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

During the navigation, a child of five years old happened to fall into the sea; the vessel, which had a fore-wind, pursuing its course. The father of this child was not to be comforted, and his grief so overwhelmed him, that he kept in private for three days. He was a Mahometan, and the miracle of the water had not converted him. At length he appeared in public, but all in tears, and never ceasing to lament the loss of his only son. Xavier, who knew nothing of this misfortune, asked him the reason of his sorrow? Having learnt it, he stood recollected in himself a little time, and then said, "Supposing that God should restore your son to you, would you promise me to believe in Jesus Christ, and to become a sincere Christian?" The infidel promised him; and three days after this, before sun-rising, they saw the child upon the hatches. The child knew not what had become of him for those six days, and only remembered his falling into the sea, not being able to give any account how he returned into the ship. His father was ready to die with joy when he received him; and Xavier had no need of putting him in mind of his engagement: he came of his own accord, accompanied by his wife, his son, and his servant; all of them were baptized, and the child was named Francis.

Those of the vessel having been witnesses of these two miracles, spoke of them to the inhabitants of an isle called Cincheo, by which they passed, and which was a place of great traffic, full of merchants from several parts. The desire of seeing so admirable a man, caused about sixty persons, some Ethiopians, other Indians, all Idolaters or Mahometans, to come into the ship: Xavier took the occasion, and preached the gospel to them; withal, instructing them in the holy practices of Christianity. He had no sooner ended his exhortation, than they acknowledged Jesus Christ, and received baptism.

While he was christening them, he appeared of a stature much higher than his own; insomuch, that those who were upon the shore near the vessel, believed he had been standing on some bench; but seeing him coming and going, and always appearing of the same height, they thought there might possibly be some miracle in the matter, and were desirous to be satisfied concerning it: Stephen Ventura went into the ship on purpose, and approaching Father Xavier, saw that with his feet he touched the hatches, and yet his head was higher than the tallest there, on whom he sprinkled the sacred waters of baptism. Ventura likewise observed, that, after he had baptized the company, he returned to his natural proportion.

From Cincheo the ship pursued her voyage towards Sancian, which is but six leagues distant from the continent, over against Canton, a town of China. They had sailed far beyond Canton, and the mariners believed they were still on this side of it. Xavier endeavoured to undeceive them, but they adhered to their first opinion, and they had gone much further out of their way, if the captain, upon the word of the saint, had not struck sail, and cast anchor till the return of the chalop, which he had sent out to discover the neighbouring coast. She was three days before she came back, and all the ship's company imagined that she had been overtaken by some hurricane; but Xavier assured them that she should suddenly return, with refreshments sent them by the Portuguese of Sancian; and that also she should be followed by some vessels, which should come to meet them on their way, and conduct them into the port. All happened as the Father had foretold; and the Santa Cruz, guided by the vessels of Sancian, arrived at that island, twenty-three days after her departure from Malacca.

There are three islands so little distant from each other, that they appear but one; for which reason the Chinese, in their language, call them Samceu; a word composed of sam, which signifies three, and ceu, which is to say an island. The chief of these islands, which the Portuguese have named Sancian, has a convenient and safe port, all crowned with mountains, and forming a semicircle on that side, which looks towards Macao. It has few inhabitants who are natives, almost no provisions, and is so barren of itself, so uncultivated and so wild, that it seems rather a place of banishment than of commerce. The Chinese had permitted the Portuguese to trade thither, to buy their commodities, and sell their own to them, without breaking their fundamental law, of suffering no stranger to set foot within their country; so that the Portuguese durst come no nearer the main land, for fear of hazarding their lives, or at least their liberty. Neither was it permitted them to build solid houses in the isle; they were only allowed to set up slight cabins, covered with mats, and dressed about with boughs of trees, that they might not always be shut up within their vessels.

