thence tell the 
 same tale, and it is confirmed by some Japanese, who 
 last year followed me from Malacca to India, and 
 who are now being initiated into our sacred mys- 
 teries in the college at Goa. I have already told 
 you Paul's account of his life, and after hearing his 
 story I have resolved to go to Japan next April, as I 
 am convinced that the Christian religion will make 
 marvellous progress in that country. Also, I begin 
 to feel idle here ; our fraternity can do all that is 
 now needed, and when you come, and I shall have 
 verified the statements of the Japanese, I shall ask 
 of you that you will favour our expedition to Japan. 
 After that I trust, with the assistance of God, that 
 some of our members will penetrate into China, and 
 from China to the celebrated University of Cenic, 
 situated beyond China and Cathay. 
 
 " According to the recitals of Paul, the Japanese, 
 the Chinese, and all the Tartars are initiated into the 
 priesthood at this university. The religious doc- 
 trines of the Japanese are contained in sacred books, 
 kept secret and written in a language unknown to 
 the people, so that Paul, being an unlettered man, 
 could give us no information about the religion of his 
 
172 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 country. When I go to that country I will, if it 
 please God, write to you in great detail as to what 
 the sacred books of Japan contain. 
 
 " I have resolved, immediately on my arrival, that 
 I will present myself to the sovereign and to the 
 heads of the principal colleges, and write all that I 
 hear, not only to my brothers in India, but to the 
 universities of Portugal and Italy, so as to show that 
 learning and science still fail to save infidels from 
 perdition. 
 
 "We have been told a serious accident has 
 befallen Francis Perez at the Isle of Moro, but no 
 letter from him or news worthy of belief confirms 
 the statement. Still it is very certain that those 
 who are there are proved in the furnace. Indeed, I 
 know no place in the world that those seeking the 
 honour of God and the salvation of souls are in such 
 mortal danger as in the Isle of Moro. Pray God for 
 those who are there and for those who will follow 
 them, for I am persuaded that soon this island will 
 no longer be known as the Isle of Moro, but the Isle 
 of Martyrs. 
 
 "The voyage to Japan seems filled with difficulties 
 and dangers, but I hope in two months to make 
 proof of them, and that, with the permission of God, 
 
JAPAN 173 
 
 when you arrive in India you will receive a letter 
 from me from Japan. 
 
 " I cease to write to-day, though it seems to me 
 that I take such pleasure in it that I know not how 
 to stop. I hope one day we may meet again, be it 
 in China, in Japan, or at any rate in Heaven — in the 
 Heaven where, called together by the gracious and 
 infinite beneficence of God, we shall rejoice through 
 eternity in the dehght of dwelling in the sight of the 
 supreme source of all blessings. Amen." 
 
 Xavier left India, as he proposed, in April 1 549, 
 taking with him one priest, one lay companion and 
 three Japanese neophytes. These last had been 
 given instruction in the essentials of salvation, and 
 had been baptised at Goa. They also understood 
 Portuguese as well as their native language, and so 
 could act as interpreters, and they were filled with 
 the most enthusiastic desire to carry the holy faith to 
 their benighted brothers. 
 
 In May the party reached Malacca, where Xavier 
 received letters from Portuguese merchants in Japan, 
 telling him that a prince of that country wished to 
 become a Christian, and that he had sent to ask the 
 
174 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 Viceroy of India to send a mission to instruct him 
 and his people in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. 
 The merchants also stated that on their arrival in 
 Japan they had been lodged in a house infested by 
 demons, but that by placing crosses about the house 
 the demons ceased to trouble them. 
 
 The letters also added that Japan offered a vast 
 field for the preaching of the Gospel, that its people 
 were learned and always anxious to Hsten to any- 
 thing new, so Xavier writes : 
 
 " I conceive if we have divine support, we have a 
 hope of gathering an immense harvest for God, and 
 of seeing a vast crowd of erring souls brought into 
 the bosom of the Church. God grant that our 
 weakness and sinfulness do not stand in the way of 
 our being ministers to His glory. 
 
