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296. Postquam ad Pindam portum nostri pervenerunt, quinquaginta leucas equis ligneis usque ad civitatem Congi confecerunt. Crassum est hujusmodi lignum quantum duabus manibus complecti possis, et in medio corium bovis ad modum scamni affigitur, in quo singuli sedent, et duo ex indigenis alter anteriori, alter a posteriori parte lignum cum homine portant, quibus, cum defessi sunt, alii succedunt. Misit Rex Magni-Congi (cujus nomen est dominus Jacobus) duos viros nobiles, ut nostros ad se deducerent, quorum unusquisque, quandocumque libet, decem et quindecim millia hominum ad pugnam congregat; misit autem eos, quia ab hoste quodam suo timebat ne nostris aliquid periculi immineret; excepit autem eos Rex cum suis nobilibus, prope muros suae civitatis, magnis clamoribus suorum tam hominum quam mulierum, quibus in bellis uti solent; manum autem habebat Rex innitentem cruci, quae ibi erecta erat; tres filios parvos habebat secum; cum ejus manum osculari vellent, ipse sua nostrorum tetigit manus, et deinde eam est osculatus; nos etiam nostras simili modo sumus osculati; cuidam fratri nostro laico soli manum osculandam exhibuit. Ad nutum hic Rex habet quinquaginta hominum millia; ex quibusdam arboribus (quas palmas illi vocant), pannos illos conficiunt, quibus partem corporis mediam, ut dictum est, contegunt. Cum autem ad bellum egrediuntur, arcum et sagittas ferunt; reliqua arma, aut vestes, illa dumtaxat ferunt, cum quibus nati sunt.
296. After ours arrived at the port of Pinda, they traveled fifty miles in wooden litters to the city of Congo. The wood is strong so you can carry it with two hands, and in the middle there is some leather on which a person can sit; and two of the natives, one in the front and the other in the back carry the litter with the man in it; when they get tired, then others replace them. The King of Congo (whose name is Lord James) sent two nobles to bring us to him; and each one of these, as soon as he could, gathered together ten to fifteen thousand men for battle. He sent them because he was afraid that some enemy might be a cause of danger to us. The King received them with their nobles near the walls of his city, with loud shouts of his men and women, such as they are wont to use in wars. But the King had his hand resting on a cross, which had been erected there; he had his three little sons with him; when they wanted to kiss his hand, he touched the hands of ours, and then he kissed them; in a similar way we also kissed our hands [1. Vide supra annot. 1, ad n. 65, pag. 125.
See the note above at number 65.]; he offered his hand to be kissed by one of our lay brothers. [2. Horum stilum poliens Orlandinus sensum aut mutavit omnino, aut ambiguum saltem reliquit. Ait enim : “Pone regem pulchra excitata crux erat, quam ille dextrae complexu tenebat, et hic Patres cum tribus liberis multisque Proceribus exspectabat. Qui simul eos currentes ad osculum manus animadvertit, protinus antevertit, eorumque manibus sua leviter ante tactis, suavium dedit, quem item morem in osculcinda regis dextra secuti sunt Patres: quamquam solis ille sacerdotibus manum ad tactum pariter et osculum praebuit, laico, qui inter eos erat, solum ad tactum,„ lib. VIII, n. 95 Litteras, ex quibus ista exscripsit Polancus, quasque lusitanice scripserat Jacobus Diaz, nondum vidimus; sed eas in italicam linguam versas prae manibus habemus Haec autem italica versio Polanco favet, contradicit Orlandino. En verba italica: quando arrivassemo á basciargli la mano, non volse darcela, ma toccando con la sua la nostra, la basciò, et cosí facessemo noi, solamente ad uno fratello nostro laico, detto Soveral, volle dar la mano. Ad dorsum folii 92 operis Diversi avisi particolari dall’ Indie di Portogallo, ricevuti dall’ anno 1551 fino al 1558 dalli Reverendi Padri della Compagnia di Giesù. In Venetia. per Micchele Tramezzino, MDLXV.- Non tamen diffitebimur verba haec, prout gallice ea nuper reddidit V. B., Orlandini sensum, licet non omnino, prae se ferre, potius quam Polanci. Sunt enim : “Arrivés en sa présence, nous voulûmes lui baiser la main ; mais il la retira aussitôt et saisit la notre pour la baiser respectueusement. Il donna sa main à baiser à notre frére Jacques Soveral qui n’est pas prétre.,, Précis historiques , IIIe série, tome deuxième, pag. 63. Sed an haec versio detorta nimis sit necne, iis, qui gallicam sinnul et italicam linguam calleant, judicandum permittimus. Inane certe est aut exigui saltem momenti scire quemnam tenuerint ritum Patres, cum Regem Congi primum adierunt; at non exiguae utilitatis fore existimavimus hoc e pluribus uno exemplo lectorem edocere quasnam mutationes haec historica documenta subeant , dum ex una in aliam linguam transferuntur ac dum in compendium reducuntur.
In correcting the style of these words Orlandinus either changed the meaning completely, or at least left it ambiguous. For he says: “Next to the King a beautiful cross had been raised, which he held with his right hand, and here he waited for the Fathers with his three children and many nobles. As soon as he saw they were coming to kiss his hands, immediately he stopped them, and when he had lightly touched their hands, he kissed his own hand; likewise the Fathers followed this custom of kissing the right hand of the King. Although he gave his hand only to the priests to be touched and kissed, to the lay man who was with them, he offered it only to be touched,” Book VIII, n. 95. We have not seen the letter from which Polanco copied these details, and which James Diaz had written in Portuguese; but we do have them at hand in Italian. But this Italian version favors Polanco and contradicts Orlandinus. Here are the Italian words: quando arrivassemo à basciargli la mano, non volse darcela, ma toccando con la sua la nostra, la basciò, et così facessemo noi, solamente ad uno fratello nostro laico, detto Soveral,volle dar la mano. At the bottom of page 92 of the work Diversi avisi particolari dall’ Indie di Portogallo, ricevuti dall’anno 1551 fino al 1558 dalli Reverendi Padri della Compania di Giesù. In Venice, by Michael Tramezzino, MDLXV. We do not deny these words, inasmuch as V. B. Orlandinus recently expressed their meaning in French, although not completely, and prefers this to what Polanco says. Here is what he says: “Arrivés en sa presence, nous voulûmes lui baiser la main; mais il la retira aussitôt et saisit la notre pour la baiser respectueusement. Il donna sa main à baiser à notre frère Jacques Soveral qui n’est pas prêtre,” Précis historiques, IIIe serie, tome deuxième, p. 63. But whether this version is too distorted or not we leave to the judgment of those who know both French and Italian. Certainly it is useless or at least of minor importance to know what formalities the Fathers observed, when they first met the King of Congo; but we thought it would be quite helpful to show the reader from this one example, out of many, what changes this historical document has undergone, when it is translated from one language to another and when it is reduced to a digest.] Under his command this King has fifty thousand men; out of certain trees (which they call palm trees) they make a cloth with which they cover the middle part of the body. But when they go to war, they carry a bow and arrows; for the rest of their armament, or covering, all they have is what they were born with.
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297. Distat a Congo triginta leucas natio quaedam hominum, Eubundos vocant, qui eos, quos in bello occidunt, comedunt. Alii sunt, quos vocant Anzinchos, qui humanis carnibus etiam sine bello victitant; qui potentior est, alios comedit.
297. A certain nation of people, called Eubundos, are about thirty miles away from Congo; these people eat those they kill in war. There are others, whom they call Auzinchos, who feed on human flesh even without war; he who is stronger eats the others.
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298. Alimenta hujus regni Congi debilia valde sunt; triticum non habent, genus quoddam leguminis, paulo majus milio colligunt; ex quo ditiores, et etiam homines albi, panem conficiunt, quem eodem die comedi oportet, nec enim in sequentem servari posset (enfunde vocant); aliud est genus alimenti, velut sinapis, quo vulgus utitur (lucu vocant); farinam autem conficiunt inter saxa magno cum labore; vinum est aqua palmarum, vocant melafoe; indigenis satis bonum est, eo enim sustentantur; fructus eorum sunt velut cucumeres: itaque non in solo pane vivit homo. Simplices sunt valde, sed quae Dei sunt, pauci intelligunt; parum admodum ratione valent, sed sua trahit quemque voluptas. Praeter Regem et aliquos ex nobilibus, nullus alius matrimonio conjunctas foeminas habet; quamvis decem, et viginti, vel plures, prout major vel minor est uniuscujusque potentia, habent. Nulli sunt ibi medici, unde passim multi velut passerculi moriuntur; itaque felices christiani, si sua bona norint.
298. The foods of this kingdom of Congo are not very nourishing. They do not have wheat and they harvest a certain kind of bean, which is something like millet. Out of this the rich people, and also the white men, make a bread, which must be eaten on the same day, because it cannot be kept until the following day (they call it eufunde); there is another kind of food, something like mustard, which the common people eat (they call it lucu); they make flour by grinding it between stones with great effort; their wine is the milk of palms, which they call melafoe; this is very good for the natives, for they are sustained by it; their fruits are like cucumbers: therefore man does not live by bread alone. They are very simple people, and few understand things about God; they are very weak in reasoning, and each one follows his own desires. Besides the King and some of the nobles, no one else has women bound together in marriage, although they may have ten, or twenty, or more concubines, according to the greater or less power of each one. There are no doctors there, and so passim many die like little sparrows; therefore the Christians are happy, if they know their own advantages. [3. Quae a n. 291 hucusque de Nostrorum laboribus in africanis regionibus Congo dictis refert Polancus, fere ad verbum descripsit ex litteris PP. Jacobi Diaz, Georgii Vaz et Christophori Ribeiro, quarum partem italice editam habes in volumine Avisi particolari, etc., de que sub num. 296, not. 2, mentio facta est, et gallice in Précis historiques, 1. c. sub eodem num. 296.- Ad harum rerum elucidationem et intelligentiam conferre non parum possunt sequentes libri : HIERONYMI OSORII, Silvensis Episcopi, De rebus Emmanuelis, Regis Lusitaniae, virtute et auspicio gestis, libri XII, Ulyssipone, 1571; quod opus germanice editum fuit Lypsiae, a. 1795; anglice, Londini, 1752; gallice, Genevae, 1581 et Parisiis, 1587 ; flandrice, Rotterdami, 1663 ; et lusitanice, Ulyssipone, 1804-6 ; item Historia do Congo, quam parabat, sed morte ne finiret praepeditus est, VICECOMES DE PAIVA MANSO, et anno 1877 edidit Lusitanum gubernium, in qua Historia plura invenies, aut plene descripta aut indigitata, publica privataque instrumenta ad hanc Nostrorum in Congi missionem attinentia, quae latuisse Polancum minime est credibile.