Amongst these merchants there was one who was very rich, and infinitely charitable, but of a gay humour, and pleasant in conversation, addicted to all pleasure which decency permits, and loving not to deny himself any thing which will make life comfortable; – for the rest, most affectionate to Father Xavier: his name was Peter Veglio, the same Veglio who was with the saint at Japan, and who returned in his company. Xavier being very desirous of his friend's salvation, exhorted him, from time to time, to mortify his natural inclinations, even sometimes to chastise his body for the expiation of his sins. Veglio understood not that Latin; whether he was too tender of his own person, or thought his sins were not of a nature to deserve such severities, he could never find in his heart to take up the discipline; but instead of macerations and penances, he gave great alms; and Father Francis received from him very large supplies, for the relief of such as were in want. One day, the Father having need of a certain sum of money, to marry a young orphan virgin, who was poor and handsome, and consequently in danger of being ruined, had recourse to Veglio, according to his custom. He found him engaged in play with another merchant; but the business being urgent, he forbore not to request his charity. Veglio, who loved to be merry, made as if he were angry with him, and answered thus; "Father Francis, when a man is losing, he is in no condition of giving alms; and for a wise man as you are, you have made a very gross mistake in this unseasonable demand." "It is always in season to do good," replied Xavier; "and the best time for giving money, is when a man has it in his hand." The merchant continuing in the same tone, and seeming to be displeased with the Father's company, added, as it were to be rid of him, "Here, take the key of my chest; take all my money if you will, and leave me to play my game in quiet." In the merchant's chest were thirty thousand taes, which amount to forty-five thousand crowns of gold. The Father took out three hundred crowns, which were sufficient to marry the orphan maiden. Some time afterward, Veglio counting over his money, and finding the sum was still entire, believed the Father had not touched it, and reproached him with want of friendship for not making use of him; whereupon Xavier protested to him, that he had taken out three hundred crowns. "I swear to you," said Veglio, "that not one of them is wanting; but God forgive you," added he, "my meaning was to have parted the whole sum betwixt us; and I expected, that of my forty-five thousand crowns, you should at least have taken the one moiety."

Xavier, finding that Veglio had spoken very sincerely to him, and out of a pure principle of charity, said, as a man transported out of himself by the spirit of God; "Peter, the design you had, is a good work before the eyes of Him, who weighs the motions and intentions of the heart; He himself will recompence you for it, and that which you have not given, shall be one day restored to you an hundred-fold. In the meantime, I answer for Him, that temporal goods shall be never wanting to you; and when you shall have misfortunes to put you backwards in the world, your friends shall assist you with their purses. I farther declare to you, that you shall not die without being first advertised of the day of your death." After these predictions, Veglio was quite changed into another man, applying himself wholly to exercises of piety; and in the condition of a merchant, lived almost the life of a religious. What had been foretold him, that he should have warning of his death, came frequently into his remembrance; and he could not hinder himself one day from asking the saint, at what time, and in what manner, it should be? The saint told him, without pausing, "When you shall find the taste of your wine bitter, then prepare yourself for death, and know that you have but one day more to live."

The merchant lived in opulence and splendour, even to an extreme old age. He had several losses in his trade, according to the chance of things which are depending on the sea; but his friends continually relieved him in his necessities, and gave him wherewithal to set up again. At length, being one day at a great entertainment, and more gay than ever, having asked for wine, he found the taste of it was bitter. Immediately remembering the prophecy of Father Xavier, he was seized with an inward horror; which beginning from the soul, spread over his body, as if death had been pronounced against him, or the image of death presented to his eyes. Nevertheless, somewhat recovering his spirits, for his farther satisfaction in the point, he desired his fellow-guests at the table to taste the wine out of his glass. All judged it to be excellent, besides himself, who made divers trials of it on his palate. He called for other wines, and another glass; but always found the same bitterness. Then, no longer doubting but that his last hour was coming, after he had made an interior sacrifice of his life to God, he related to the company that prediction, which was now accomplished; and arose from the table with the thoughts of a Christian, who is disposing himself for death. Having distributed his goods betwixt his children and the poor, he went to see his friends, and to give and take the last farewell; – notwithstanding his great age, he was in perfect health. It was thought he doted, and they endeavoured to persuade him out of his melancholy apprehensions. But their arguments prevailed so little on his mind, that he gave orders for his own funeral, and invited his friends to do him the last kind office, of accompanying his corpse to burial. To content him, and to make themselves merry at his folly, they attended him into the church: in their presence he received the viaticum, and the extreme unction, without being sick; afterwards he laid himself upon the bier, and caused them to sing the mass for the dead. The people gathered in a crowd at the strangeness of the report; some drawn by the novelty of the sight, the rest to be eye-witnesses how the prediction of Father Xavier would succeed. Mass being ended, the priest, attended by his inferiors, performed all the ceremonies of the church about the grave, and, at length, sung the last words belonging to a Christian burial over the old man, who was alive, and bore his part in the responses. There now remaining no more to do, the servant of Veglio coming to help his master off the bier, he found him dead. All the assistants were witnesses of the matter of fact, and every one went home full of admiration of God's mercy towards this merchant, who had been so charitable, and blessing the memory of the holy apostle of the Indies.