 " The Japanese with us have forewarned us that 
 the Bonzes (Japanese priests) would be scandalised 
 if they saw us eat fish or meat, so we are resolved 
 to an absolute abstinence in this matter, so as to 
 offend no one. We also learn that there are an 
 infinite number of these Bonzes who live a very 
 austere life and exercise a great influence over all 
 classes of society. I tell you this to show you how 
 
JAPAN . 175 
 
 great need we have of your prayers and those of all 
 good Christians to help us in our desperate fight. 
 We intend to leave Malacca on St. John's Day. We 
 hope to see from the sea the famous empire of 
 China, but we shall not try to approach its shores. 
 Our sailors expect that we shall arrive in Japan 
 about the middle of August." 
 
 The party left Malacca as arranged, the governor 
 helping them by ordering that a Chinese junk 
 should take them straight to their destination, and 
 by providing them with all necessaries for their 
 journey, and with handsome presents to be given to 
 the authorities in Japan, in order that they might be 
 favourable to the preaching of the Gospel. 
 
 Xavier reached Japan safely in August 1549, 
 having had a fair wind, but having suffered much 
 because the Chinese captain of their boat would 
 sacrifice to an idol on board ship, notwithstanding 
 all their efforts to convert him from the error of his 
 ways, and would consult the demon of this idol upon 
 all subjects, even as to whether or no he should 
 safely bring the Saint and his companions to Japan ! 
 
 However, after some delays they arrived at 
 Cangoxima, the capital and port of the kingdom of 
 
176 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 Satsuma, which was the country of Paul, one of the 
 Japanese returning with Xavier. The travellers 
 were there received with affectionate welcome by the 
 friends of Paul and by other inhabitants of the town. 
 Xavier, in writing to Coimbra, thus gives his first 
 impressions of this people. He says : 
 
 " The people we have encountered here surpass 
 in moral qualities all people discovered up to this 
 time. I think there cannot exist a nation superior to 
 the Japanese in natural gifts. Their intelligence is 
 bright and open, and they prefer honour to all other 
 gifts. They are for the most part poor, but poverty 
 dishonours no one; they carry this opinion to an ex- 
 tent that would shame many Christian people. The 
 nobles without fortune have as much consideration 
 as those that are opulent. The people give much 
 honour to the nobles, and the nobles to the princes 
 and kings, holding it a great honour to obey their 
 slightest word ; and this not from fear, but because it 
 was the course of conduct required by their own 
 dignity. They are sober and moderate in their living, 
 but indulge rather too freely in their wine made from 
 rice. They mostly know how to write, which will 
 be a great help to us in teaching them religion. They 
 
JAPAN . 177 
 
 have only one wife. They are marvellously disposed 
 for all that is good, and listen with avidity to dis- 
 courses on God and holy things. They readily lend 
 an ear to discourses that conform to nature and 
 reason, and if you can show them that any of their 
 faults are against reason, they are ready to follow 
 the dictates of their own intelligence." 
 
 Of the priests, the Bonzes, Xavier speaks no good 
 word. He says their discipline is lax and their life 
 extremely disorderly, and that with this they have 
 great influence, which is bad for the people. He dis- 
 coursed with many of them, but found them full of 
 uncertainty. He was friendly with their chiefs, who 
 were loud in admiration for their daring in coming 
 from Portugal across the seas to bring them a new 
 religion. He still believed that the land was longing 
 for the news of Christ, and wonderfully ready for 
 conversion. The Prince of Cangoxima received 
 them with great honour, and gave his people per- 
 mission to embrace the Christian religion if they 
 wished. 
 
