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

by John Dryden

By these words he brought the soldier to a general confession. He disposed him for it, by causing him to recal into his memory his past life, and drawing him into the particulars of those sins, which a man of his character and profession might possibly have committed. While they were upon these terms, the ship cast anchor at the port of Ceylon for refreshment. Many of the fleet went on shore, and, amongst the rest, the Father and the soldier. They went together to a wild solitary place; there the soldier made his confession with abundance of tears, resolved to expiate his crimes, with whatsoever penance the Father should enjoin him, were it never so rigorous. But his confessor gave him only a paternoster and an ave to say. Whereat the penitent being much amazed, "from whence proceeds it, my Father," said he, "that, being so great a sinner as I am, you have given me so light a penance?" "Be content," answered Xavier; "O my son, we shall appease the divine justice:" and at the same instant, he withdrew into a wood, while the soldier performed his penance. There he did what he had formerly done on the like occasion: he bared his shoulders, and disciplined himself so rigorously, that the soldier heard the noise of the strokes, and came running to him, beholding the Father all in blood; and rightly judging what was the motive of so strange an action, he snatched the discipline out of his hands, and crying out, "it was the criminal who ought to endure the punishment, and not the innocent to bear the pains of sin;" he immediately stripped himself, and chastised his body with all his strength. Xavier oftentimes embraced him, and declared, that it was for his sake alone that he came on shipboard. So having given him wholesome admonitions to confirm him in the grace of God, he left him, and returned to Goa in the first vessel which went out of the port where they made the stay. As for the soldier, he followed the fleet; and after the expedition of Aden was ended, he entered into religion, chusing one of the most austere orders, where he lived and died in extraordinary holiness.

Not long after the Father was returned to Goa, the governor Don John de Castro returned also; but very ill of a hectic fever, which had been consuming him for some months before. Finding himself in a daily decay of health and strength, and doubting not the end of his life was near approaching, he quite laid aside all business, and substituted others to supply his place; after which his thoughts were wholly employed on death, and the great concernments of eternity. He had many long conversations with Father Xavier on that subject, and refused to see any one but him. During these transactions, a ship which came from Lisbon brought letters to the viceroy from the king of Portugal, who gave great praises to his management, and continued him for three years longer in the government of the Indies. As Don John was much beloved, so on this occasion public rejoicings were made over all the town. But the sick viceroy, hearing the discharge of the artillery, and seeing almost from his bed the bonfires that were made, could not forbear laughing at it, though he was almost in the agonies of death. "How deceitful and ridiculous is this world," said he, "to present us with honours of three years continuance, when we have but a moment more to live!" The Father assisted him, even to the last drawing of his breath; and had the consolation to behold a great man of this world, expiring with the thoughts of a saint in holy orders.

Xavier being master of himself, in some manner, after the disease of Don John de Castro, who had desired him not to stir from Goa, during the winter, had thoughts of visiting once more the coast of Fishery before his voyage to Japan; his resolutions of which, he had not hitherto declared. But the incommodities of the season hindered him; for at one certain time the sands so choke up the channels of the isle, that no ship can either go out of the port, or enter into it.

In waiting until the navigation became free, the saint applied himself particularly to the exercises of a spiritual Life, as it were to recover new strength after his past labours, according to the custom of apostolical men, who, in the communications which they have with God, refresh themselves after the pains which they have taken with their neighbour.

Then it was, that, in the garden of Saint Paul's college, sometimes in walking, at other times in retiring into a little hermitage, which was there set up, he cried out, "It is enough, O my Lord, it is enough!" and that he opened his cassock before his breast, to give a little air to those flames which burnt within him, by which he declared, that he was not able to support the abundance of heavenly consolations; and at the same time gave us to understand, that he would have rather chosen to suffer any torments for the service of God, than to have enjoyed all those spiritual delights; so that his true meaning, was a prayer to God, that he would please to reserve for him those pleasures in another life, and in the mean time, would not spare, to inflict on him any pains or sufferings in this present world.

These interior employments did not hinder him from the labours of his ministerial vocation, nor from succouring the distressed in the hospitals and prisons. On the contrary, the more lively and ardent the love of God was in him, the more desirous He was to bring it forth, and kindle it in others. His charity caused him often to relinquish the quiet of solitude, and the delights of prayer; therein following the principle of his Father Ignatius, that it was necessary to forsake God for God.

The season began to be more moderate, and Xavier was disposing himself to set sail for the Cape of Comorine, when a Portuguese vessel arrived from Mozambique, which brought in her live missioners of the society. The most considerable of these missioners, and of five others which came along with the fleet, was Caspar Barzæus, a Fleming by nation. Father Francis had already heard speak of him, as an excellent labourer, and a famous preacher; but his presence, and the testimony of all the ship, gave the saint such great ideas of his merit, that he looked on him from thenceforward as an apostle of the eastern countries.

He passed five days with these new companions, on the fourth of which he caused Father Gaspar to preach before him, that he might see his talent for the pulpit; and discovered in him all the qualities of a perfect preacher. Many Portuguese gentlemen, who had been much edified by the virtues and conversation of Barzæus during all the navigation, which had been exceeding dangerous, came and fell at the feet of Xavier, desiring that he would please to receive them into the society. The captain of the ship, and the governor of one of the chief citadels, which the Portuguese enjoy in India, were of the number. He admitted some of them before his departure, and deferred the rest till his return; but he would that all of them should perform the spiritual exercises of Father Ignatius.

At length Xavier embarked, on the 9th of September, for the fishing coast. There he comforted and confirmed the faithful, who were continually persecuted by the Badages, those mortal and irreconcileable enemies of the Christian name. He also encouraged the gospel labourers of the society, who, for the same reason, went in daily hazard of their lives. Having understood, that Father Francis Henriquez, who cultivated the Christianity of Travancore, was somewhat dissatisfied, and believed he lost his time, because some of those new converts, shaken either by the promises or threatenings of a new king, who hated the Christians, had returned to their former superstitions, he writ him letters of consolation, desiring him to be of good courage, and assuring him, that his labours were more profitable than he imagined; that when all the fruit of his zeal should be reduced to the little children who died after baptism, God would be well satisfied of his endeavours, and that, after all, the salvation of one only soul ought to comfort a missioner for all his pains; that God accounted with us for our good intentions; and that a servant of his was never to be esteemed unprofitable, who laboured in his vineyard with all his strength, whatever his success might prove.

Father Xavier was not content to have fortified the missioners, both by word and writing, in his own person; he desired of Father Ignatius, that he would also encourage them with his epistles, and, principally, that he would have the goodness to write to Henry Henriquez, a man mortified to the world, and laborious in his ministry.