This was not the only prophetical light, which Xavier had in the isle of Sancian. A ship, which went from Macao to Japan, appeared in sight of Sancian, to be overtaken by a dreadful hurricane. The Portuguese, who had great concernments in that vessel, being alarmed at so inevitable a danger, came running for comfort to Father Xavier; but the Father assured them, they had no cause of fear, and that the ship was safely arrived at her port. They kept themselves quiet, upon the assurance of his word, till finding that the ship made no return, which was to stay at Japan but some few days, they gave her for lost. Xavier reproved their want of faith, and positively told them, that she should come back before the week were ended. In effect, she returned two days afterwards, laden with rich merchandizes, and proud of her escape from the fury of the hurricane.

At the same time, Xavier was inspired with the knowledge of the quarrel betwixt Don Alvarez de Atayda, governor of Malacca, and Don Bernard de Sosa, who was newly arrived from the Moluccas; and told the circumstances of it to the Portuguese, who, having afterwards the particulars of it from some of Malacca, were astonished to find them the very same which the Father had related.

This miraculous foreknowledge was accompanied by actions as surprising; and without speaking of a dead infant, which Xavier restored to life, but whose resurrection is without circumstances in the acts of the saint's canonization, he cleared the country of the tygers, which laid it waste. These furious beasts came in herds together out of the forests, and devoured not only the children, but the men also, whom they found scattered in the fields, and out of distance from the entrenchments which were made for their defence. One night the servant of God went out to meet the tygers, and when they came near him, he threw holy water upon them, commanding them to go back, and never after to return. The commandment had its full effect, the whole herd betook themselves to flight, and from that time forward no tygers were ever seen upon the island.