 The high hopes with which Xavier ended the year 
 1 549 were a little clouded by the end of the next 
 year, when he writes to Goa as follows : 
 
 M 
 
178 FRANCIS XA VI ER 
 
 ** My beloved Brethren — 
 
 " I wrote to you last year from Cangoxima 
 about our journey to and our arrival at Japan, and I 
 told you what works Jesus Christ had deigned to 
 do through us. I told you how we reached the 
 country of our dear brother Paul, and how well 
 we were received by his family and friends ; how 
 Paul converted them for the most part, and we re- 
 ceived them into the flock of the Lord Jesus ; how 
 we remained over a year in the same place, and over 
 a hundred persons were there made Christians, 
 none of their friends or relatives making any objec- 
 tion. Seeing our success, the Bonzes, however, 
 went to the king of that part of Japan (Satsuma), 
 and declared to him that if he allowed his people to 
 embrace the religion of Jesus Christ, his power 
 would be despised. They persuaded him that the 
 law of the new God was in direct opposition to 
 the law of Japan, that the followers of Christ 
 would deny the authority of the ancient lawgivers, 
 and that the result would be to ruin the national 
 constitution and his own power. They urged him 
 to declare for the old legislators, and to order 
 without delay that it should be death to any one 
 in the future to become a Christian. The prince, 
 
JAPAN 179 
 
 persuaded by their words, issued the desired edict. 
 In the meantime we had written a book which 
 contained the essential articles of the Christian 
 faith. This we had translated into Japanese, and 
 put into the hands of those who desired to become 
 Christians, and we found our converts take an ex- 
 treme satisfaction in it. They recognised the 
 evidence of the truth of Christianity, and the false- 
 hood of their own religion, but none would embrace 
 the religion of Jesus Christ for fear of their prince. 
 
 ** Towards the end of this year (i 550), seeing how 
 we were opposed in the propagation of our religion, we 
 resolved to pass on to another part of Japan. We 
 took leave of our neoph3^tes, who were grieved to 
 see us go, though deeply grateful to us for having 
 made such sacrifices to come and teach them the 
 way of salvation. We left among them our dear 
 brother Paul to continue to enlighten all the newly 
 converted in the articles of the true religion. 
 
 " After some days' journeying we arrived at 
 Amangachi (capital of the kingdom of Wangato), a 
 town of more than ten thousand families, and there 
 we found many persons who desired to be instructed 
 in the reHgion of Jesus Christ. We resolved to 
 preach two days a week in their public places, and 
 
i8o FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 we read aloud our book. Some of the nobles called us 
 into their houses to instruct them, and they told us 
 that if our religion seemed preferable to their own 
 they would not hesitate to change at once. Others 
 tried to turn us into ridicule, following us into the 
 streets with insulting cries and jeers at our teaching 
 and religion. 
 
 ** After some days the king called us before him 
 and asked whence we came, and why we came to 
 Japan. We answered that we were Europeans, sent 
 to Japan to preach the religion of the true God and 
 his Son, Jesus Christ, without whom no one could 
 be saved. The prince invited us to explain these 
 mysteries to him, and we read him part of our book. 
 He listened with extreme attention for an hour and 
 then dismissed us. We preached in the public places 
 for many days, and were listened to with much 
 attention, but the number of our converts was few. 
 
 " There seemed so little fruit of our efforts in this 
 place that we moved on to Miaco, which is the most 
 considerable town in Japan. This journey took us 
 two months, and we suffered many dangers from 
 the war which was raging on our route, to say 
 nothing of the rigour of the climate and the brigands 
 that infested the roads. Arrived at Miaco, we waited 
 
JAPAN i8i 
 
 some days for an audience of the king to ask from 
 him hberty to preach, but we found it impossible to 
 get access to him. Then we thought we would try 
 to touch the hearts of the people and see if we could 
 gather them into the harvest of the Lord. But all 
 the citizens were in arms, and a civil war was going 
 on in the town, so I recognised that circumstances 
 were against the preaching of the Gospel. 
 