What Polanco reports from n. 291 up to this point about the activities of Ours in the African regions of the Congo he has copied almost word for word from the letters of Fathers James Diaz, George Vaz and Christopher Ribeiro, part of which you will find published in the volume Avisi particulari, etc., which was mentioned under number 296, note 2, and in French in Précis historiques, I, c. under the same number 296. The following books can contribute much to a clarification and understanding of these things: Hieronymus Osorius, Bishop of Silva, De rebus Emmanuelis, Regis Lusitaniae, virtute et auspicio gestis, book XII, Lisbon, 1571; this work was published in German, Leipzig, 1795; in English, London, 1752; in French, Geneva, 1581 and Paris, 1587; in Flemish, Rotterdam, 1663; and in Portuguese, Lisbon, 1804-06; likewise, Historia do Congo, which he began, but because of his death he was not able to finish it, Viscount de Paiva Manso, and in the year 1877 he published the Portuguese Pilot, and in this history you will find many things, either fully described or digested, public and private documents pertaining to this mission of Ours in Congo, and it is not credible that Polanco did not know about them.]
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299. In classe, quae hoc anno ex Portugallia in Indiam missa est, duodecim ex nostris, et ex eis quinque sacerdotes in duas divisi naves, Goam pervenerunt; non tamen sine magno in ipsa navigatione labore ac periculo, et non minori fructu. Ea navis, in qua P. Gaspar Franciscus Flander vehebatur numerosam nobilitatem sub duce Joanne de Mendoza habebat; et quia reliqui nostri nauseabundi jacebant, magno cum labore Pater Gaspar coqui officium, necessaria illis parando, exercebat; sed cum quidam vir honoratus, Henricus de Macedo, hoc labore eum sublevasset, servo cuidam suo eum imponendo, coepit diebus festis concionari, dc misericordiae operibus disserendo; aliis etiam diebus orationem dominicam explicabat; confessionibus etiam audiendis, et admonitionibus privatis (quae valde necessariae videbantur, cum foeminae plurimae parum honestae eadem navi veherentur) tum ipse Gaspar, tum alii, postquam convaluere, dare operam coeperunt. Ea etiam quae in viaticum data ipsis fuerant, pauperibus communicabant, et quidem large; sed sic divina Bonitas aliunde supplebat, ut omnia augeri, cum admiratione hominum, viderentur; quae res quemdam id observantem, ut se ministerio aegrotantium dedicaret, et demum Societati se dederet, permovit. Paucis autem diebus, quotquot in navi veniebant, quique prius edomari minime posse credebantur, ad ludos et vitia relinquenda, et vitam studiose, ut Christianos decebat, agendam, singulari mutatione morum adducti sunt; omnia quae habebant, tam in pauperum, quam in nostrorum usum conferebant; omnes suas controversias et dubia nostrorum arbitrio subjiciebant. Cum autem Gaspar, absoluta praedicatione, statim ad aegrotantes se conferret, accersitum eum in cubiculum suum dux navis Joannes de Mendoza alloquutus est, et ut animae suae juvandae curam susciperet, serio in Dei nomine requisivit, cum quo egit de rebus spiritualibus, et paulo post, primae hebdomadae exercitia ei tradidit. Qui mirum in modum profecit; nec solum crebro accedendo ad sacramentum Confessionis, et de rebus ad Dei honorem pertinentibus loquendo, quantum profecisset ostendebat, sed profusis etiam eleemosynis, quibus pauperes aegrotantes usque in Indiam sustentavit; praeterquam quod multis etiam sanis necessaria subministrabat; et quidquid delicatius in usum suum paratum esset, ad aegrotantium solatia, pro nostrorum arbitrio, dispensari voluit.
299. In this year twelve of ours, five of them being priests, in two different ships, arrived in Goa in a fleet which was sent from Portugal to India; however, it was not done without much suffering and danger during the journey, and not without some fruit. The ship in which Fr. Gaspar Francis Flander was traveling had a number of nobles under the leadership of John de Mendoza. And because the rest of ours were vomiting from seasickness, Fr. Gaspar assumed the office of cook and prepared the things necessary for them; but when a certain distinguished man, Henry de Macedo, relieved him of this task by having his servant do the work, he began to preach on the feast days, speaking about the works of mercy. Also on the other days he explained the Lord’s Prayer; both Gaspar and the others, after they regained their health, began to assist others by hearing confessions, and engaging in private admonitions (which seemed to be very necessary, since several women of ill repute were traveling on the same ship). Also the things that had been given to them for the journey they gave to the poor, and they did it plentifully; but the divine Goodness so took care of them that all seemed to be doing very well to the admiration of the others. This matter very much moved one man who observed, it so that he also dedicated himself to caring for the sick, and later he offered himself to the Society. But in a few days, however many were coming on the ship, and who before that in no way were thought to be able to be tamed, were led by a singular change of morals to abandon their games and vices, and to lead a good life that is fitting for Christians. They gave everything they had both for the help of the poor and to help our men; all submitted their disputes and doubts to the judgment of ours. Now when Gaspar finished preaching, immediately he began to help the sick, but the captain of the ship, John de Mendoza, having summoned him to his room, wanted to speak with him. In the name of God he asked him seriously to offer him some help for his soul; so he spoke with him about spiritual things, and shortly thereafter, he gave him the first week of the Spiritual Exercises. In a wonderful way he made progress; not only by going often to the sacrament of Confession, and by speaking about things pertaining to the honor of God did he show how much progress he had made, but also by his generous alms, with which he supported the poor sick people all the way to India; in addition, he also provided necessary things for many of the healthy passengers. And anything especially good that was prepared for his use he wanted to dispense it for the comfort of the sick, according to the decision of ours.
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300. Duabus tempestatibus jactati sunt; in prima, quae minus fuit gravis, in concione docuit eos Gaspar quomodo se habere in hujusmodi tempestatibus deberent, animando interim eos ad laborem necessarium, et Dei misericordiam, non altis vocibus, ne alii terrerentur, sed corde implorandam, sine timoris demonstratione. At secunda, dum accederent ad caput Bonae Spei, multo fuit vehementior, et tres continuos dies cum summis periculis duravit; nauclerus similem se unquam vidisse negabat; et tam multum jam aquae navis collegerat, ut homines attoniti nihil nisi mortem exspectarent. Accessit tunc ad Gasparem vir quidam ad confessionem instituendam, quem breviter, sed maximo cum fructu expedivit; ille absolutus dixit, actum esse de navi, si Deus illam miraculo non liberaret. Ascendit tunc ad superiora Gaspar, ubi homines exanimatos, et ad mortem se parantes inveniens, et animare incipiens et ad se cunctos accurrere videns, perinde ac si ipse posset salvos facere, benedixit mare et cantavit cum aliis litanias, et septem psalmos, unde respirare homines, et bono animo esse coeperunt; et cum rogatu ducis, prope gubernacula navis staret, fluctus, qui in navim horrendum in modum ferebantur, benedicebat, illa verba dicens: Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat, Christus ab omni malo nos defendat; et sic nauclerum et alios ne animum desponderent hortabatur. Dum haec duraret tempestas, mulierculas illas parum honestas (inter quas una erat, quae ipsum, aliis meliora suadentem, parum abfuit, quin fustibus cederet) ad confessionem adduxit, ut antequam in infernum descenderent, Deo reconciliari properarent. Sed haec pericula, et alia gravissima incidendi in rupes et in arenam impingendi, Deo propitio evadentes, feliciter in portum, quod Mozambique dicitur, cum nullus mortuus fuisset (quod raro admodum accidere solet), pervenerunt; et aliis a labore navigationis quiescentibus, nostri ad hospitale, ubi centum et viginti fere decumbebant, hospitii gratia se recipientes, oblata enim meliora hospitia recusarunt, subsidia corporalia quibus indigebant aegroti, et etiam spiritualia eis ministrarunt. Admoniti quidem fuerant, ut ab halitu aegrotantium, quorum aliqui contagiosis morbis laborabant, abstinerent; et in eodem hospitali Patrem Franciscum Xavier, quod miniis cavisset, morti vicinum fuisse asserebant; sed in protectione Domini confidentes, charitatem exercuerunt, die, noctuque inter aegrotantes versati, confessiones audiendo, et migrantes ab hac vita, qui plurimi erant, verbo et opere adjuvando; et tam quae ad victum, quam quae ad medicinam pertinebant emendicantes, ad eos adferendo; Pater ipse Gaspar coqui simul, et pharmacopolae, et praedicatoris munere fungebatur; et quod concionaturus erat, dum praeparabat cibos aegrotis, vel noctu, cum eis vigilabat, vel cum morientibus loquebatur, vel ad sepulturam cadavera componebat, solebat studere Tam copiosa praeterea erat messis confitentium, illis quindecim diebus, quos in oppido Mozambique exegerunt, ut omnibus non satisfacere possent. Mira tamen fuit Dei bonitas, quam vehementer homines admirabantur, quod in tam multis laboribus, et valetudinem et vires ei conservabat. Classe jam recessum parante, ne se desererent aegrotantes, sed secum ducerent, obsecrabant; adiit ergo navium duces P. Gaspar, cujus rogatu facile acquiescentes, suis navibus eos et exceperunt, et pie admodum eorum valetudinem curarunt, ac necessaria subministrarunt. Inde profecti, quarta die Septembris in Indiam pervenerunt, cum Ulyssipona 17 Martii solvissent. Erat id temporis Goa P. Franciscus Xavier, qui discessum ad maritimam oram Comurini parabat; et cum adventum nostrorum intellexisset, substitit, et summa charitate et animi laetitia venientes suscepit, et auditis Societatis progressibus in Europa ad Dei gloriam et animarum fructum, non cessabat Dei bonitatem laudare. Voluit autem ut P. Caspar (de quo multa vectores illius navis, in qua veniebat, referebant) in templo nostro ipso die Nativitatis B. Virginis concionaretur, sed cum multi auditores confluxissent, propter vocem submissiorem non satis intellectus, parum placuit. Recedens autem P. Franciscus hoc Superiori Collegii ordinavit, ut in templo noctu vocem Caspar exerceret, quo altius loqui assuesceret; quod cum fecisset, conciones et placere et movere valde auditores coeperunt. Invisebat interim cos, qui in custodia publica detinebantur, et foris in variis operibus pietatis, domi etiam in praelegendo versabatur. Nona autem die Octobris P. Antonius Gomez cum sociis ad Goae portum insperatus appulit, nam jam ab ipsis Canariis insulis conspecta navis, qua vehebatur, non fuerat, et sane miraculo datum est quod incolumis in Indiam pervenerit; nam antequam Mozambicum venirent, et valido vento ferrentur, in arenosa loca navis impegit, et gubernaculo extra suum locum divulso, omnem spem salutis nautae abjecerant; tunc Pater Antonius Gomez , qui caput unius ex undecim mille Virginibus, Goam ad nostros adferebat, illud in manibus tenens, homines animando, et invitando ut se Domino per intercessionem ejus Virginis commendarent, et nihilominus, quod in ipsis erat ad evadendum ex arena non omitterent, placuit divinae Bonitati eos inde liberare; sed cum saepius tentassent gubernaculum suo loco collocare, et dilliderent se jam id praestare posse, dixit idem Antonius: ultimo jam in nomine hujus Virginis Sanctae hoc ipsum lentate; nam vel ipsa impetrabit, ut suo loco gubernaculum collocetur, vel sine illo ad portum poterit nos deducere; statim suo loco gubernaculum fuit collocatum, et prospere Mozambicum venerunt; ubi nostri, tam in aegrotis curandis quam iis secum asportandis priores imitati, in Indiam, ut dictum est, appulerunt.