The joy which the Portuguese had conceived at the arrival of Father Xavier, was immediately changed to sadness, when they understood that he had only taken Sancian in his way to China. They all endeavoured to dissuade him from it, and set before his eyes the rigorous laws of that government; that the ports were narrowly observed by vigilant and faithful officers, who were neither to be circumvented nor bribed with presents; that the Mandarins were cruel to all strangers; that, the year before, some Portuguese seamen being cast by tempest on the coast of Canton, had been severely whipped, and afterwards inclosed in dark dungeons, where, if they were not already dead, they were still exercised with new punishments; that, for himself, the least he could expect was perpetual imprisonment, which was not the business of an apostle, who designed to run from place to place, and propagate the faith through all the East. These arguments made no impression on the saint; he had fortified his resolution with more potent reasons, and answered the merchants in the same tenor in which he had written to Father Francis Perez, that he could not distrust the Divine Goodness, and that his distrust would be so much the more criminal, because the powerful inspiration of the Holy Spirit pushed him forward to teach the Chinese the gospel of the living God. "I am elected," said he, "for this great enterprize, by the special grace of heaven. If I should demur on the execution, or be terrified with the hardships, and want courage to attempt those difficulties, would it not be incomparably worse than all the evils with which you threaten me? But, what can the demons and their ministers do against me? Surely no more than what is permitted them by the sovereign Lord of all the world; and that in giving up myself in this manner, I shall obey my Lord Jesus, who declares in his gospel, 'That whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whoever will lose it for my sake, shall find it.' Our Saviour also says, 'That he who, having put his hand to the plough, shall look behind him, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven.' The loss of the body being then without comparison less to be feared than that of the soul, according to the principles of Eternal Wisdom, I am resolved to sacrifice a frail and miserable life for everlasting happiness. In fine, I have set up my rest, I will undertake this voyage, and nothing is capable of altering my resolution. Let all the powers of hell break loose upon me, I despise them, provided God be on my side; for if he be for us, who shall be against us?" The Portuguese being of opinion, that this fixed intention of the man of God was partly grounded on his ignorance of the dangers, which he believed they magnified to him beyond their natural proportion, sent some Chinese merchants, with whom they traded, to discourse the business calmly with him; but the matter went otherwise than they had imagined. Those Chinese, to whom Xavier failed not to speak of Christianity, and who were men of understanding, advised him to the voyage, instead of dissuading him. They counselled him only to carry books which contained the Christian doctrine; and added, that, not long since, the emperor had sent some learned men into the neighbouring kingdoms, to inform themselves of such religions as were different from the received opinions of the Chinese; that they believed the Christian doctrine would be well received at court; and that it seemed probable to them, that the novelty of so reasonable a belief would make his way who was the first bearer of it.

Xavier was overjoyed to find a passage opened for the gospel, to the most polite nation of the world; and doubted not but that the Christian religion, coming to be compared by judicious men with the other opinions of the East, would have the advantage. Being thus encouraged to pursue his purpose, his first business was to provide himself of a good interpreter. For Antonio, the Chinese, whom he had brought from Goa, was wholly ignorant of the language which is spoken at the court, and had almost forgotten the common idiom of the vulgar. He found out another Chinese, who had a perfect knowledge of the language of the Mandarins, and who could also write excellently well, in which consists the principal knowledge of China. For the rest, he was a man well shaped, of a good presence, of great natural parts, of a pleasing conversation, and, which was above all, he seemed entirely devoted to the Christians: he promised all possible good offices, – whether he hoped to make his fortune, by presenting to the emperor one who published a new law, or that God had inspired him with those pious thoughts.

There was more difficulty in finding seamen to transport the Father; for there was no less venture than that of life, for any one who undertook that business. But interest gives him courage to hazard all, who values money more than life itself. A Chinese merchant, called Capoceca, offered himself to carry Xavier into the province of Canton, provided he might be well paid; and asked the value of two hundred pardos9in pepper. The Chinese promised to take Xavier into his barque by night, and to land him before day on some part of the coast, where no houses were in view; and if this way was thought uncertain, he engaged to hide the Father in his own house, and four days after to conduct him, early in the morning, to the gates of Canton. But he would have Xavier oblige himself also, on his side, to go immediately to the Mandarin, with the letters which the viceroy of the Indies, and the bishop of Goa, had written to the emperor; for the Father had still reserved by him those letters which related to the embassy, though the design had been ruined by the governor of Malacca. The Chinese also exacted an oath of secrecy from the saint, that no torments, however cruel, should bring him to confess either the name or the house of him who had set him on shore.

Xavier made as solemn an engagement as he could desire, not without knowledge of the hazard which he ran, as himself related to one of his dearest friends. "I perceive," said he, "two dangers, which are almost inevitable in this affair; on the one side, there is great cause of apprehension, lest the idolatrous merchant, having received the price of my passage, should throw me overboard, or leave me on some desart isle; on the other side, lest the governor of Canton should discharge his fury upon me, and make me an example to all strangers, by putting me to a cruel death, or condemning me to perpetual imprisonment. But in case I follow the voice which calls me, and obey my Lord, I count my life and liberty at nothing."

