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

by John Dryden

The sails were scarcely spread, when a north wind arising, the air cleared up, and the sea was immediately calmed. So that in thirteen days sailing, they arrived at the port of Sancian, where the Portuguese merchants of the ship had traffic. As the season of sailing in those seas was already almost past, there were remaining but two ships of the Indies in port, one of which belonged to James de Pereyra. The ship of Edward de Gama not being in condition to go on directly for Malacca without stopping by the way, and having need of refreshment at Sian, the saint went into the ship of his friend Pereyra. It was wonderful, that at the same moment when he passed into that vessel, the wind, which for the space of fifteen days had blown at north, which was full in their faces who were going for the Indies, came about on the sudden; so that the day following, which was the last of the year 1551, they set sail again. Another ship, which was waiting also for a wind, set out in their company; but that vessel found afterwards to her cost, that she carried not the apostle of the Indies.

Before they put to sea, Xavier discoursing with the pilot concerning the dangers of the ocean, (it was the same pilot who had brought him from Japan, whose name was Francis D'Aghiar,) foretold him, that he should not end his days upon the water; and that no vessel wherein he should be should suffer shipwreck, were the tempest never so outrageous. D'Aghiar was possessed with so firm a belief of what the Father told him, and afterwards found the effect of it so manifest on various occasions, that, without observing either winds or seasons, he often put to sea in an old crazy vessel, ill provided; insomuch, that they who were ignorant of the secret cause of this his confidence, took him for a rash presuming man, and of little understanding in sea affairs.

Once, amongst many other times, he gave a demonstration how much he relied on the promise of the saint, and that was, in going from Tenasserim to the kingdom of Pegu, in a light barque, which was quite decayed, and out of order. A tempest rising in the midst of his voyage, dashed against the rocks, and split in pieces some great vessels, which were following the barque of D'Aghiar. She alone seemed to defy the rocks; and while the sea was in this horrible confusion, the pilot sat singing at his ease, as if the waters had been hushed beneath him. A passenger, who shook with fear, demanded of him, "With what courage he could sing, when he was just upon the brink of death?" "It is because I fear nothing," replied Aghiar: "And I should fear nothing," added he, "though the waves should mount as high again as now we see them, and my barque were also made of glass; for the Father Master Francis has assured me, that I should not die upon the seas, in whatsoever vessel I should go." Some Saracens who were in the barque, and who heard these sayings of the pilot, were so moved with this continued miracle, that they vowed to become Christians so soon as ever they should come on shore; and they complied religiously with their promise. The barque casting anchor at Tanar, they received baptism at that place; so much the more persuaded both of the truth of the miracle, and of the Christian faith, because they saw before their eyes, upon the coast, the wrecks of other vessels, which were floating round about it.

The conversations which Xavier had with Pereyra during all the navigation, were almost wholly relating to Japan and China. The Father told his friend what progress the faith had made in little time in the kingdoms of Saxuma, of Amanguchi, and of Bungo; and what hopes he had conceived, to convert all those islands with great ease, when once the Chinese should be brought to acknowledge Jesus Christ. And on that motive, he had fixed his resolution to go to China; that his return to the Indies was only in order to this intended voyage, after he had regulated the affairs of the Society at Goa; that, on this account, he had brought with him from Japan the translation of his catechism into the Chinese language, by the benefit of which he hoped to overcome the first difficulties, which in matters of conversion are still the greatest. Some Portuguese who were in the same vessel, and were well acquainted with the government of China, thought this proposition of the Father not a little extravagant. They told him, that, besides the ill understanding which was betwixt China and Portugal, it was forbidden to strangers on pain of death, or of perpetual imprisonment, to set a foot upon that kingdom; and that the merchants of their nation, who had stolen thither for the benefit of trade, having been discovered, some of them had lost their heads, others had been put in irons, and cast into dungeons, there to lie and rot for the remainder of their lives. They added, notwithstanding, that there was a safe and certain way of entering into China, provided there was a solemn embassy sent to the emperor of that country from the king of Portugal. But since that could not be compassed without a prodigious expence, if nothing else were to be considered but only the presents for the emperor and his ministers of state, in all probability the viceroy of the Indies would not burden himself with the cost of such an enterprize, at a time when he had enough to do to defray more necessary expences.