 " Seeing that Miaco was not peaceful enough for 
 our voices to be heard, we returned to Amangachi 
 and presented to the king, Oxindono, the letters 
 from the Viceroy of India and the Bishop of 
 Goa, and the presents sent by them in token of 
 their friendship. The king was very pleased with 
 the presents, and wished to offer us gold and silver 
 in return. Sending back his gift, we prayed him 
 to give us leave to spread the knowledge of our 
 divine Master in his country, and to give leave to 
 his subjects to listen to us. 
 
 " He granted our prayer, and issued an edict that 
 all who desired it were at liberty to embrace the new 
 religion, and he gave us an empty priest-house 
 to live in. A great number of people came to 
 hear about the new religion, and we preached 
 twice a day. We were continually occupied, and 
 
i82 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 such numbers came to hear us that sometimes many 
 were unable to penetrate into our house. Many 
 of our hearers were convinced of the falsehood of 
 their religion and the truth of Christianity, and 
 several came to confess the faith of Jesus Christ. 
 
 " The new Christians helped us faithfully by 
 giving us information on the beliefs of the many 
 sects, thereby enabling us to study the arguments 
 wherewith to combat them. In two months we 
 counted about 500 Christians, and the number 
 seemed growing every day." 
 
 So writes the Saint in November, 1550. In 
 November, 1551, he quitted Japan, leaving the 
 brothers who accompanied him at Amangachi, where 
 the mission still flourished, though the town passed 
 to another ruler, and there were riots and disturb- 
 ances of all kinds, about which Xavier writes in full 
 to the brethren in Rome. 
 
 However, his share in the work was done, and if 
 the story is true that later missionaries found in 
 Japao 3000 Christians, the names of Cosmo di 
 Torrez and Joam Fernandez, who were left in charge 
 of the mission, should share with Francis Xavier in 
 the glory of their conversion. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 CHINA 
 
 " Hold Thou thy Cross before my fading eyes, 
 
 Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies, 
 Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee, 
 In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me." 
 
 Lyte, 
 
 Xavier left Japan in November, 155 1, but he spent 
 some time at Bungo and other stations, and did not 
 arrive at Goa again until the February of 1552. 
 Much time was spent by him in the affairs of his 
 Company, but his letters to Rome show that his next 
 mission was taking shape already in his thoughts. 
 In writing about the details of his Japan mission he 
 says : 
 
 • 
 ** Opposite Japan the immense empire of China 
 lies extended. I am told it enjoys perfect peace, 
 and that it is superior to all Christian king- 
 
1 84 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 doms in the practice of justice and of virtue. The 
 people are clever and fond of learning, their country 
 is rich and beautiful. The Japanese take all their 
 religious belief through the Chinese, and if we can 
 make them embrace the Christian religion, the 
 Japanese will also receive it through them. I hope 
 to go there myself this year (1552), and to penetrate 
 to the sovereign of the empire. China seems so 
 constituted, that if the seed of the Gospel is ever 
 sown it will propagate rapidly. I have a firm hope 
 that God will soon open the gates of China, not only 
 to us, but to all men of zeal and piety, so that all may 
 help in the conversion of erring souls to the truths 
 of salvation. 
 
 '* I have a little recovered from my journey from 
 Japan, and I hope, through the mercy of God and 
 the infinite merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, that I 
 shall have sufficient bodily strength and spiritual 
 energy to accomplish the laborious journey to 
 China which I desire to make. My hair is white, 
 but I am not weak, and I feel that the conversion of 
 a reasonable people who love truth and justice will 
 bring me supreme consolation." 
 
 Again he writes to Simon Rodriguez : 
 
CHINA . J 85 
 
 "O my beloved brother, think what an immense 
 work we are inaugurating. If God permit us to 
 carry the Hght of the Gospel to a people so gentle 
 and docile, you might yourself come to China, there 
 to quench your thirst for the salvation of souls. I 
 feel such a desire to see you again before I die, that 
 I shall now think always that this wish will be 
 realised when China is open." 
 
