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

by John Dryden

The king, naturally curious, as the Japonians generally are, enquired much of him concerning the Indies; as, what was the nature of the country, and the humour of the people, and whether the Portuguese were as brave and as powerful as they were represented by common fame. When Paul had satisfied him on these and the like particulars, the discourse fell on the different religions in the Indies, and finally on Christianity, which was introduced by the Portuguese in India.

Paul unfolded at large the mysteries of our faith; and seeing with what pleasure he was heard, produced a tablet of the Virgin, holding the little Jesus in her arms. The tablet was very curious, and Xavier had given it to this Japonese, that he might shew it as occasion offered. The sight alone of this excellent painting wrought so much upon the king, that, being touched with thoughts of piety and reverence, he fell on his knees, with all his courtiers, to honour the persons therein represented, which seemed to him to have an air that was more than human.

He commanded it should be carried to the queen, his mother. She was also charmed with it, and prostrated herself by the same instinct, with all the ladies of her train, to salute the Mother and the Son. But as the Japonian women are yet more inquisitive than the men, she asked a thousand questions concerning the Blessed Virgin and our Saviour, which gave Paul the desired opportunity of relating all the life of Jesus Christ; and this relation so much pleased the queen, that some few days after, when he was upon his return to Cangoxima, she sent one of her officers to have a copy of the tablet which she had seen; but a painter was not to be found to satisfy her curiosity. She required, that at least she might have an abridgment in writing of the chief points of Christianity, and was satisfied therein by Paul.

The Father, overjoyed at these good inclinations of the court, thought earnestly of making himself capable to preach in the language of the country. There is but one language spoken through all Japan; but that so ample, and so full of variety, that, in effect, it may be said to contain many tongues. They make use of certain words and phrases, in familiar discourse; and of others in studied compositions. The men of quality have a language quite differing from the vulgar. Merchants and soldiers have a speech proper to their several professions, and the women speak a dialect distinct from any of the rest. When they treat on a sublime subject, (for example, of religion, or affairs of state,) they serve themselves of particular terms; and nothing appears more incongruous amongst them, than to confound these different manners of expression.

The holy man had already some light notions of all these languages, by the communication he had with the three Japonian Christians; but he knew not enough to express him with ease and readiness, as himself acknowledges in his epistles, where he says, "that he and his companions, at their first arrival, stood like statues, mute and motionless." He therefore applied himself, with all diligence, to the study of the tongue, which he relates in these following words: "We are returned to our infancy," says he, "and all our business at present is to learn the first elements of the Japonian grammar. God give us the grace to imitate the simplicity and innocence of children, as well as to practise the exercises of children."

We ought not to be astonished in this passage last quoted, that a man to whom God had many times communicated the gift of tongues, should not speak that of Japan, and that he should be put to the pains of studying it. Those favours were transient, and Xavier never expected them; insomuch, that being to make abode in a country, he studied the language of it as if he could not have arrived to the knowledge of it but by his own industry. But the Holy Spirit assisted him after an extraordinary manner, on those occasions, as we have formerly observed. And we may say, that the easiness wherewith he learnt so many tongues, was almost equivalent to the lasting gift of them.

While Xavier and his companions were labouring to acquire that knowledge which was necessary for their preaching the word of Jesus Christ to the people of Cangoxima, Paul de Sainte Foy, with whom they lodged, himself instructed his own family. God gave that blessing to his zeal, that, besides his mother, his wife and daughter, many of his relations were converted and baptized by Xavier. Within the compass of forty days, the saint understood enough of the language to undertake the translation of the apostles' creed, and the exposition of it, which he had composed in India. As fast as he translated, he got every parcel of it by heart; and with that help, was of opinion, that he might begin to declare the gospel. But seeing that in Japan all the measures of the laws and customs are to be taken, and observed with great exactness, and nothing to be attempted in public without permission from the government, he would first visit the king of Saxuma, and chose the time on the day of St Michael the archangel He had put the whole empire under the protection of that glorious general of the celestial host, who chased the rebellious angels out of heaven, and recommended in his daily prayers to him, that he would exterminate those devils from Japan, who had usurped the dominion of it for so many ages.

The apostle of the Indies was not unknown at the court of Saxuma. Paul de Sainte Foy had spoken of him there, in such a manner, as infused the desire of seeing him into all hearts, and caused him to be looked on with admiration when he first appeared. The king and queen treated him with honour, testified great affection to him, and discoursed with him the better part of the night. They could not but be astonished, that he and his companions were come from another world, and had passed through so many stormy seas, not out of an avaricious design of enriching themselves with the gold of Japan, but only to teach the Japonese the true way of eternal life. From the very first meeting, the king cautioned Xavier to keep safely all the books and writings which contained the Christian doctrine; "for," said he, "if your faith be true, the demons will be sure to fly furiously upon you, and all manner of mischief is to be expected from their malice." Afterwards he granted permission to the saint to preach the Christian law within the whole extent of his dominions; and farther, caused his letters patent to be expedited, by virtue of which, all his subjects had free liberty of being made Christians, if they so desired.

Xavier took advantage of this happy conjuncture, and deferred no longer his preaching in Cangoxima. He began by explaining the first articles of the creed. That of the existence of one God, all powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, was a strange surprise to his auditors, who knew nothing of a first Being, on whom the universe depended, as on its cause and principle. The other articles, which respect the Trinity and Incarnation, appeared to them yet more incredible; insomuch, that some of them held the preacher for a madman, and laughed him to scorn. Notwithstanding which, the wiser sort could not let it sink into their belief, that a stranger, who had no interest to deceive them, should undergo so many hardships and dangers, and come so far, on set purpose to cheat them with a fable. In these considerations, they were desirous of clearing those doubts, which possessed them, in relation to those mysteries which they had heard. Xavier answered them so distinctly, and withal so reasonably, with the assistance of Paul de Sainte Foy, who served him for interpreter in case of need, that the greatest part, satisfied with his solutions, came over to the faith.

The first who desired baptism, and received it, was a man of mean condition, destitute of the goods of fortune; as if God willed, that the church of Japan should have the same foundations of meanness and poverty with the universal church: The name of Bernard was given him, and, by his virtue, he became in process of time illustrious.