These difficulties began to startle Father Xavier, when James Pereyra, who, under the habit of a merchant, had the heart of an emperor, and the zeal of an apostle, made offer of his ship, and all his goods, for the promoting of the expedient which had been mentioned. The Father accepted of his generous proffer with transports of joy, and engaged, on his side, to procure the embassy of China for his friend. Pereyra, who had received intelligence of the siege of Malacca, told the saint, "He apprehended lest an embargo might be put upon his ship, for the immediate service of the town." Xavier, to whom God had revealed the deliverance of Malacca, and to whose prayers that deliverance had perhaps been granted, cheered up his friend, with this assurance, "That when the fortress was just upon the point of yielding, the infidels had been struck with a panic fear, and fled away, so that the town was wholly free."

Percyra had yet another thing which troubled him, concerning the voyage which Father Xavier had to make before that of China. The season being already far spent, he feared there were no vessels at Malacca, which were bound for Goa. He could not carry the Father to Cochin himself, because he was obliged to go on to Sunda, there to unlade his merchandize; but that apprehension was soon at an end, for Xavier, illuminated from heaven, told him positively, "That the ship of Antonio Pereyra was in the port of Malacca, and that they should find it just ready to weigh anchor, and set sail for Cochin."

Xavier discovered these things to his friend during a great calm, which made the navigation pleasing; when suddenly they perceived one of those terrible hurricanes arising, which in a moment sink a vessel. All the company gave themselves for lost; or if they had any hope remaining, it was only in consideration of the saint; and therefore they earnestly desired him to intercede with God in their behalf. The holy man, without replying, retired to his devotions; he returned to them not long after, with his countenance all on fire, and gave his blessing to the ship, pronouncing these following words aloud: "This vessel of the Santa Cruz[1] (for so she was named) shall never perish on the seas; the place where she was built, shall behold her fall in pieces of herself. Might it please Almighty God," continued he, "that the same could be said concerning that vessel which put to sea with us! But we shall be witnesses too soon of her unhappy destiny." At that very instant appeared the signs, which were to begin the verification of the prophecy; the whirlwind was dissipated, and the sea grew calm. Not long afterwards, they beheld the merchandize and dead bodies floating on the waters, and from thence concluded, that the hurricane had destroyed the ship which followed them. Immediately their opinion was confirmed by two mariners, who had gotten on a plank when the ship was foundering; and who, having afterwards struggled with the waves, were driven by them to the board of Pereyra's vessel. The rest of the navigation was prosperous; a calmer season was never known. The ship being landed at the port of Sincapour, Xavier (who knew certainly that Antonio Pereyra was at Malacca, ready to hoist sail towards Cochin, as we have said,) wrote to him by a frigate which went off, to desire that he would wait for him three days longer. He wrote also, by the same conveyance, to Father Francis Perez, superior of the Jesuits at Malacca, and commanded all of them to provide refreshments for the Japonese, who came along with him.

[1] The Holy Cross.

When it was known in the city that Xavier was coming, the joy was so general, that it almost blotted out the remembrance of all they had suffered in the war. The inhabitants ran crowding to the shore; and at the first appearance of the saint, nothing was to be heard, but acclamations and shouts of rejoicing on every side. They received him at his landing with all the tenderness of affection, and all the reverence imaginable. In conducting him to the house of the Society, they shewed him, as he passed along, the ruins of their houses; and told him, sighing, "that if he had not left them, they had been preserved from the fury of the Javans, as they had formerly been protected from the barbarians of Achen." But the Father answered them, "That their crying sins had called down the wrath of heaven upon them; that nothing could divert it but a speedy change of life; and that the only means of reconciling themselves to God, was to receive those chastisements at his hands, with the spirit of humiliation and of penitence." He visited the old governor Don Pedro de Silva, and the new one who succeeded him, Don Alvarez de Atavda, and communicated to them his design concerning an embassy to China Both of them concurred in the opinion, that it would be advantageous to the crown of Portugal, and to the interests of Christianity. James Pereyra not being capable of accompanying the Father to Goa, for the reason above mentioned, furnished him at present with thirty thousand crowns, for the preparatives of that intended voyage; and sent a servant with the Father, with commission to dispose of all things. Xavier having often embraced this faithful friend, entered with his Japonians into the vessel of Antonio Pereyra, who attended but their company to set sail.