300. They were tossed about by two storms; in the first, which was less dangerous, in his sermon Gaspar taught them how they should behave in such storms, encouraging them in the meantime to do the necessary work, and to trust in the mercy of God, not by loud shouting, lest others be terrified, but by pleading from the heart without showing any fear. But the second storm, when they reached the Cape of Good Hope, was much more violent, and it lasted for three full days of extreme danger. The captain said he had never seen anything like it; and the ship had taken on so much water that the terrified men expected nothing but death. Then a man came to Gaspar in order to go to confession, which he did quickly and with great fruit. After he was absolved he said the ship was finished, if God did not save it by a miracle. Then Gaspar went to the upper deck, where he found the men breathless with fear and preparing themselves for death; he began to encourage them and he saw all of them coming to him, as if he could save them; so he blessed the sea and with others sang the litanies, and the seven Psalms; hence the men began to relax and to be of good cheer. And when, at the request of the captain, he stood next to the helmsman of the ship, he blessed the waves which were pressing on the ship in a fierce way, while saying these words: Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat, Christus ab omni malo nos defendat; and so he exhorted the captain and the others not to lose heart. While this storm was raging he brought to confession those women of ill repute (among whom there was one, who was not far from hitting him with a club because he was persuading the others to lead a better life), so that, before [4. Sic; melius forte potius quam ; nisi iis verbis in infernum descenderent velimus intelligi sub aequore mergerentur, aut quid simile.
Sic; perhaps rather than would be better; unless by those words descend into the underworld we want it to be sink under the surface of the sea, or something like that.] they descended into the underworld, they would hasten to be reconciled to God. But with the help of God they avoided these dangers and other very grave dangers of hitting rocks or running aground on sand; so they arrived safely at the port, which is called Mozambique, and on the way no one died (which is something very rare). And while others were resting from the hardships of the voyage, ours went to the hospital, where almost 120 were in the beds, in order to minister to them. They were offered better accommodations but they refused to accept them, and spent their time providing corporal and spiritual assistance to the sick. They were warned to avoid the breath of the sick, some of whom were suffering from contagious diseases; and they said that in the same hospital Fr. Francis Xavier, because he did not protect himself, came close to dying; but putting their trust in God’s protection, they practiced charity, caring for the patients day and night, by hearing confessions and by assisting with word and deed the many persons who were departing from this life. And through their begging they provided for them the things that pertained both to food and medicine. Fr. Gaspar himself performed the functions at the same time of cook, pharmacist and preacher; and he was accustomed to prepare what he was going to preach, while he was preparing food for the sick, or he was spending the night with them, or he was speaking with the dying, or preparing the bodies for burial. Furthermore, so great was the harvest of those confessing, during those fifteen days they spent in the city of Mozambique, that they could not take care of all of them. However, the goodness of God was most evident and the people were absolutely amazed that he had protected their health and strength in the midst of so many labors. Now when the fleet was ready to depart, they pleaded that the sick should not be left behind, but should be taken with them; therefore, Fr. Gaspar went to the captains of the ships, and they readily acquiesced to his request, to take them on their ships, and to provide the things necessary for their care. So they departed from there and on September 4 they arrived in India, having departed from Lisbon on March 17. At the time Fr. Francis Xavier was in Goa and he was preparing for his departure for the coastland of Comorin; when he learned about the arrival of ours, he decided to remain there, and he received the new arrivals with great charity and joy. Having heard from them about the progress of the Society in Europe for the glory of God and the fruit of souls, he could not stop praising the goodness of God. But he wanted Fr. Gaspar (the passengers of the ship in which he had come were saying many things about him) to preach in our church on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, but when many hearers assembled there, he did not please them because, while speaking in a low voice, they could not understand him. But when Fr. Francis departed from there, he gave this command to the Superior of the College, namely, that in the church that night he should function as the voice for Gaspar, since he was accustomed to speak louder. Now when they did this, his sermons began to please and to move the hearers very much. In the meantime, they visited those who were being held in the city prisons, and on the outside they were performing various works of piety, and at home they also gave some lectures. On the ninth day of October Fr. Gomez and his companions arrived unexpectedly at the port of Goa, for the remarkable ship, in which he traveled, was not from the Canary Island, and surely it was because of a miracle that he arrived safe in India. For before they came to Mozambique, and they were sailing with a strong wind, the ship got stuck in a sandy area, and when the rudder was torn from its proper place, the sailors lost all hope of survival. Then Fr. Antonio Gomez, who brought with him for Ours in Goa the head of one of the eleven thousand Virgins, holding it in his hands, he encouraged and invited the men to commend themselves to the Lord through the intercession of this Virgin, and nevertheless, they should do what they could to avoid the sand, and it pleased the divine Goodness to free them from it. But when they had tried many times to repair the rudder, and they lost hope that they could fix it, the same Antonio said: In the name of this holy Virgin try to do it once more; for, either she will obtain that the rudder will be fixed, or without it she will be able to bring us to the port. Immediately the rudder fell into its proper place, and fortunately they came to Mozambique. There ours both took care of the sick and the others sailing with them and finally, as we have said, they arrived in India.
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301. Commissa fuerat cura tam Collegii Goënsis quam nostrorum, qui in variis Indiae locis versabantur, Patri Antonio Gomez a Simone, Portugalliae Provinciali; nondum enim id temporis Provincialis erat in India constitutus, et P. Franciscus longe abesse ab India credebatur. Coepit autem et ipse Antonius Gomez magno cum fervore et auditorum aedificatione concionari, quod ipso die undecim mille Virginum praestitit, postquam caput Virginis, quod adferebat, solemni pompa a Goënsi gubernatore, et Episcopo, cum omni nobilitate exceptum, et in Collegii nostri templum adductum fuisset; et cum magna populi commotione eo munere fungi est prosequutus.
301. The governing both of the College in Goa and of ours, who were in the various parts of India, was committed to Fr. Antonio Gomez by Fr. Simon, the Provincial of Portugal. For at that time a Provincial had had not yet been established in India, and Fr. Francis Xavier was believed to be absent from India for a long time. Now Antonio Gomez began to preach with great fervor and edification of his hearers, because on that day after he showed the head of one of the eleven thousand Virgins, which he had brought with him, it was received with great reverence by the governor of Goa, and by the Bishop along with the nobles, and it was brought to the church of our College; and Antonio performed this function with the strong approval of the people.
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302. Aegrotabat id temporis P. Gaspar, quem cum inviseret Antonius Gomez, ut eum consolaretur, dixit ei ut sanitatem cito recuperaret, quia crucem ejus humeris imponere constituerat; surgens autem die sequenti Gaspar, adiit Antonium ac subdidit, sicut dixerat, se jam valere, et paratum esse ad id quod injungeret obeundum. Accidit autem ut tunc Indiae gubernator (quod facere solet in annonae caritate, vel cum stipendia militibus solvere non potest), magnae hominum multitudini mensam pararet, ad quam partim edendi, partim spectandi gratia plurimi conveniunt; rogavit ergo Antonius Gomez Gasparem, num ipsi videretur ad Dei gloriam fore si illi mensae assidentibus adstantibusque concionarctur; cum id probaret Gaspar, jussus est ad diem dominicam sequentem concionem praeparare; petiit tamen ab eodem Gaspar ut postridie, qui dies Veneris erat, rem inchoare permitteret. Comite ergo Cosmo de Torres (qui Goae in Societatem admissus fuerat), et alio quodam Fratre, natione Malabare, ad mensam illam accedens, ubi quingenti vel sexcenti homines aderant, coepit quibusdam dicere cupere se eosdem ad mensam Christi, post confessionem, accedere. Quibusdam autem mirantibus et quid vellet homo disputantibus, occasionem arripiens Gaspar coepit alta voce dicere: Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis et onerati estis. Tunc rei novitas cum homines admirabundos magis et attentos redderet, sic perrexit concionari, ut nunquam sibi visus fuerit in India melius fuisse concionatus; promisitque, absoluta concione, se diebus Lunae, Jovis, et Veneris meliorem cibum quam gubernator, scilicet verbi Dei, eis velle proponere. Non solum attoniti, sed et commoti, et aedificationis multum reportantes, conciones sequentes exceperunt; ad confitendum accedentes Patrum laborem simul et solatium in dies magis augebant. In aliis etiam templis eisdem diebus condonabatur, et aliquando accidebat fere totum continuum diem concionibus variis in locis transigi. In custodia detentos omnes ad confessionem adduxit, et ad litanias singulis noctibus dicendas; et inter eos unum aliquem constituit qui juramenta et alios publicos defectus publice reprehenderet; paucis diebus multae et magnae restitutiones bonorum alienorum sunt factae; multi etiam in alios homines, audito verbo Dei, mutati sunt; hic bona sua omnia, ut de eis P. Caspar disponeret, offerebat, et ad pauperes ut eos converteret accedebat; ille ad quasvis, etiam acerbissimas, poenas pro peccatis subeundas se paratum exhibebat; hic, amore Dei fervens, ad omnia, quae in ipsius honorem facere posset, se promptum ostendebat; ille tunc incipere se Christianum esse profitebatur, et se flagellis acerbissimis caedebat; aliae demum motiones admirandae, in hominibus, qui aliquando in peccatis insorduerant, videbantur.
