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

by John Dryden

He had one night a vision, whether awake or sleeping has not been decided by the juridical informations of the Father's life. It seemed to him, that he was in a fair temple, where he beheld the Blessed Virgin, on a throne all glittering with precious stones. Her countenance appeared severe; and he, making his approaches to her, was rejected with indignation, as unworthy to be of the company of her son. After which she arose from the throne, and then all things disappeared. Deyro being recalled from his solitude some time after, said nothing of his vision to Father Xavier, to whom God had revealed it. He even denied boldly to have seen any, though the Father repeated it to him, with all the circumstances. Xavier, more scandalised than ever with this procedure of Deyro, refused all farther communication with a man, who was interested, and insincere. He rid his hands of him, but withal foretold him, "That God would be so gracious to him, as to change his evil inclinations, and that hereafter he should take the habit of St Francis." Which was so fully accomplished, that when the informations were taken in the Indies, concerning the holiness and miracles of Xavier, Deyro then wore the habit of St Francis, and lived a most religious life.

After the three missioners were gone for the Moluccas, Xavier alone bore the whole burden of the work. The knowledge which the Portuguese and Indians had of his holiness, made all men desirous of treating with him, concerning the business of their conscience. Not being able to give audience to all, many of them were ill satisfied, and murmured against him: but since their discontent and murmurs proceeded from a good principle, he comforted himself, and rather rejoiced than was offended, as he says himself expressly in his letters. His ordinary employment was preaching to the Christians and Gentiles, instructing and baptising the catechumens, teaching children the Christian doctrine, visiting the prisoners and the sick, reconciling enemies, and doing other works of charity.

While the saint was thus employed, there happened an affair, which much increased his reputation in all the Indies. For the understanding of the whole business, it will be necessary to trace it from its original.

Since the conquest of Malacca by the Portuguese, the neighbouring princes grew jealous of their power, and made many attempts to drive that nation out of the Indies, which came to brave them at their own doors. Thereupon, they set on foot many great armies, at divers times, but always unsuccessfully; and learning, by dear-bought experience, that multitudes can hardly prevail against true valour.

These disgraces provoked the Sultan Alaradin, king of Achen, instead of humbling him. Achen is the greatest kingdom of the island of Sumatra, distant about twelve leagues from the terra firma of Malacca. This prince was a Mahometan, an implacable enemy of the Christians by his religion, and of the Portuguese by interest of state. Yet he durst not immediately assault the fortress of Malacca. All his fury was spent in cruizing about the coasts, with a strong fleet, thereby to break the trade of the Portuguese, and hinder the succours which they had from Europe. His design was then to attack the town, when it should be bare of defendants, and unprovided of stores of victuals: but to compass his enterprize, he was to assure himself of a port, which was above Malacca towards the north, which might serve for a convenient retreat to his fleet; and had also occasion for a fortress, to secure himself from the enemy. He therefore made himself master of that port, and ordered the building of a citadel.

As for his preparations of war, he made them so secretly, that the Portuguese had neither any news, nor even the least suspicion of them. Five thousand soldiers, trained up in wars, and well-experienced in naval fights, were chosen out for this glorious expedition; and five hundred of them, called Orabalons, were the flower of the whole nobility, and accordingly wore bracelets of gold, as a distinguishing mark of their high extraction. There was besides a great number of Janisaries newly arrived at the court of Achen, who served as volunteers, and were eager of shewing their courage against the Christians. The fleet consisted of sixty great ships, all well equipped and manned, without reckoning the barks, the frigates, and the fire-ships. It was commanded by the Saracen, Bajaja Soora, a great man of war, and so famous for his exploits in arms, that his prince had honoured him with the title of King of Pedir, in reward for his taking Malacca even before he had besieged the town.

There was no other intelligence of this at Malacca, but what the army of Achen brought itself. They came before the place, and entered the port on the 9th of October, in the year 1547, about two o'clock in the morning, resolved to assault it while they were favoured by the darkness. They began by a discharge of their artillery, and sending in their fire-ships against the Portuguese vessels. After which the most daring of them landed, ran without any order against that part of the wall which they believed weakest, filled up part of the ditch, and mounted the ladders with a furious assault. They found more resistance than they expected: the garrison, and the inhabitants, whom the shouts and artillery of the barbarians had at first affrighted, recovering courage through the imminence of danger, and the necessity of conquering or dying, ran upon the rampart, and vigorously repulsed the assailants; overthrowing their ladders, or tumbling their enemies headlong from them, insomuch that not a man of them entered the town, and great numbers of them lay dead or dying in the ditch.

Soora comforted himself for the ill success of his assault, by the execution which his fire-ships and cannon had done. All the vessels within the port were either burnt or disabled. And the rain which immediately fell, served not so much to extinguish the flames, as the violent wind which then arose contributed to kindle them. Those of Achen, proud of that action, appeared next morning on their decks, letting fly their pompous streamers, and shouting, as if already they were victorious. But their insolence was soon checked; the cannon from the fortress forced them to retire as far off as the isle of Upe. In the mean time, seven poor fishermen, who had been out all night about their employment, and were now returning to the town, fell into an ambuscade of the Infidels, were taken, and brought before the general. After he had cut off their ears and noses, he sent them back with a letter, directed to Don Francisco de Melo, governor of Malacca, of which these were the contents:

"I Bajaja Soora, who have the honour to carry in vessels of gold the rice of the Great Souldan, Alaradin, king of Achen, and the territories washed by the one and the other sea, advertise thee to write word to thy king, that, in despite of him, I am casting terror into his fortress by my fierce roaring, and that I shall here abide as long as I shall please. I call to witness of what I declare, not only the earth, and all nations which inhabit it, but all the elements, even to the heaven of the moon; and pronounce with these words of my mouth, that thy king is a man of no reputation nor courage; that his standards, now trampled under foot, shall never be lifted up again without his permission who has conquered him; that, by the victory already by us obtained, my king has under his royal foot the head of thine; that from this day forward he is his subject and his slave; and, to the end, that thou thyself mayest confess this truth, I defy thee to mortal battle, here on the place of my abode, if thou feelest in thyself sufficient courage to oppose me."

Though the letter of Soora was in itself ridiculous, and full of fustian bravadoes, according to the style of the barbarians, yet it put the governor and officers of the fortress to a shrewd demur; for how should they accept the challenge without ships to fight him, and how could they refuse it with their honour? A council of war was summoned to deliberate on this weighty and nice affair, when Father Xavier came amongst them. He had been saying mass at the church of our Lady Del Monte; so called, from its being built on a mountain near the city, and dedicated to the blessed Virgin. Don Francisco, who had sent for him to consult him in this troublesome business, gave him the general of Achen's letter to peruse, and demanded his advice what was to be done on this occasion.