 To the King of Portugal he writes from Goa, loth 
 April, 1552: 
 
 " I wrote to you that I had resolved this year 
 to go to China, where we have the most magnifi- 
 cent hope as to the spread of the Christian 
 faith. In five days I leave Goa for Multana, which 
 is on the road to China, with Diego di Pereira, 
 ambassador to the emperor of that country. We 
 have rich presents, bought by your Majesty's bounty, 
 and we take with us such a gift as never before has 
 been offered by one monarch to another — I mean 
 the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the Emperor 
 of China could understand the value of it, he would 
 not hesitate to place it above all his other treasures, 
 however immense these may be. I have a hope 
 that God will have mercy on this vast empire and 
 
1 86 FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 its inhabitants, and that He will open the eyes of 
 these men, created in His image, to the knowledge 
 of their God and of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the 
 whole human race. 
 
 " We start then, with Pereira, and we will obtain 
 the alliance of the Emperor of China for the King of 
 Portugal, and, above all, we will engage in a war 
 with the devil and all his works. We will signify, 
 first to the sovereign and then to his subjects, in the 
 name of the King of Heaven, that up to this hour 
 they have been worshipping devils, but now they 
 are to worship God the Creator and Jesus the 
 Redeemer. 
 
 " It might seem daring to talk of thus imposing 
 doctrines on a powerful sovereign and an infidel 
 people, but we believe ourselves to be inspired by 
 God, who is infinitely more powerful than the 
 Emperor of China, and so we allow no fear nor 
 hesitation to enter our souls." 
 
 Some cause prevented his carrying out his plan of 
 going with Diego di Pereira, to whom he writes 
 sorrowfully, entreating him at any rate not to go 
 before him to the Emperor. After a short delay 
 Xavier contrived to get a vessel, and arrived at the 
 
CHINA . 187 
 
 island of San Chan, situated about 120 miles from 
 Canton. Thence he hoped to get a passport that 
 would take him to the Emperor, but his hopes 
 seemed likely to be disappointed, and he began to 
 fear that God did not think him worthy of the work. 
 He writes in October to Francis Perez : 
 
 ** We arrived by the grace of God at San Chan. 
 As soon as possible I had a hut built on the shore, 
 where I celebrated Mass every day, till the fever 
 took me strongly for fifteen days. 
 
 ** Now God has restored me to health, and I have 
 many holy occupations. I hear confessions, settle 
 quarrels, and serve other offices of our ministry. I 
 cannot, however, yet procure a passage to Canton, 
 all the merchants refuse formally to take me, de- 
 claring that it would endanger their goods and their 
 lives, if the governor of the town should hear of it. 
 We still hope to persuade a captain who has only 
 his wife and children on board, to take us to the 
 mainland, as thus there would be no servants to 
 betray him to the governor. If he would land us, I 
 would go straight to the Viceroy and announce that 
 I have come to preach God to the Chinese. I have 
 come here in obedience to the word of God, and He 
 
1 88 FRANCIS XA VIER 
 
 Who gave to our hearts the thought thus to serve 
 Him, will preserve us in our dangers. If God is 
 our defence, we shall not fail. Listen to the words 
 of Christ : * He that loveth his life, shall lose it ; he 
 that loseth his life for Me, shall find it;' which words 
 are in harmony with the other words of Christ : 
 * Whoso having put his hand to the plough looketh 
 back, is not worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.' So 
 in truth we are still resolute to penetrate into China. 
 May God in His mercy deign to use us to spread 
 the knowledge of His religion. ' If God is with us, 
 who shall be against us ? ' " 
 
 The spirit indeed was willing, but still the Saint 
 could not begin his ministry ; his interpreter failed 
 him, and still no boat would take him to the main- 
 land. Almost in despair, he writes : " Fear prevents 
 these people taking us in their boats to introduce us 
 into China. From day to day I wait a merchant 
 who will arrange with me. Pray God He will allow 
 me to carry out my purpose ! If I cannot, I see not 
 yet my way. May Jesus Christ give us good 
 counsel ! " 
 
 On the 1 2th November he writes that he still can 
 
CHINA 189 
 
 find no boat that will take him to Canton, and that 
 he has resolved to go to Siam and attach himself to 
 the Embassy going to China from thence. 
 