302. At that time Fr. Gaspar fell sick and when Antonio Gomez visited him to comfort him, he told him he would recover his health quickly, because he had decided to place a cross on his shoulders; so getting up the following day, Gaspar went to see Antonio and explained, just as he had said, that he was now healthy and was ready to do whatever he was commanded to do. But it happened then that the governor of India prepared a table for a large crowd of men (which he was accustomed to do as a sign of good will, or when he could not pay the soldiers their salary); many people assembled for this, some for the sake of eating, and others just as spectators. Therefore, Antonio Gomez asked Gaspar, whether it seemed to him to be for the glory of God, if he were to preach to those at table and to those standing around. Since Gaspar approved of that, he was ordered to prepare a sermon for the following Sunday; but Gaspar asked him for permission to begin doing this on the following day, which was a Friday. Therefore, accompanied by Cosmo de Torres (who had been accepted into the Society at Goa), and another brother from Malabar, approaching the banquet where five or six hundred persons were present, he began to say to some of them that he wanted them to come to the table of Christ, after they went to confession. Now while some were amazed at this, and were discussing what the man meant, seizing the moment Gaspar began to say in a loud voice: Come to me, all who labor are heavy laden. Then when this surprising event caught the attention of the people, he began to preach in such a way that it seemed he had never preached better in India. And at the conclusion of his sermon, he promised that on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays he wanted to propose to them a better food than the governor was offering, namely, the word of God. Not only astonished, but also deeply moved and highly edified, they attended the following sermons. And by coming to confession, daily they increased more and more the labor of the Fathers and also their consolation. He also preached in other churches on the same days, and sometimes it happened that he spent almost the whole day preaching sermons in various places. He got those held in prison to go to confession and to recite the litanies every evening; and among them he appointed one whose task it was to reprimand publicly those uttering curses and other public defects. Within a few days many large restitutions of stolen goods were made; also many, after having heard the word of God, were changed into new men. This one offered all his possessions so that Fr. Gaspar might dispose of them, and agreed that he should give them to the poor; that one showed himself to be ready to undergo any kind of harsh punishment for his sins. This one, burning with love for God, showed himself prepared to do everything he could for the honor of God; then that one professed that he was beginning to be a Christian, and he beat himself severely with a scourge; in sum, other admirable changes were seen in men, who before that were mired in sin.
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303. Inter eos, qui concionantem Gasparem in publica custodia audiebant, unus fuit, qui, inter omnes gentiles ejus civitatis, nobilitate ac divitiis princeps erat; Chrisnam vocabant. De hoc cum relatum fuisset Gaspari, et hominem cominus aggredi decrevisset, incidit in eum, cum multi brachmanes et alii eum comitabantur; disputavit coram eo prolixe de ipsius lege; de nostra etiam quaedam, rationibus naturalibus et comparationibus, ad ejus captum accommodatis, confirmavit; et cum saepius hominem convenisset, rogavit eum, ejusque comites, ut ea cogitarent, quae proposuerat, Deumque precarentur, ut ad veritatis cognitionem ipsorum mentes illustraret. Ridebat quidem filius Chrisnae; sed non ita pater, qui post biduum significavit Patri Antonio Gomez se velle Christi fidem suscipere. Oratum est domi nostrae, ut confirmaret Dominus, quod coeperat; adierunt hominem deinde, qui se totum Antonio Gomez tradidit, salutarem baptismi aquam postulans, et ut se ad animae salutem consequendam juvaret; quamvis enim in custodia illa retinebatur, non se moveri libertatis desiderio ullo modo affirmabat, velle enim se omnino ut justitia locum suum haberet. Adiit Antonius Gomez gubernatorem Indiae, ab coque obtinuit, ut hominem liberum dimitteret; qui, cum in Collegium ductus esset, octo diebus quae necessaria erant ad baptismum suscipiendum didicit. Interim autem tres ex nostris misit Antonius Gomez, cum totidem ex collegialibus canarinis, qui interpretum officio fungerentur, ut aliquos ex gentilibus ad Christi religionem adducere niterentur; inter tres illos unus erat P. Gaspar; et tunc tres alii (inter quos nepos quidam illius Lucho, qui conversus jam fuerat) et alius quidam vir primarius, Christi fidem susceperunt. Cum ergo horum catechumenorum baptismus in Collegio nostro Goënsi, solemni Missae sacrificio et praedicatione praecedente, celebratus fuit, ipse Gubernator et Gobnsis Episcopus patrini fuerunt. Luchum Lucas de Saa, ejus uxor domina Isabella, nepos autem dominus Antonius nomen accepit; deducti fuerant equis insidentes, et ab omni nobilitate Christianorum, qui Goae versabantur, sed et brachmanibus multis comitati; et per vias publicas multae arbores palmarum positae fuerant; et demum integra hebdomada, ad Dei gloriam hic baptismus festiva gratulatione fuit celebratus. Ferebant gentiles quod, cum pater Christianus esset effectus, ipsi filii essent patrem imitaturi; affirmabat etiam Lucas, se plures homines ad Christi fidem adducturum quam in capite pilos haberet; magna igitur de totius illius insulae conversione spes concepta est. Gubernator magnis honoribus novum hunc Christianum prosequutus est, et inter privilegia et exemptiones dignitatem quamdam, scilicet primi tanadoris (quae inter ipsos magna est) concessit. Hic Lucas, dum gentilis esset, reditus annuos sexaginta millia aureorum habuit, in portugallenses valde beneficus, tamque liberalis, ut pro re modica duceret mille aureos donare. In eleemosynis pauperum fuerat etiam largus, et id existimatum est hominem ad hoc beneficium Christianae fidei a Deo accipiendum, prae caeteris, disposuisse. Post hujus principis viri conversionem, quotidie novos catechumenos habere, et eis baptismum conferre nostri coeperunt. Domi etiam in variis humilitatis et abnegationis probationibus nostros novus Rector Antonius Gomez exercebat; inter alia injunxit P. Gaspari, ut quaereret juvenem quemdam nobilem, qui Ducis de Alvarez frater erat, nomine Andreas Carvaglio, et ad Societatem nostram adduceret; quod praestitit, et cum in Exercitiis versaretur, adiit eum Dux Cephalae, cui, inter alia multa, dixit se unius horae tempus, quod in Societate nostra consumeret, pro toto universi mundi auro non esse daturum; et hujus ejemplo alii etiam nobiles non pauci animum ad pietatem adjecerunt. Injunxit idem P. Antonius Patri Melchiori Gonzalez, ut adduceret alium nobilem juvenem, qui Jacobus Lobo dicebatur, quem tatim secum deduxit; hos duos alii tres nobiles sunt consequuti et fere viginti alii ad id vehementer accensi erant.
303. Among those who heard Gaspar preaching in the public prison, there was one who, among all the Gentiles of the city, was the most distinguished in nobility and riches; they called him Chrisna. When Gaspar was told about him, and he had decided to visit the man face to face, he went to see him, when many Brahmins and others were with him; in his presence he argued at length about his law; and he also explained our law with natural reasons and examples accommodated to his level of understanding. And since he visited the man often, he asked him and his companions that they consider what he had proposed to them, and that they should ask God to enlighten their minds regarding knowledge of the truth. Then the son of Chrisna laughed; but the father did not, and after two days he told Fr. Antonio Gomez that he wanted to accept the faith of Christ. Prayers were offered in our house that the Lord would confirm what he had begun; then they went to the man, who handed himself over totally to Antonio Gomez, while asking for the salutary water of baptism, and that he help him obtain the salvation of his soul. For although he still remained in custody, he said that he was not in any way moved by the desire for freedom, for he desired completely that justice should be observed. Then Antonio Gomez went to see the governor of India, and he obtained from him that he would set the man free; when he was brought to the College, for eight days he studied the matters necessary for the reception of baptism. In the meantime, however, Antonio Gomez sent three of ours, with the same number of native students, who would function as interpreters, to try to bring some of the Gentiles to the religion of Christ. Among those three one was Fr. Gaspar; and then three others (among whom was a nephew of that Lucho, who had already been converted) and another important man, who accepted the faith of Christ. Therefore when the baptism of these catechumens was celebrated in our College in Goa, preceded by the solemn sacrifice of the Mass and a sermon, the Governor himself and the Bishop of Goa were the sponsors. Lucas de Saa accepted the name of Luke, his wife the name of Isabella, and his nephew that of Antonio. They were brought to the church sitting on horses, accompanied by all the noble Christians, who were living in Goa, and by many Brahmins. Many branches of palm trees were placed in the public streets, and then for a whole week this baptism was celebrated for the glory of God with festive congratulations. The Gentiles said that, when a father became a Christian, the children are going to imitate their father; Luke also said that he was going to bring more people to the faith of Christ than there were hairs on his head; therefore great hope was aroused concerning the conversion of that whole island. The Governor adorned this new Christian with great honors, and among these privileges and exemptions a very special dignity, namely, he conferred on him the first tanadoris (which among them is a great honor). This Luke, when he was a Gentile, had an annual income of sixty thousand gold pieces; he was very kind to the Portuguese, and so generous that for some ordinary thing he would donate a thousand gold pieces. Regarding alms for the poor he was also generous, and it was thought that he was a man, more than others, disposed to accept this grace from God of the Christian faith. After the conversion of this important man, ours then began daily to receive new catechumens and to confer baptism on them. The new Rector, Antonio Gomez, at home also tested ours in various probations of humility and self-abnegation; among other things, he ordered Fr. Gaspar to seek out a certain noble youth, who was the brother of Duke de Alvarez, by the name of Andreas Carvaglio, and that he should bring him to the Society; he did it, and when he was making the Exercises, Duke Cephalae went to see him; and he said to him, among other things, that he would not give the time of one hour, which he spent in our Society, for all the gold of the whole world. And because of his example, not a few other noble men dedicated their lives to piety. The same Fr. Antonio commanded Fr. Melchior Gonzalez to bring to him another noble youth, who was called James Lobo, whom he brought to him immediately. Three other nobles followed these two, and almost twenty others were strongly motivated to do the same thing.
