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

by John Dryden

During the thirty days that these Japonians were in retirement, it is not to be expressed, what celestial illuminations, what holy thoughts, what interior delights, the Holy Spirit infused into them. Anger could speak of nothing but of God; and spoke of Him with so much fervency, that it seemed even to burn him up. The mystery of the passion moved him above all the rest; and he was so ravished with the goodness of God, so possessed with love, in considering a God crucified, that he breathed nothing but martyrdom, and the salvation of his brethren. So that he was often heard to cry out, in the midst of his devotions, "How glad should I be to die for thee, O my God! O my dear Japonians, how much are you to be lamented, and what compassion do you raise in me!"

The master and servants came out of their retirement with so much ardour, that Xavier wrote into Europe, that he was animated by their example to the service of God, and that he could not look on them without blushing at his own cowardice.

In conversing with them, he understood what he had formerly learnt by hearsay, from George Alvarez, and other Portuguese, that the empire of Japan was one of the most populous in the world; that the Japonese were naturally curious, and covetous of knowledge, and withal docible, and of great capacity; that being generally ingenious, and very rational, if they were instructed in the morals of Christianity, they would easily submit to them; and that, if the preachers of the gospel lived according to gospel rules, the whole nation would subject itself to the yoke of Jesus Christ, not perhaps so readily at first, but in process of time, and after clearing of their doubts.

There needed no more to induce Xavier to carry the faith into Japan. The mildness, the civility, and the good parts of the three baptized Japonians, made him conceive a high opinion of all the rest; and the Portuguese merchants newly returned from Japan, confirmed it so fully to him, that in these three he had the pattern of the whole nation, that he doubted not, but that the Christian religion would make an admirable progress there. But that which Anger told him, that there were in his country many monasteries of Heathen priests; that some of them led their lives in solitude and contemplation; that every monastery had its superior, who was a person venerable for his age and learning; that they came abroad from their lonely abode once a week, with mortified looks, and uncouth habits, to preach to the people; that, in their sermons, they drew such lively figures of hell, that the women wept, and cried out at those dismal representations: All this, I say, appeared to Xavier as so many doors and inlets for the faith; and he praised God, that, by the admirable conduct of his providence, which secretly manages the salvation of men, the spirit of lies had thus prepared the ways for the spirit of truth.

He adored also the wisdom of the same Providence, which, taking the occasion of a man who fled from justice, and sought repose for his troubled conscience, had led three Japonians from their native country, and brought them to Goa, that they might serve for guides to a missioner; but, that these guides might be the more serviceable, he thought fit they should learn to read and write in the Portuguese language. Anger, whom from henceforth we shall name Paul de Sainte Foy, was easily instructed in all they taught him; for, besides that he was of a quick and lively apprehension, he had so happy a memory, that he got by heart almost all the gospel of St Matthew, which Father Cosmo de Torrez had expounded to him before his baptism.

In the mean time, Don John de Castro was rigging out a fleet, with design to possess himself of Aden, one of the strongest towns of Arabia Felix, and situated at the foot of a high mountain, which reached even to the sea by a narrow tongue of earth. This port is of great importance to shut up the passage of the Indies to the Turks and Saracens, who go thither by the Red Sea; and from this consideration it was, that Albuquerque the Great endeavoured to have mastered it in the year 1513, but the vigorous resistance of the Achenois forced him to forsake the siege. After that time, they were desirous, of their own accord, to have delivered it up to the Portuguese, thereby to free themselves from the tyranny of the Turks. Yet it was not then done, through the fault of a captain called Soarez, who, having no orders to take possession of the town, was so weak a politician as to refuse it when it was offered to the crown of Portugal.

That people, whom the Turk used worse than ever, testified the same inclination under the government of Castro; and it was on that occasion that he sent a fleet towards the Strait of Mecca, under the command of his son Alvarez de Castro. Eight foysts of Goa, full of soldiers, set out for the expedition of Aden. Amongst these there was one very brave fellow, renowned for his military actions, but blackened with all sorts of crimes, and more infamous by his debauched manners, than known by his valour. He seemed a kind of savage beast, who had no more of man in him than the bare figure, nor any thing of a Christian besides the name. Above eighteen years he had abstained from confession; and that he once presented himself to the bishop of Goa, was less to reconcile himself to God, than to take off the imputation of being either a Mahometan or an idolater.

Father Xavier had cast an eye upon this wretch, and waited only an opportunity to labour in so difficult a conversion. Understanding that this soldier was embarking on one of the foysts, which were going to join the fleet, he went out of the college of St Paul, at the first notice of it, taking nothing with him besides his breviary, and entered into the same vessel. It was believed by those who saw the Father, that he had orders from the viceroy to accompany his son Alvarez; and every one was glad of it, excepting only he, for whose sake he came. He drew near the soldier, and when they had weighed anchor, began to make acquaintance with him, and grew familiar to that degree, that the rest of the soldiers, who were less debauched, could not sufficiently admire it; and some of them said of Xavier, what a Pharisee said formerly of our Lord, "If this man were indeed a prophet, he would discern what manner of man he was, in whom he takes so much delight."

These discourses did not at all daunt the Father. He saw his soldier playing whole nights together, for he was a great gamester. He took no notice of his extravagancies, and sometimes heard him swear without seeming to regard it. Only one day he said to him, that gaming required a composed spirit, and if he took not the better heed, that passion, which he had in play, would make him lose.

The soldier, brutal as he was, grew insensibly to have a kindness for a man, who was so much concerned in his advantages, and took pleasure in hearing him discourse not only of war, and sea affairs, but also of religion and morality. In conclusion, he made some reflections on the horror of his life, and felt even some remorse of conscience for it. Being one day together with the Father, in a private part of the ship, Xavier asked him, to whom he had confessed himself before he went on shipboard? "Ah Father," said the soldier, "I have not been at confession these many years!" "And what do you imagine would become of you," said the holy man, "supposing you should be killed in this action, and in the condition you now are?" "I would once have confessed myself," replied the soldier, "at least for fashion and decency, but the vicar of Goa would not so much as hear me, but told me I was a reprobate, and deserved nothing but hell-fire." "The vicar was, in my opinion," said Xavier, "somewhat too severe, to treat you in that manner. He had perhaps his reasons for that usage, and I have mine to treat you otherwise. For indeed the mercies of our Lord are infinite, and God would have us as indulgent to our brethren, as he himself is to us. Thus, when the sins, of which you find yourself guilty, are a thousand times more numerous and more crying than they are, I shall have the patience to hear them all, and shall make no difficulty of giving you absolution, provided you take those thoughts and resolutions which I shall endeavour to infuse into you."