The Works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16. John Dryden

speak that language in a gross and clownish dialect, which passed at that time amongst the natives of the country. It was immediately seen what power a preacher, animated by the spirit of God, had over the souls of perverted men. The most scandalous sinners, struck with the horror of their crimes, and the fear of eternal punishment, were the first who came to confession. Their example took away from others the shame of confessing; insomuch, that every one now strove who should be foremost to throw himself at the father's feet, knocking their breasts, and bitterly lamenting their offences.

      The fruits of penitence accompanying these tears, were the certain proofs of a sincere conversion. They cancelled their unlawful bonds and covenants of extortion; they made restitution of their ill-gotten goods; they set at liberty their slaves, whom they had opprest, or had acquired unjustly; and lastly, turned away their concubines, whom they were unwilling to possess by a lawful marriage.

      The saint acted with the concubinarians almost in the same manner as our Saviour dealt with the publicans and harlots. Far from treating them severely, the deeper they were plunged in that darling vice, the more tenderly he seemed to use them. On all occasions he declared himself their friend; he made them frequent visits, without fear of being upbraided with so infamous a conversation. He invited himself sometimes to eat with them; and then, assuming an air of gaiety, he desired the master to bring down the children to bear him company. When he had a little commended their prettiness, he asked to see their mother, and shewed her the same countenance, as if he had taken her for an honest woman. If she were beautiful or well shaped, he praised her, and said "she looked like a Portuguese: " after which; in private conversation, "you have," said he to her master, "a fair slave, who well deserves to be your wife." But if she were a swarthy, ugly Indian, "Good God!" he cried out, "what a monster do you keep within your doors! and how are you able to endure the sight of her?" Such words, spoken in all appearance without design, had commonly their full effect: the keeper married her whom the saint had commended, and turned off the others.

      This so sudden a change of manners was none of those transient fits of devotion, which pass away almost as soon as they are kindled; piety was established in all places, and they who formerly came to confession once a year, to speak the best of it, now performed it regularly once a month. They were all desirous of confessing themselves to Father Xavier; so that, writing from Goa to Rome on that subject, he said, "That if it had been possible for him to have been at once in ten places, he should not have wanted for employment." His catechising having had that wonderful success which we have mentioned, the Bishop Don John d'Albuquerque ordained, that, from thenceforward, the children should be taught the Christian doctrine, in all the churches of the town. The gentlemen and merchants applied themselves to the regulation of their families, and banishment of vice. They gave the father considerable sums of money, which he distributed in their presence, in the hospitals and prisons. The viceroy accompanied the saint thither once a week, to hear the complaints of the prisoners, and to relieve the poor. This Christian practice was so pleasing to the king of Portugal, John III, that afterwards he writ to Don John de Castro, governor of the Indies, expressly ordering him to do that once a month, which Don Martin Alphonso de Sosa never failed of doing every week; in short, the Portuguese of Goa had gained such an habitude of good life, and such an universal change of manners had obtained amongst them, that they seemed another sort of people.

      This was the state of affairs, when Michael Vaz, vicar general of the Indies, a man of rare virtue, and wonderful zeal for the propagation of the faith, gave Xavier to understand, that on the Oriental coast, which lies extended from Cape Comorin to the Isle of Manar, and is called the coast of Fishery, there were certain people called Paravas, that is to say, fishers, who had caused themselves to be baptized some time since, on occasion of succours which had been given them by the Portuguese against the Moors, by whom they were cruelly opprest; that these people had nothing more of Christianity than baptism, and the name, for want of pastors to instruct them; and that it would be a work well-pleasing in the sight of God to accomplish their conversion. He concealed not from him, that the land was barren, and so destitute of the conveniences of life, that no stranger was willing to settle there; that interest alone drew the merchants thither, in the season of pearl-fishing, and otherwise the heats were insupportable.

      There could not have been made to Xavier a proposition more according to his heart's desire. He offered himself, without the least hesitation, to go and instruct that people; and he did it so much the more freely, because his presence was no longer so necessary at Goa, where piety was now grown into a habit, by a settled form of five months standing.

      Having received the benediction of the bishop, he embarked about the midst of October, in the year 1542, in a galiot, which carried the new captain of Comorin; and took with him two young ecclesiastics of Goa, who had a tolerable insight into the language of the Malabars, which is spoken in the coast of Fishery. Sosa offered to have furnished him with money for all his occasions; but apostolic men have no greater treasures than their poverty, nor any fund more certain than that of Providence. He accepted only a pair of shoes, to defend him in some measure from the burning sands upon the coasts; and, at parting, desired the viceroy to send him his two companions, who were left behind at Mozambique, so soon as they should arrive at Goa.

      The Cape of Cornorin is at the distance of about six hundred miles from Goa. It is a high promontory, jutting out into the sea, and facing the isle of Ceylon. The Father being there arrived, immediately fell in with a village of idolaters. He could bear to go no farther without preaching the name of Jesus to the Gentiles; but all he could declare, by the mouth of his interpreters, signified nothing; and those pagans plainly told him, that they could not change their faith without consent of the lord of whom they held. Their obstinacy, however, was of no long continuance; and that Omnipotence, which had pre-ordained Xavier to the conversion of idolaters, would not that his first labours should be unsuccessful.

      A woman of the village had been three days in the pains of childbirth, and had endured great torments, without being eased, either by the prayers of the Brachmans, or any natural remedies. Xavier went to visit her, accompanied by one of his interpreters; "and then it was," says he, in one of his letters, "that, forgetting I was in a strange country, I began to call upon the name of the Lord; though, at the same time, I could not but remember, that all the earth is equally his, and all its inhabitants are belonging to him."

      The Father expounded to the sick woman the principles of our faith, and exhorted her to repose her trust in the God of the Christians. The Holy Ghost, who, by her means, had decreed to save that people, touched her inwardly; insomuch, that being asked if she believed in Jesus Christ, and if she desired to be baptized? she answered, yes; and that she spake from the bottom of her heart. Xavier then read the gospel to her, and baptized her: – she was immediately delivered of her child, and perfectly recovered. This visible miracle immediately filled that poor cabin with astonishment and gladness: The whole family threw themselves at the Father's feet, and asked to be instructed; and, being sufficiently taught, not one amongst them but received baptism. This news being blown abroad through all the country, the chief of the place had the curiosity to see a person so wonderful in his works and in his words. He preached to them the words of eternal life, and convinced their reason of the truth of Christianity; but convinced though they were, they durst not, as they said, become Christians, without the permission of their prince.

      There was at that time in the village an officer, sent expressly from the prince to collect a certain annual tribute. Father Xavier went to see him, and expounded so clearly to him all the law of Jesus Christ, that the pagan presently acknowledged there was nothing in it which was ill; and after that gave leave to the inhabitants to embrace it. There needed no more to a people, whom nothing but fear withheld from it; they all offered themselves to be baptized, and promised thenceforth to live in Christianity.

      The holy man, encouraged by so happy a beginning, followed his way with more cheerfulness, and came to Tutucurin, which is the first town belonging to the Paravas. He found, in effect, that this people, excepting only their baptism, which they had received, rather to shake off the Moorish yoke than to subject themselves to that of Jesus Christ, were wholly infidels; and he declared to them the mysteries of our faith, of which before they had not received the least tincture. The two churchmen who accompanied him served him in the nature of interpreters; but Xavier, reflecting within himself, that these churchmen frequently altered those things which passed through their mouths, and