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304. Hoc tempore quidam rumor increbuit, quod P. Franciscus Xaverius crudeliter fuisset occissus, quod, quamvis falsum esset, benevolentiam tamen ac devotionem erga ipsum totius fere urbis detexit. Erant qui ejus corpus quaerere, et canonizationem ejus se velle curare, licet triginta millia ducatorum expenderent, affirmabant; varia ejus miracula (quae ipse tamen celabat) referebant; sed paulo post in maritima ora Comurini ipsum incolumem esse duo ex nostris inde venientes retulerunt.
304. At this time there was a strong rumor that Fr. Francis Xavier had been cruelly killed; even though it was not true, still it revealed the benevolence and devotion of almost the whole city for him. There were those who said they wanted to find his body and make arrangements for his canonization, even though they would have to spend thirty thousand ducats to achieve it; they mentioned his various miracles (which he tried to hide); but shortly thereafter, two of ours coming from there reported that he was safe on the seacoast of Comorin.
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305. Venerat praedictus P. Franciscus sub hujus anni initium in Cochinum, celebre Indiae emporium, et inde ad Patrem Ignatium scripsit, sibi videri aliquem esse in India instituendum , qui omnium nostrorum curam gereret; necdum enim provincia in India instituta erat, nec eo adhuc pervenerat P. Antonius Gomez, qui tamen a Patre Simone, non ab ipso P. Ignatio auctoritatem in alios acceperat; et litterae ipsius P. Francisci hoc significabant, optare se sub alicujus obedientia esse, quem tamen magno Dei talento praeditum esse debere merito existimat; concionatores etiam plures exoptat, singulis enim praesidiis lusitanorum singulos esse adhibendos, ut hoc munere mane quidem diebus dominicis et festis apud lusitanos, a prandio apud servos, et servas, et libertos, vel alios liberos homines neophytos, de fidei articulis disserendo, fungatur; et aliquo die hebdomadae, apud lusitanorum uxores ac filias, ut de eisdem articulis, ac de sacramentis Confessionis ac Communionis disserat. Qui vero concionatores non essent, et inter gentiles versari deberent, tales esse oportere, ut soli vel bini quocumque opus fuerit mitti possint, ait, ad Malucas, Sinas, Peguin, Japoniam. Addit etiam facultatem sacerdotibus quibus dam impetrandam ad sacramentum Confirmationis conferendum, cum unus tantum id temporis Episcopus Goae in tota India constitutus esset. Quod autem aliquando postulatum fuerat, ut quadragesimae tempus mutaretur, experientia se didicisse allirmat, quod non esset valde necessarium; cum enim Lusitani in variis orientis locis versarentur, in quibus hyems non est eadem, sed aliis alia, omnibus consideratis, nihil esse immutandum se judicare. Ait etiam se constituisse vel aliquos mittere ad Japoniam, vel se ipsum eo proficisci; inter eos autem, quos Malucum miserat, Patrem Joannem de Beira superiorem reliquis constituisse; idem se facturum in provincia maritima Comurini, et ubicumque plures de Societate nostra fuerint affirmat. Nec omittam quod Patri Simoni idem Franciscus scribit; cupere se a Rege Portugalliae hoc beneficium impetrare, ut quotidie per quartam horae partem, peteret a Deo gratiam sententiae illius recte intelligendae: Quid prodest homini si universum mundum lucretur, animae vero suae detrimentum patiatur. Ejus mortis horam propinquiorem imminere, quam ipse existimet; subdit etiam necessarium esse, ut Rex Gubernatori Indiae serio praecipiat, ut augmentum religionis Christi in India curet, insulam Ceilam ad Christi fidem adduci, comurinensium etiam Christianorum numerum augeri, studeat, et religiosorum virorum opera ad id utatur. Juretque Rex quod, si Gubernatores non ejus conscientiam exoneraverint, multos Christianos efficiendo, cum Ulyssiponem redierint, eos in vincula conjecturus, et eorum bona confiscaturus sit; quod si Rex et juraverit, et impleverit, omnes brevi illis in locis Christianos futuros, non aliter; quod si alii, quam Gubernatori Indiae, Rex negotium conversionis commendaverit, commendationem inutilem futuram esse.
305. Towards the beginning of this year the said Fr. Francis had come to Cochin, the famous emporium of India, and from there he wrote to Fr. Ignatius that it seemed to him that someone should be appointed in India, who would be the Superior of all of our members; for a Provincial had not yet been installed in India, and Fr. Antonio did not have that position, since he had his authority over others from Fr. Simon, but not from Ignatius himself. And the letters of Fr. Francis said in effect that he wanted to be under obedience to someone, but he thought it should be a man endowed with great talent from God. Also he asked for more preachers, for in each of the Portuguese fortifications there should be a priest, who could perform this function of explaining the articles of faith in the morning on Sundays and feast days for the Portuguese, after lunch for the servants and handmaids, or the other free men and neophytes; and on another day of the week, for the wives and daughters of the Portuguese, he would preach about the same articles of faith, and about the sacraments of Confession and Communion. But these preachers were not there, and there should be those who could be sent among the Gentiles, so that they could be sent either alone or in twos wherever there was need as, for example, he said, to Malacca, to China, to Japan. He added also that the faculty should be obtained for certain priests to confer the sacrament of Confirmation, since at that time there was only one Bishop established in Goa for all of India. But concerning what at one time was requested, that the time of Lent should be changed, he says that they have learned from experience that it is not really necessary; for since the Portuguese are located in various parts of the Orient, in which winter is not the same, but is different in various places, all things being considered, he judges that nothing should be changed. He says also that he has decided either to send others to Japan, or that he himself will go there; but among those whom he had sent to Malacca, he named Fr. John de Beira as the superior over the others; and he says that he will do the same thing in the maritime region of Comorin, and wherever several members of our Society are working. Nor will I omit that Francis writes to Fr. Simon; he wants him to obtain this favor from the King of Portugal, namely, that daily for a quarter of an hour he seek from the Lord the grace to understand correctly this sentence: What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his own soul? He says that the hour of his death is nearer than he had thought; he also adds that it is necessary that the King seriously order the Governor of India to provide for the increase of the religion of Christ in India, to bring the Island of Ceylon to the faith, to increase the number of Christians in Comorin, and to use the help of religious men for this purpose. And let the King swear that, if the Governors do not carry out their conscientious duty to make many Christians, when they return to Lisbon, he will put them in chains and confiscate their possessions; that if the King would swear this and put it into effect, all the people in those places will quickly become Christians, but not otherwise; and if the King commends the work of conversion to anyone else but to the Governor of India, his commendation will be useless.
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306. Mense Octobri P. Franciscus, Goa Comurinum recesserat, ut dictum est, ubi Christiani illius provinciae, cum summa animi laetitia hominem exceperunt, et viam, qua transiturus erat, pannis sternebant, et in ulnis eum ad Ecclesiam deducebant; inde ad Goënses invisendos rediit, Cochinum iturus et profectionem sequenti anno in Japoniam paraturus.
306. In October Fr. Francis went from Goa to Comorin, as has been said, where the Christians of that region received him with great joy; they covered the ground he walked on with cloths, and they carried him into the church in their arms. From there he returned to visit the people in Goa, and then he was going to go to Cochin and prepare for his journey to Japan in the following year.
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307. Erat id temporis Goae Paulus japoniensis, qui ad Patrem Ignatium, de sua vocatione ad Christi fidem, et de animi sui desiderio ac spe reducendi per Christi gratiam japonienses ad eamdem Christi religionem et ad prosperum successum orationes P. Ignatii et aliorum de Societate instanter petit.
307. At that time there was in Goa a Japanese man named Paul, who wrote to Fr. Fr. Ignatius earnestly asking for his prayers and the prayers of the other members of the Society for his vocation to the faith of Christ, and concerning the desire and hope of his heart to bring through the grace of Christ the Japanese people to the same religion of Christ.
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308. Fuit liberatus onere gubernandi Collegii Goënsis P. Nicolaus Lancillotus, qui gratias egit maximas P. lgnatio, quod ipsum in numerum coadjutorum spiritualium admisisset; ad hoc ipse patentes litteras acceperat, et alias similes Patribus Paulo, Cypriano, et Antonio Criminali, cum suis acceptas, reddendas curaverat; et hi quatuor in Societatis corpus, in coadjutorum spiritualium gradu, primi in India adscripti sunt.
308. Fr. Nicholas Lancillot was freed from the burden of governing the College in Goa, and he gave thanks to Fr. Ignatius that he was admitted into the number of the spiritual coadjutors; for this he had received an open letter, and he received similar letters for Fathers Paul, [5. Paulo, scilicet, Camerte; nec enim hucusque alium Paulum in Indias venisse legimus (Nota in Margine scripta.)
Paul, that is, Camerte; for we do not read that until this time any other Paul had come to India] Cyprian and Antonio Criminali; and these four were the first ones in India to be incorporated into the body of the Society in the grade of spiritual coadjutors.
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309. Constituerat P. Ignatius ut nostri in India bini incederent, nec soli per varias provincias discurrerent, tum consolationis, tum spiritualis auxilii gratia; sed perdifficile id observari posse affirmabat Xaverius, cum tanta sit operariorum penuria in vastissima illa messe indica, ut unum dividi in plures partes, quo pluribus subveniri posset, optandum esset; et comitis solatium et auxilium per eximiam in virtute exercitationem ac prudentiam suppleri posse. Non tamen visum est Patri Ignatio id revocandum, quod constituerat. Patrem Antonium Gomez, quem superiorem omnibus Pater Simon miserat, idem Pater Nicolaus olfecit, jam inde ab ipso adventu, quod ad praedicandum et confessiones audiendas majus talentum quam ad gubernandum a Deo accepisset; quod res ipsa postea indicavit. Interim tamen cum magnam auctoritatem ex ipso dono concionandi sibi parasset, ei Cosmus Joannes, qui Collegii Goënsis curam habebat, totam ejus gubernationem tam in spiritualibus quam in corporalibus tradidit. Ille autem novam formam gubernationis, antequam experientia regionis et ingeniorum indicorum, edoctus esset, induxit, et ad normam Conimbricensis Collegii exigere decem nationum collectam juventutem, ex quibus quae sit alia magis barbara dubites, voluit. Extra Collegium tamen conciones continuas et alia pietatis opera, quae tam Antonius ipse et Gaspar quam ejus socius sedulo exercebant, egregius fructus est consequutus.