The prediction which the man of God had made in favour of the ship called Santa Cruz, gave it the new name of the "Saint's Vessel;" and from Malacca, from whence she departed at the same time when Xavier went on board of Antonio, her reputation was extended over all the East. Wheresoever she arrived, she was received with ceremony, and saluted by all other ships with the honour of their cannon. All merchants were desirous of stowing their goods in her, and willingly paid the carriage of their wares, and the dues of custom, beyond the common price of other vessels. The weight of lading was never considered, but her freight was always as much as they could crowd into her. As she lasted very long, and that thirty years after the decease of the Father she was in being, and was used for the traffic of the Indies, they never failed of lading her with an extraordinary cargo, all worn and worm-eaten as she was. The owners into whose hands she came, during the space of those thirty years, took only this one precaution, which was to keep her off from shore; so that when she was to be refitted, that work was constantly done upon the sea. As to what remains, it is true she met with many ill accidents and hardships: she was often engaged with pirates, and combated by tempests; but she escaped clear of all those dangers, and never any one repented of embarking in her. One time it is acknowledged, sailing from Malacca to Cochin, with an extraordinary lading, she sprung a leak, and took in so much water at the beginning of the voyage, that the passengers, who were very numerous, were of opinion to unlade her of half her burden, and half her men, and to put them upon other ships which were in their company. But those vessels, which had already their whole lading, would not consent to ease the Santa Cruz; so that, fear overpowering the ship's company, they returned speedily into the port. The whole town was surprised to see the ship so suddenly come back; and they were laughed to shame for apprehending shipwreck in the vessel of the saint. Being thus publicly upbraided with their want of faith, to mend their error, they took out nothing of the lading, but put again to sea. And what every one said to them, concerning the good fortune which perpetually attended that ship, for two-and-twenty years together, so much renewed their confidence, that they performed their voyage without farther fear. The Santa Cruz continued in this manner, sailing over all the seas, and to every port of Asia, till she came into the possession of the captain who commanded the port of Diu; who perceiving her to be half-rotten, and opened in divers parts, concluded she could serve no longer, unless she were brought into harbour, and set upon the stocks. For which purpose she was sent to Cochin, and hauled ashore on the same dock where she had been built; but she was no sooner there, than she fell in pieces of herself; nothing remaining of that great bulk, besides planks and beams of timber, unprofitable for any thing but for the fire. The inhabitants of Cochin, who knew the prediction of the saint to every circumstance, came out to behold its accomplishment. An inconsiderable merchant, called George Nugnez, who happened to be there present, began to think within himself, that, there might be yet remaining in those planks somewhat of the virtue, which the blessing of the saint had imprinted in them; and thereupon took one of them, which he caused to be nailed to his own frigate, out of the persuasion he had, that with this assistance he should be secure from shipwreck. Thus being filled with a lively faith, he boldly undertook such long and hazardous voyages, that ships of the greatest burden were afraid to make; and without consideration of the weather, adventured many times to cross the most tempestuous gulphs. When he was told, that it was not the part of a prudent man to endanger himself in that manner, he answered, "That the winds and seas were well acquainted with his frigate, and had a reverence for the plank of the Santa Cruz." In effect, his little vessel was ever fortunate enough to escape the greatest perils; and what was most remarkable, was, that having had the same destiny with the ship in her adventures and deliverances, she ended like her, breaking in pieces of herself, on the shore of Coulan, where she was brought to be refitted.