The Works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16. John Dryden
certain it is, that, being well united with our Lord, we shall be united in ourselves; and that nothing shall be able to divide us from the society which we have in Jesus Christ.
"As to what remains, I will, for your satisfaction," added he, "discover to you a secret, which hitherto I have concealed from your knowledge: You may remember, that when we lodged as chamber-fellows, in the hospital at Rome, you heard me crying out one night, 'yet more, O my Lord, yet more!' you have often asked what that exclamation meant; and I have always answered you, that you should not trouble yourself about it: I must now tell you, that I then beheld, (but whether sleeping or waking, God only knows,) all I was to suffer for the glory of Jesus Christ; our Lord infused into me so great a delight for sufferings, that not being able to satiate, myself with those troubles which he had presented to my imagination, I begged of him yet more; and that was the sense of what I pronounced with so much fervency, 'yet more, yet more!' I hope the Divine Goodness will grant me that in India, which he has foreshewn to me in Italy, and that the desires which he inspired into me shall be shortly satisfied."
After these words they embraced each other anew, and parted both of them in tears. When Rodriguez was returned on shore, they gave the signal of departure, and set sail. This was on the 7th of April, in the year 1541, under the command of Don Martin Alphonso de Sosa, viceroy of the Indies; a man of known integrity, and consummate experience in what related to those parts, where he had formerly lived for many years. He was desirous of Xavier's company, in the Admiral, which was called the St James. Xavier went aboard on his own birth-day, entering then on his six-and-thirtieth year. He had resided eight months entire at Lisbon; and forseven years, and somewhat more, had been the professed disciple of Ignatius Loyola.
THE LIFE OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER.
BOOK II
By what way he passes to the Indies. His employment in the ship. He arrives at Mozambique, and what he does there. He falls sick himself, and yet continues to serve the sick. His first prediction Verified by the success. He arrives at Melinda, and there confers with the Mahometans. He passes over to Socotora; his opinion concerning that people. He arrives at Goa. He visits the Bishop of the Indies. The estate of religion in the India at his arrival. His first work at Goa. The first fruits of his labours. His industry to gain the Concubinarians. He is told of the coast of Fishery, and goes thither. This coast is called in the maps La Pescaria. He works a miracle at Cape Comorin. He labours in the salvation of the Paravas. His manner of teaching the Christian faith. He establishes catechists and teachers of the faith to supply ids place. The fruit of his labours on the coast of Fishery. He makes use of children to cure the sick. The zeal of the children against idols and idolaters. The punishment of a pagan, who had despised the admonitions of Father Xavier. The original and character of the Brachmans. He treats with the Brachmans. The conference of Xavier with a famous Brachman. He works divers miracles. He declares himself against the Brachmans. The means whereby he destroyed idolatry. He returns to Goa, and for what reason. The beginning and establishment of the seminary of holy faith. The seminary of holy faith new named the College of St Paul. He returns to the coast of Fishery; his actions there. He goes to the relief of the Christians, on the coast of Fishery. He goes to the kingdom of Travancore, and there labours with great success. God communicates to him the gift of tongues. He is persecuted by the Brachmans. He goes to meet the army of the Badages, and puts them to flight. He prevails upon the king of Travancore to favour the gospel. He raises two from death.
While the Christian religion flourished in Asia, under the emperors of Constantinople, there were two ordinary passages, and both of them short enough towards the Indies: the one by Syria, over the Euphrates and the Persian Gulph; the other by Egypt, over the Arabian Gulph, commonly called the Red Sea. But after the Saracens had possessed themselves of those places, the European Christians finding those passages unsecure for travelling, sought out ways of a larger circuit, to avoid falling into the hands of their most mortal enemies.
The Portuguese were the first who bethought themselves of coasting all Africa, and one part of Arabia and Persia; by taking this compass, the Indies are distant from Portugal about four thousand leagues, and the passengers are constrained to suffer twice the scorching heats of the torrid zone, in going under the equinoctial line, which divides Africa almost in two equal parts.
Don Henry, son of King John I., the most skilful prince of that age in the mathematics, was he who attempted the discovery of those seas, and undertook to double the Cape of Good Hope, upon the account of traffic, which he desired to establish betwixt the crown of Portugal and the emperor of Ethiopia, commonly called Prester John. This enterprise having succeeded, the kings of Portugal, Alphonso V., John II., and Emanuel I., followed it so happily, that, by little and little, they completed the passage to the Indies.
This was the course that Father Xavier held with the fleet of Portugal. He found himself sufficient employment, during the time of the navigation: his first study was to put a stop to those disorders which are commonly occasioned by an idle life on ship-board; and he began with gaming, which is the only recreation, or rather the whole employment, of the seamen.
That he might banish games of chance, which almost always occasion quarrels and swearing, he proposed some little innocent diversions, capable of entertaining the mind, without stirring up the passions. But seeing that, in spite of his endeavours, they were bent on cards and dice, he thought it not convenient to absent himself, but became a looker on, that he might somewhat awe them by his presence; and when they were breaking out into any extravagance, he reclaimed them by gentle and soft reproofs. He shewed concernment in their gains, or in their losses, and offered sometimes to hold their cards.
There were at least a 'thousand persons in the Admiral, men of all conditions: the father made himself all to all, thereby to gain some to Jesus Christ; entertaining every man with such discourse as was most suitable to his calling. He talked of sea affairs to mariners, of war to the soldiery, of commerce to merchants, and of affairs of state to men of quality. His natural gaiety, and obliging humour, gained him a general esteem; the greatest libertines, and most brutal persons, sought his conversation, and were even pleased to hear him speak of God.
He instructed the seamen daily in the principles of religion, of which the greater part were wholly ignorant, or had at the best but a smattering of it; and preached to them on every holiday, at the foot of the main mast. All of them profited by his sermons, and in little time nothing was heard amongst them, which was offensive to the honour of God, or that wounded Christian charity; or touched upon obsceneness, or ill manners. They had a profound veneration for him; with one word only, he appeased their quarrels, and put an end to all their differences.
The viceroy, Don Martin Alphonso de Sosa, invited him from the very first clay to eat at his table; but Xavier humbly excused it, with great acknowledgments, and during all the voyage lived only on what he begged about the ship.
In the mean time, the insufferable colds of Cabo Verde, and the excessive heats of Guinea, together with the stench of the fresh waters, and putrifaction of their flesh provisions under the line, produced many dangerous distempers. The most common was a pestilential fever, accompanied with a kind of cancer, which bred in the mouth, and ulcerated all the gums; the sick being crowded together, spread the infection amongst themselves; and as every one was apprehensive of getting the disease, they had been destitute of all succour, if Father Francis had not taken compassion on them. He wiped them in their sweats, he cleansed their ulcers, he washed their linen, and rendered them all the most abject services; but, above all things, he had care of their consciences, and his principal employment was to dispose them to a Christian death.
These were his perpetual employments; being at the same time himself seized with continued fits of vomiting, and extreme languishments, which lasted two whole months. For his ease and refreshment, Sosa caused him to be accommodated with a larger cabin than was first appointed for him: he accepted of it, but it was only to lodge in it those who were most desperately ill; as for himself, he lay bare upon the deck, without other pillow than the tackling.
He received also the dishes which the viceroy sent him from his table, and divided them amongst those who had most need of nourishment. So many actions of charity gained him the surname of the Holy Father from thenceforward, which continued to him all his life, even, amongst Mahometans and idolaters.
While Xavier employed