309. Fr. Ignatius had ordered that ours in India should work together in twos, and that they should not travel through the various provinces alone, both for the sake of consolation and spiritual assistance; but Xavier said it could be very difficult to observe this, since there was such a lack of workers in the huge Indian harvest, so that it was desirable that one man be sent to many places, which ought to be served by several; and that the consolation and assistance of a companion could be supplied for by extraordinary prudence and exercise of virtue. But Fr. Ignatius did not agree that he should revoke what he had ordered. The same Fr. Nicholas discovered that Fr. Antonio Gomez, whom Fr. Simon has sent as the superior for all, right from his arrival had more talent for preaching and hearing confessions than he did for governing; afterwards the situation itself made this clear. In the meantime, however, since he had gained for himself great authority because of his gift of preaching, Cosmus Joannes, who now was in charge of the College in Goa, handed over to him complete control both in spiritual and in corporal matters. But he introduced a new form of government, before he had learned from the experience of the region and of the talents of the Indians; and according to the norm of the College in Coimbra he wanted to train the youth of ten nations, among whom you may doubt which one is more barbarous than the other. However, outside the College excellent fruit was obtained through the constant sermons and other works of piety, which both Antonio and Gaspar were diligently taking care of.
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310. Hoc anno in Socotoram insulam, quae e regione maris rubri sita est, de qua superius egimus, P. Cyprianus cum duobus sociis est destinatus. P. Franciscus Perez cum socio Malacam fuit missus; Bazainum autem, ubi Rex Portugalliae Collegium institui volebat, et reditus trium millium aureorum ad puerorum indigenarum et eorum, qui eis instituendis vacarent, sustentationem destinabat, P. Melchior Gonzalez missus est, idque auctore Patre Antonio Gomez, qui ad fructum uberiorem ex indico agro colligendum, hujusmodi collegia pernecessaria esse censebat; in quibus tamen, non tantum indos, sed nostros etiam Societatis operarios instituendos existimabat. Pater quidem Nicolaus Lancillotus id oneris prius subire recu saverat, quia tunc e Societate nostra perpauci erant operarii ut tam multis muneribus fungi possent. Sed cum satis multi hoc anno ex Portugallia missi essent, et religiosi ordinis Minorum, ad quos, nostris recusantibus, haec cura data fuerat urgerent ut hoc onus nostri susciperent (quod ipsis parum convenire videbatur); approbante P. Francisco Xaverio et Episcopo Goënsi, eo se P. Melchior contulit, cui praedicti religiosi Collegii onus reliquerunt. Bazain civitas est in agro fertilissimo sita, quae rebus ad victum necessariis, ut oriza, et frumento, et pannis multis abundat. Cum Rege tamen Portugalliae agendum esse scribit Antonius Gomez, ut denuo nostris tradi et Collegium et reditus jubeat, sicut initio jusserat, cum a nostris non est admissum.
310. During this year Fr. Cyprian with two companions was sent to Socotra Island, which is situated in the region of the red sea, which we mentioned above. Fr. Francis Perez with a companion was sent to Malacca. Fr. Melchior Gonzalez to Bazain, where the King of Portugal wanted a College to be established and promised an income of three thousand gold pieces for the support of native boys and for those who instructed them. The author of this was Fr. Antonio Gomez, who thought that a college of this kind was very necessary in order to gather a more abundant fruit from the Indian field; however, he thought that in it not only the Indians, but also our workers of the Society should be trained. Now at first Fr. Nicholas Lancillot refused to assume this burden, because then there were too few workers of the Society, so that they could perform so many functions. But since this year quite a few were sent from Portugal, and the religious of the Friars Minor, to whom this matter had been offered, since ours had rejected it, urged that ours should accept this burden (which seemed to be less suitable for them). With the approval of Fr. Francis Xavier and the Bishop of Goa, Fr. Melchior went there, and the Friars turned the burden of the College over to him. The city of Bazain is located in a very fertile area, which abounds in things necessary for nourishment, such as rice, wheat and many kinds of cloth. Then Antonio Gomez wrote that arrangement should be made with the King of Portugal so that he command again that the College and its income be handed over to ours, just as he had determined initially, when it was not accepted by ours.
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311. Odor bonus eorum, qui hoc anno Goam appulerant, tam late per Indiam sparsus est, ut etiam Dio et Bazaino aliqui ut nostris confiterentur venirent. Juvenes indi, qui hoc tempore in Collegio Goënsi educabantur, nonaginta propemodum, diversarum tamen aetatum, erant. Habebat autem reditus hoc Collegium fere mille et quingentos aureos, qui prius idolorum fanis (pagodes vocant) cum applicati essent, ad pium hoc opus in ipsa Collegii institutione conversi fuerant; iis adjunxit Rex Lusitaniae fere quingentos alios ex suis vectigalibus; mille praeterea singulis annis, ab his quos Lascharines vocant, et totidem singulis etiam annis ex donis regum gentilium et mahometanorum ad Gubernatorem missis, ex praescripto ejusdem Regis numerabantur; et quamvis annonae vilitas non ea est Goae quam Bazaini, satis multi, et ex nostris, et ex indigenis, his proventibus ali poterant. Sed male habebat Antonius, quod, quamvis aliquot ingenia bona, inter indigenas collegiales, et etiam propensiones ad bonum inveniret, rerum tamen spiritualium incapaces eos deprehendebat, coque res progressa est, ut de illis paulatim ex Collegio dimittendis, et in officiis vel certe ministerio christianorum collocandis, cogitaret; quamdiu tamen in India fuit P. Franciscus, nihil est hac de re actum.
311. The good odor of those who arrived this year in Goa spread out so far in India that some people came also from Dio and Bazain to go to confession to ours. The Indian boys, who at this time were being educated in the College in Goa, numbered about ninety, but they were of different ages. Now this College had an income of about fifteen hundred gold pieces, which formerly had been applied to the shrines of idols (they all them pagodas), and now were given to the pious work of the support of the College; the King of Portugal added to that almost five hundred more from his taxes. Moreover, a thousand each year, from those which they call “Lascharines,” and just as many each year of the Gentile and Mohammedan rulers sent to the Governor, were numbered from the order of the same King. And although the low price of the food is not in Goa as it is in Bazain, a sufficient number could be supported from these provisions, both of ours and of the natives. But Antonio was dissatisfied because, although he found some good talent among the native students, and also inclinations toward some good things, still he observed that they were incapable of spiritual things. And the matter progressed to such a point that he thought about gradually dismissing them from the College, and placing them in certain tasks or ministries of Christians; but as long as Fr. Francis was in India nothing was done about this matter.
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312. De Collegio Caulano instituendo, et de alio etiam Cochini jam hoc ipso anno agi coeptum est; quae sequenti Pater Franciscus inchoavit.
312. During this year plans were begun about establishing a College in Caulano and also about another one in Cochin; Fr. Francis began to do something about this in the following year.
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313. Quamvis de rebus a se gestis perpauca scribat Pater Franciscus Xaverius, ut probabile est, humilitatis studio, illi omnes externi, inter quos versabatur, et nostri, quos ille et exemplo et verbo instruebat, et ad illud apostolicum opus animabat, et spirituali et amabili colloquio consolabatur, tam multa scribunt, ut facile intelligi possit, summam ejus viri fuisse in India auctoritatem, summamque aedificationem, ubicumque versatus esset, ab eo relictam; adeo ut et saeculares ejus colloquio et amicitia frui posse, pro magno Dei dono existimarent. Tam tenero affectu gratias agebat Deo, cum Societatis progressum a fratribus ex Europa venientibus intelligebat, ut non solum ipse plenos lacrymis oculos haberet, sed et fratres ad similem devotionis fletum provocaret, nomen Domini Nostri Jesu Christi, et Sanctissimae Trinitatis, tam crebro in ore habebat, ut facile ex corde pleno eructare sanctissima nomina intelligeres. Solebat etiam fratribus crebro dicere: oh, fratres et socii mei, quanto meliorem habemus Deum quam nos cogitamus; et ad gratias Ei agendas de beneficiis in hanc Societatem collatis excitabat. Admiranda quaedam operari Dominum per ipsum insinuant, sed ea sibi non licere evulgare fatentur.
313. Although Fr. Francis Xavier wrote very little about the things he did, so it is probable that, because of his humility, the other persons with whom he associated, including ours, whom he instructed by word and by example, and animated for that apostolic work, and consoled with his spiritual and amiable conversation, wrote so many things that it can easily be understood that the authority of that man in India was very great, and great edification remained behind wherever he went. The result was that lay people thought it was a great gift of God to be able to enjoy his conversation and friendship. He gave thanks to God with such tender affection, when he learned from the brothers coming from Europe about the progress of the Society that not only did he have eyes full of tears, but he also caused the brothers to experience a similar weeping of devotion. He had the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Trinity so often on his lips that you can easily understand that the holy names rushed forth from the fullness of his heart. Also he was accustomed to say to the brothers often: O, my brothers and companions, how much greater a God do we have than we can think; and he stimulated us to give thanks to God for the benefits conferred on this Society. They imply that the Lord worked wonderful things through him, but they confess that he did not permit himself to make them known.
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314. In provincia illa maritima, quae Comurini dicitur, quatuor hoc anno sacerdotes Societatis versabantur; tres alii socii sine sacris ordinibus Christo militabant. Omnibus praepositus erat P. Antonius Criminalis, a reliquis electus, et a Patre Francisco Xaverio approbatus, cujus vitae sanctitas, non solum nostris, sed etiam externis tam lusitanis quam indigenis, aedificationis multum praebebat. Ejus labor magnus quidem, sed non minus utilis erat, dum per omnia loca Christianorum discurrens, et nostros, eorumque ministeria, et populos etiam, magna cum vigilantia invisebat. Idioma ejus provinciae malavaris, indeffesso labore, imo et legere, et scribere, quod perdifficile erat, didicit.
314. In the maritime province, which is called Comorin, during this year four priests of the Society were active; three other companions not yet in Holy Orders were fighting for Christ. Fr. Anthony Criminalis was the Superior for all, having been elected by them and approved by Fr. Francis Xavier, whose holiness of life gave much edification not only to ours, but also to Portuguese and native lay people. Surely his work was great and very useful, while he visited all the places of Christians and oversaw with great vigilance our members and their ministries. With untiring effort he learned the language of province of Malabar, and he actually learned to both read and write it, which was very difficult.