When the voyage of China was on these terms, and that all things seemed to favour it, the Portuguese of Sancian put an obstacle in the way, of which Xavier had never thought. The appetite of gain made them apprehend, lest his zeal should bring them into trouble; and they said to one another, that the Mandarin governor of Canton would certainly revenge on them the boldness of their countryman: That he would commission his officers to pillage their ships, and confiscate their effects, and that their lives were not in safety. In this general affrightment, which was not ill grounded, and which increased daily, the wealthier sort addressed themselves to Father Xavier, and desired him to take compassion on them, and on their wives and children, if he would have no compassion on himself.

Xavier, who was no less careful for the interests of others, than he was negligent of his own, found an expedient to satisfy them. He engaged his word, that he would not pass over into China, till they had ended all their business, and were gone from Sancian. This gave opportunity to the Chinese merchant, with whom he had treated, to make a short voyage, under promise, notwithstanding, to return at a time which was prefixed. While these things were thus managed, the Father fell sick of a violent fever, which continued on him fifteen days. The Portuguese took occasion from thence to tell him, that heaven had declared against the voyage of China; but being recovered, he followed his design with more warmth than ever. While the merchants were lading their ships, he entertained himself day and night with the prospect of converting China; and all his pleasure was to think, how happy he should be, in dispossessing the devil of the largest empire in the world. "If yet," said he, "it shall please Almighty God to employ so vile an instrument as I am, in so glorious an undertaking." Taken up with these and such-like meditations, he often took his walk along the shore, and turning his eyes towards that desired country, sent out ardent sighs. He said sometimes amongst his friends, that his only wish was to be set down at the gates of Canton, and troubled not himself with what might happen afterwards: happy he, if he could once declare the Son of God to the Chinese, and more happy, if, for his sake, he might suffer martyrdom.

In the mean time, all the Portuguese vessels, excepting only the Santa Cruz, which had not yet her whole lading, set sail from Sancian for the Indies. Xavier gave many letters to the merchants, to be delivered both at Malacca and at Goa. He wrote to his friend James Pereyra, in terms which were full of acknowledgment and charity. "Almighty God," said he in his letter, "abundantly reward you, since I am not able of myself to do it; at least, while I continue in this world, I shall not fail to implore the Divine Goodness to confer on you, during your life, his holy grace, accompanied with perfect health, and after your death eternal happiness. But as I am persuaded, that I cannot acquit myself, by these my prayers, of the great obligements which I have to you, I beg all those of our Society in the Indies, to desire of God the same blessings in your behalf. For what remains, if I compass my entrance into China, and if the gospel enter with me, it is to you, next to Almighty God, to whom both the Chinese and myself shall be owing for it. You shall have the merit of it in the sight of God, and the glory in the sight of men. Thus, both the Chinese, who shall embrace the faith, and those of our Society, who shall go to China, shall be obliged, to offer, without ceasing, their vows to heaven in favour of you. God grant us both the happiness once to meet in the court of China! As for myself, I am of opinion if I get into that kingdom, and that you come thither, you will either find me a prisoner at Canton, or at Pequin, which is the capital city of that empire; and I beseech the Lord, out of his infinite mercy, that we may be joined together either in the kingdom of China, or at least in the kingdom of immortal glory."

He wrote by the same conveyance to Father Francis Perez, superior of Malacca. He commanded him, in virtue of holy obedience, to depart with the soonest out of that unhappy town, and to conduct his inferiors to Cochin, where he established him rector of the college, in the place of Antonio Heredia, whom he sent to Goa. Though Father Xavier deplored anew, the wretched condition of Don Alvarez, it hindered him not from enjoining Father Barzæus, in his letter to him, that he should work the bishop to send his orders to the grand vicar of Malacca, therein declaring the governor to be excommunicated. And he took this way, not only because hardened and scandalous offenders, such as Don Alvarez, ought to incur a public dishonour, by that means to induce them to a serious consideration of their own estate, and that others might take warning by them; but also, that succeeding governors might fear, by the example of his punishment, to set themselves in opposition to any intended voyage of the missioners, who should be sent hereafter to the Moluccas, Japan, or any other places.