 On the 20th of November the fever again attacked 
 him, and those about him witness that he was given 
 to know that the day and hour of his departure drew 
 near, and that God did not intend to give to the 
 Chinese the gift of His salvation through this His 
 servant, who prayed so earnestly that even as 
 prisoner or slave he might be permitted to preach 
 the Gospel among them. But his sickness gained 
 upon him, and in the middle of November he had 
 himself moved on to the vessel which served as 
 hospital to the Portuguese of San Chan. Soon he 
 begged to be again taken to the hut, whence a distant 
 view of China gladdened his eyes. Here he lingered 
 for two weeks, suffering terrible pains, suffering from 
 weakness and from fever, but with peace v^itten 
 upon his wasted features, and joy shining from the 
 eyes that rarely now turned from the Cross of the 
 Master he loved so dearly and had served so well. 
 His wandering words were of God and His mercy ; 
 sometimes of regret that China was not suffered to 
 hear the Gospel from his lips ; oftener of grateful 
 thanksgiving to his Saviour for all the mercies 
 
iQO FRANCIS XAVIER 
 
 vouchsafed to him. Bowing before the will of his 
 Heavenly Father, he accepted all as from His hand, 
 repeating ceaselessly the cry of the leper in the 
 Gospel, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy 
 upon me." 
 
 On Friday, the 2nd of December, 1552, his earthly 
 toils and projects ceased for ever. The Angel of 
 Death appeared with a summons for which, since 
 death first entered the world, no man was ever more 
 triumphantly prepared. The agony of the fever still 
 tortured his feeble frame, but his uplifted crucifix 
 reminded him of a far more awful woe endured for 
 his deliverance. His eyes saw blessed ministers of 
 peace and consolation, and his dying ears heard 
 strains more beautiful than any he could have 
 imagined. Tears burst from his eyes, tears of 
 emotion too great for utterance, and his features 
 were irradiated as with the first beams of approach- 
 ing glory ; he raised himself on his crucifix, and 
 crying: *' In Thee, Lord, is my hope!" he bowed 
 his head and died. 
 
 ****** 
 The Portuguese among whom he had worked 
 assembled round his Ufeless body, and clothing it in 
 
CHINA 191 
 
 his canonicals, buried it beside his poor hut, to wait 
 till pious hands should transport it across the sea. 
 Coming to him there was a letter commanding him 
 to return to Europe, in order to be ready to succeed 
 Loyola as head of the Company of Jesus ; but 
 the Saint existed no longer on earth when this 
 evidence of his chief's regard for him reached its 
 destination. 
 
 In the next year the remains of Xavier were taken 
 from San Chan, and finally deposited in St. Paul's 
 Church at Goa. He died in the forty-seventh year 
 of his age and the twelfth year of his mission in the 
 East. 
 
 "To him belongs the matchless beauty of a human 
 nature in perfect unison with the divine. No man, 
 how^ever abject his condition, hateful his crimes, or 
 disgusting his malady, ever turned to Xavier without 
 learning that there was, at any rate, one human heart 
 that gave him a brother's love To his eyes, the 
 meanest and the lowest, reflected the image of Him 
 whom he followed and adored, nor did he suppose 
 that he could ever serve the Saviour of mankind so 
 acceptably as by ministering to the sorrows of his 
 
192 FRANCIS XA VIER 
 
 lost children and recalling them into the way of 
 
 peace. * 
 
 " Yea, through life, death, through sorrow and through 
 sinning, 
 He hath sufficed me, and He shall suffice ; 
 Christ is the end, for Christ was the beginning, 
 Christ the beginning, for the end is Christ." t 
 
 * "Founders of Jesuitism." Fitzjames Stephens 
 t "St. Paul." F. W. Myers. 
 
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