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315. In eodem tractu erant P. Franciscus Enriquez, ac Pater Balthasar Nuñez, sed longe a P. Henrico Enriquez; singuli tamen multorum locorum curam habebant; sicut et P. Cyprianus, antequam sub anni finem Socotoram versus discederet, qui licet senex esset, ut juvenis tamen in tam copiosa messe laborare debuit. Emmanuel de Morales egregiam etiam operam comorinensibus navavit; cui cum multa loca eorum essent commissa, inter labores plurimos recte valebat, sed cum alio missus esset, loco cujusdam ex indigenis operariis, ubi mjnus occupatus fuit, non bene corpore se habere coepit; quod inde Henricus accidere censet, quod inter labores admirandam tribuere soleat Deus animi consolationem, et quo labores et occupationes majores sunt, eo vires tam corporales, quam spirituales, majores Dominus dabat. Addit idem Henricus, gustum spiritualem eis, qui in proximorum salute curanda occupantur tam copiosum fuisse, ut ei videatur, si optio a Deo relicta esset, ut statim in coelum ascenderet, vel adhuc in ea provincia, in animabus juvandis, ad ipsius gloriam aliquandiu laboraret alacer, Ei responderet: Permitte, Domine, ut aliquandiu in obsequio tuo hic laborem; non tamen ob hujusmodi consolationes, sed ut Christum, et hunc crucifixum, in ferendis laboribus et afflictionibus imitarentur, in eas regiones eundum esse. Adamus Franciscus perutilem etiam operam aliis hominibus utriusque sexus dabat; et ejus in obsequio Domini sollicitudo a Patre Francisco, dum eos inviseret, multum probata est. Initio quidem pueri bis quotidie ad catechismum discendum veniebant; postea institutum est, ut puellae quidem mane, pueri autem a prandio venirent; et in singulis locis aliquis ex indigenis catechismum docendi, alius autem evocandi auditores curam habet; modum autem in docendo eum tenebant, quem P. Franciscus eos docuit, cujus etiam labore in vertendo catechismo in idioma malavarium fruebantur. Mulieres, in ea provincia, diebus sabbati ad ecclesias accedebant; viri autem diebus dominicis ut catechismum addiscant; viduae autem et anus in alio die hebdomadae eis designato veniebant; raro enim prius simul cum aliis accedere solebant; ad catechismum concio additur, ut multis rationibus ab affectu, quo ad idola olim erant gentes illae propensae, revocentur; constituerunt etiam dominicis diebus, postquam domini in domos suas se contulissent, ut servae ad ecclesiam accederent, prius enim ad ecclesiam non veniebant. Cum aliquis infans nascebatur, statim nostris significabant; quod si infans aliquis non baptizatus in aegritudinem incideret, propere ad nostros ut eum baptizent accurrunt; cum etiam natu grandiores aegrotant, eosdem, ut pro infirmis orent, accersunt; pueros etiam, eum eleemosynarum oblationibus, ut pro eis oraretur, adducebant ad ecclesiam, sed eleemosynae non admittebantur, quin potius, ut in pauperes conferrent, nostri, cum magna eorum aedificatione, faciebant; aliter cum sacrificulis idolorum eis accidebat, qui, donec pecuniam accepissent, nihil eis dicebant; controversias eorum componere, quae plurimae erant, non exigui laboris erat.
315. Fr. Francis Enriquez and Fr. Balthasar Nuñez were in the same region, but far away from Fr. Henry Enriquez. Each one had the care of many places; Fr. Cyprian before the end of the year went to Socotra, and although he is quite old, he had to work like a young man in such an abundant harvest. Emmanuel de Morales also did excellent work among the Comorin people; when many of their places were assigned to him, among the many labors his health was very good, but when he was sent to another place, a place having some native workers, where he was less occupied, he began not to feel so well in his body. Hence Henry concluded that God is wont, among many labors, to grant admirable consolation of soul, and the greater the work and activities are, the Lord gives greater strength, both in the body and in the spirit. The same Henry adds that spiritual relish is so abundant in those who are occupied in caring for the salvation of others that it seems to him, if the choice were offered by God that he should go immediately to heaven, or he should work cheerfully and for a longer time in this province helping souls, he would respond to Him: Permit me, O Lord, to work here for a longer time in your service. However, he said that one should go to these regions not for the sake of such consolations, but in order to imitate Christ, and him crucified, in bearing labors and afflictions. Adam Francis also did very useful work for other people of both sexes; and the solicitude shown by Fr. Francis in his service of the Lord, when he visited them, accomplished much. In the beginning the boys came twice a day to learn the catechism; later it was determined that the girls should come in the morning, and the boys after lunch; and in each place one of the natives had the task of teaching catechism, but another one would summon the hearers; now they followed the way of teaching, which Fr. Francis had taught them, and they had the use of his work of translating the catechism into the Malabar language. The women in this province come to the churches on Saturdays to learn the catechism, while the men come on Sundays. The widows and old women came on another day of the week assigned for them; for, rarely did the former come with the latter; a sermon is added to the catechism, so that for many reasons they would be drawn away from the affection, which the people had formerly for idols. They also established the custom for Sundays, after the lords and masters had returned to their homes, that the servants would come to the church, because before that they did not come to church. When a child was born, immediately ours were notified; and if an unbaptized infant became ill, they came quickly and asked ours to baptize it. Also when older persons became sick, they asked ours to pray for them. They also brought children to the church, with an offering of alms, so that prayers should be said for them, but the alms were not accepted, unless they were given to the poor, which is what ours did to their great admiration. Also they worked very hard to resolve controversies, since there were very many of them.
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316. Quamdiu P. Henricus interpretem habuit linguae malavaris, eam ipse addiscere non potuit; sed cum ab eo desertus esset, et nihilominus multorum locorum curam gereret, die noctuque ad illud idioma addiscendum incumbens, ad ejus difficultatem evincendam a Deo sic adjutus est, ut etiam de arte quadam conficienda, ad eam facilius discendam et alios docendam cogitaverit; unde cum indigenis sua lingua loqui coepisset, quam tam brevi tempore didicerat, nunquam satis admirari poterant; cum praesertim et conjugationum inflexiones eum tam distincte proferentem audirent, qui quinque tantum menses eo in labore consumpsisset, et vix totidem annis pauca quaedam verba et confuse caeteri lusitani discere consuevissent; et cum non tantum loqui, sed legere, et etiam scribere eum viderent, Dei donum esse crediderunt. Sine interprete itaque jam concionari coepit in ecclesia; et tunc denique deprehendit interpretes non bene hoc officio rerum fidei declarandarum fungi, quia cum unum eis dicatur, aliud ipsi intelligunt et explicant. Dedit autem Pater Franciscus Xaverius, cum ex malucis rediens eo pervenisset, cuidam ex tribus sacerdotibus malavaribus, articulorum fidei singulorum declarationem satis diffusam, ut eam in suum idioma converteret; quod cum ille perfecisset, jussit ut in omnibus ecclesiis illius maritimae regionis legeretur; quod Henricus magna consolatione in loco ubi versabatur audivit, et nostris characteribus eadem verba scribi curavit, ut singuli ex nostris, familiaribus sibi characteribus, populo praelegere possent, et praelegentes alios audire. Exoneravit autem Henricum Pater Franciscus aliorum locorum cura, unius, vel duorum tantum sollicitudinem ei relinquens, ut grammaticam hujus linguae diligentius et citius absolveret, quae nostris usui esset, ad eam linguam addiscendam, ne interpretum opera uti cogerentur. Cum coepisset autem fabulas gentilium, quas Vernacula lingua narrare illi solent, mente percipere, coepit idem Hcnricus animum ad scribendum contra ilias adjicere, rationibus eorum mendacia, quibus allucinantur convincendo. Non solum autem confirmabat christianos, sedet gentiles de suis erroribus commonefaciebat, qui cultum eum quem omnipotenti Deo debebant, in daemones et saxa converterent. Procurabat etiam ut centum, vel ducenti brachmanes simul ad se venirent, et quidem ex senioribus, cum quibus ipse adhuc juvenis disputare volebat, et de suis erroribus convincere, et si vellent periculum facere veritatis fidei nostrae, et falsitatis ejus quam ipsi sequuntur , ut pyram magnam incenderent, et simul cum ipso eam ingrederentur, et tunc quod ignis eos combureret, ipse vero immunis maneret; quod se facturum affirmabat, dummodo illi pollicerentur, se omnes christianos futuros, si res ita succederet.
316. As long as Fr. Henry had an interpreter of the Malabar language, he was not able to learn it. But when he was abandoned by him, and still had to take care of many places, he spent day and night trying to learn that language and he was so helped by God to overcome that difficulty that he came up with a new way of learning it more easily and teaching it to others. Hence, when he began to speak with the natives in their own language, which he had learned in such a short time, they were filled with admiration. And especially when they heard him use the inflections of the conjugations so correctly, since he had accomplished this in only five months, and the other Portuguese were accustomed to learn hardly in five years only a few words in a confused manner; and when they saw that he could not only speak it, but also read it and write it, they believed that it was a gift of God. So he began to preach in the church without an interpreter; and then finally he learned that the interpreters had not performed well the office of explaining the articles of the faith, because when he says one thing to them, they understand and explain something else. But Fr. Francis Xavier, when he arrived there after returning from the Malukus, gave to one of the three Malabar priests a rather long explanation of the articles of faith, so that he would translate it into his own language. When he had done that, he ordered that it should be read in all the churches of that maritime region. Henry heard about this with great joy in the place where he was, and he saw to it that the same words were written in our own letters, so that all of ours could read it to the people in letters familiar to them, and the others could understand them. Fr. Francis relieved Fr. Henry from the care of other places, leaving to him the care of only one or two, so that he might master more diligently and quickly the grammar of this language, which would be available for the use of ours in order to learn that language, and so not be forced to use the help of interpreters. But when he began to understand the fables, which they were accustomed to tell in the native language, the same Henry began to apply his mind to writing against them, by pointing out with good reasons the lies which they contained. Thus not only did he strengthen the Christians, but he also warned the Gentiles about their errors, since they were directing the worship, which they owed to almighty God, to demons and stones. He also brought it about that a hundred or two hundred Brahmins came to him at the same time, and indeed from among the elders, with whom he, still being young, wanted to dispute and to convince them of their errors. And he said if they wanted to test the truth of our faith, and the falsity of that which they followed, that they should build a huge fire, and enter into it together with him, and then that the fire would consume them, while he would remain untouched; he said that he would do this, provided that they promised that they would all become Christians, if the matter turned out that way.
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317. Cum declararet fidei articulos, accidit ut diceret, si veram in Christum Deum et hominem fidem haberent, et aliquem obsessum a daemone viderent, et in Christi nomine ac veri Dei juberent spiritum malum ab eo recedere, quod recessurus erat; quidam hoc Christianus cum percepisset, et cum quodam iogue disputaret, obtulit se daemonium ejecturum in Christi nomine, quod iogus facere non posset. Animadversum est quod daemones, ex quo Christi fides a multis est suscepta, desierunt magna ex parte illis molesti esse; prius enim vix erat qui accedere solus auderet ad mare, quia inter ipsas piscatorum cymbas daemones in formis igneis visebantur; sed postquam christiani effecti erant, nihil amplius videbant. Inter gentiles illarum regionum magnam tyrannidem daemones exercent, homines ad se adorandos terrore compellunt, et nisi pecuniam, et multos arietes sibi obtulerint, quorum sanguinem bibant, et alia plurima quae petunt, mortem et alia damna minantur; unde infelices illi homines et adorant eos et quidquid petunt offerunt. Henricus autem ut hoc terrore daemonum Christianos liberaret, pollicebatur eis, si quem daemones obsiderent, se sanctis quibusdam verbis nostrae fidei, scilicet exorcismis, eos expulsurum; quod omnes simul brachmanes et iogues praestare non possent.
317. When he would explain the articles of faith, it happened that he would say, if they had truth faith in Christ as both God and man, and they were to see someone obsessed by the devil, and if they were to command in the name of Christ and of the true God that the evil spirit should depart from him, that the devil would leave him. When a certain Christian had grasped this, and when he was arguing with a yogi, he claimed that he could drive out a devil in the name of Christ, which the yogi could not do. He observed that the demons, whom the faith of Christ has driven out of many, for the most part want to harass them. For, formerly there hardly was anyone who dared to go into the sea alone, because among the boats of the fishermen demons were seen in fiery forms; but after they became Christians, they no longer saw anything. Among the Gentiles of those regions the demons exercised much tyranny; they compelled people by terror to worship them, and if they did not offer them money and many sacrificial rams, whose blood they drink, and many other things that they seek, they threaten them with death and other injuries. Hence those miserable people adore them and offer them whatever they want. But in order to free the Christians from this fear of demons, Henry promised them that, if the demons attacked someone, he would drive them away with the holy words of our faith, that is, by an exorcism; and he said that all the Brahmins and yogis together could not do this.
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318. Inter illos gentiles aliqui inveniebantur, qui et rerum cognitione et vitae probitate, gentiles caeteros longe superant; qui nec daemones, nec pagodes, sed unum solum Deum colunt, et commentitia esse intelligunt, quae vulgo creduntur. Unum ex his, ad ipsum venientem, novit familiariter Henricus, qui inter gentiles et sapientiae et probitatis existimationem non mediocrem habebat; hic pagodes multos confregerat, et se id didicisse a quodam gentilium antistite, qui unicum Deum colebat et idola abominabatur; quo praeceptore didicisse se affirmabat primi omnium parentis lapsum, qui a daemone deceptus fuerat; sed veris falsa sua narratione admiscebat. Hunc hominem gentiles homines, ac praecipue brachmanes, et magni faciebant, et amabant, quos ille reprehendebat quod dies bonos et malos discernerent et homines ad idolorum cultum adducerent; quibus brachmanes respondebant, non oportere ut se fame perire sinant, quod si illa non comminiscerentur, se quid comederent non habituros; rogabant etiam ne ipsorum fraudes vulgo detegeret, quas nihilominus omnes ille detegebat. Reprehendit ille aliquando christianos neophytos, si animadvertit quod suo magistro (qui erat P. Franciscus) non obediant, et ad ejus consilia sequenda hortabatur; et si quem errare vidisset, ad ipsum Henricum deferebat; et quamvis Christianus non esset, mores tamen valde bonos habebat. Petebat ab eo Henricus, inter alia, quid censeret de gentilibus, qui bene vivere, quoad mores attinet, videntur, an, cum moriuntur, existimet eos in paradisum assumendos, an potius in infernum dejiciendos; respondit ille: Neminem qui pagodes colat ad paradisum iturum; et sic ad omnia sapienter respondebat.
318. Among those Gentiles some were found, who far surpassed the other Gentiles in the knowledge of things and in probity of life. They worship neither demons nor pagodas, but only the one God, and they understand that the stories are false, which the common people believe. Henry was friendly with one of these, who came to him, and of those among the Gentiles he had no small estimation of his wisdom and probity. This man had broken up many pagodas, and he said that he had learned this from a certain master among the Gentiles, who worshiped the one God and abominated idols; he said that he learned from this teacher about the fall of our first parents, who had been deceived by the devil; but in his explanation he mixed together false things with the truth. The pagans, and especially the Brahmins, held this man in high regard, and they were fond of him, even though he reproached them because they said there are good days and bad days, and they led people to the worship of idols. The Brahmins responded to this that it was not necessary that they allow themselves to perish from hunger, and if they did not invent those things, they would not have anything to eat. So they asked him not to reveal their deceits to the common people, but he did reveal them. At times he reprimanded the Christian neophytes, if he observed that they did not obey their teacher (who was Fr. Francis), and he exhorted them to follow his advice; and if he saw someone err, he would report it to Fr. Henry. And although he was not a Christian, still he had very good morals. Henry asked him, among other things, what he thought about the pagans, who seem to live well with regard to their moral life, whether, when they die, he thinks they go to paradise, or rather are cast into hell. He replied that no one who worships pagodas will go to paradise; and so he responded wisely to everything.
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319. In locis illis ubi Henricus versabatur, accidit ut gentilis quidam, coram pagode transiens, ipsum adoraret; quod cum pueri Christiani vidissent, correptis lapidibus, pagodem invadunt, et idoli nasum confregerunt, gentili illo multum conquerente apud eorum magistrum. Ii pueri ac juvenes, si quid in senioribus observabant, quod male captum videretur, statim ad Henricum deferebant. Quod omnibus autem aedificationi praecipue erat, id potissimum fuit, quod pro nostris nihil nos accipere prorsus ministeriis, sed animarum salutem quaerere observabant. Et ut fides hujusmodi neophytorum cernatur, hoc addam: cum in quodam ex illis locis quidam aegrotaret, Christianus quidam eum invisit, et rosarium suum collo ejus injecit, quo, dum precaretur, uti solitus erat; placuit autem Deo ejus fidem comprobare, sanitatem aegrotanti reddendo; crevit vero haec fama per oppidum illud, et cum aliquis in morbum incidebat, statim ad rosarium illud precatorium petendum se conferebant; et cum aliqui pecuniam ei pollicerentur, eos deridens, gratis illud dabat.
319. In the places where Henry was working it happened that a certain pagan, while passing before a pagoda, worshiped it; when some Christian boys saw this, they picked up rocks, went into the pagoda, and smashed the nose of the idol, so the pagan complained about this to their teacher. These boys and youths, if they saw something in the elders, which seemed to be done badly, immediately they told Fr. Henry. But what especially edified all was that they saw that ours accept no payment for their ministries, but seek only the salvation of souls. And so that the faith of this kind of the neophytes might be understood, I will add this: when in one of their towns a man got sick, then a certain Christian visited him and placed his Rosary around his neck, which he is accustomed to use when he is praying; but it pleased God to fully approve his faith by restoring health to the sick man; the knowledge of this spread throughout that town, and when someone fell sick, immediately they asked for that Rosary and prayers for the sick person; and when someone offered him money for the Rosary, he laughed at him and gave it to him free of charge.
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320. Puer quidam, in Collegio Goënsi institutus, penes Henricum erat, qui cum a saracenis captus, in Moscheam inductus fuisset, ad adorandum Mahometum et fidem Christi negandam compellebant; cum autem puer recusaret, mortem illi minabantur, si Mahometum non adorasset; at ille respondit, quod si vellent eum occidere, id facere poterant, et propter Dei amorem se mortem laturum. Voluit divina Bonitas, quod eum non occiderent; sed compedes quosdam ei injecerunt, cum quibus incedebat; paucis vero post diebus, cum exercitu dux quidam ad locum illum venit, occisis autem oppidanis multis et oppido ipso incenso, puer evasit et ad Henricum pervenit. Narrabat autem is multos esse lusitanorum servos in illis locis, qui, quamvis dominos fugerunt, Christi tamen fidem retinent, qui puerum hortabantur ne fidem Christi relinqueret. Cum autem unus ex his servis stipendium a principe quodam gentili capiens, occisus esset, alii servi Christiani ejus cadaver more nostro sepulturae tradere volentes, et genibus flexis, pro ejus anima Deum rogantes, cum summa admiratione gentilium, qui attoniti id considerabant, eum sepelierunt, et super eum crucem imposuerunt. Aliqui ex his sert is P. Franciscum Xaverium adierunt, et rogarunt ut eis impunitatem fugae impetraret, et ut liberi inter Christianos vivere possent.
320. A boy enrolled in the College in Goa went to see Henry. He had been captured by the Saracens, and was taken to a Mosque, and they tried to force him to worship Mohammed and deny the faith of Christ. But when the boy refused to do that, they threatened him with death, if he would not adore Mohammed. But he responded that, if they wanted to kill him, they could do it, and that he would endure death for the sake of God. The divine Goodness willed that they should not kill him; so they put him in chains, with which he had to walk. But after a few days, a chief came to that place with an army, but when he had killed many of the inhabitants and set the town on fire, the boy escaped and went to Henry. He related that there are many slaves of the Portuguese in those places who, although they have fled from their masters, still retain their faith in Christ and urged the boy not to lose his faith in Christ. But when one of these slaves received the pay of a soldier from a pagan chief and was killed, the other Christian slaves wanted to bury his body according to our custom. So kneeling down they prayed to God for his soul, to the great admiration of the pagans who looked on in astonishment; then they buried him and placed a cross over his grave. Some of these slaves approached Fr. Francis Xavier and asked him to obtain for them exemption of punishment for escaping, so they could live as free men among Christians.
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321. In tractu provinciae maritimae Comurini, ducenta millia Christianorum esse et amplius hoc anno ferebantur; qui multis in locis, per septuaginta fere leucas, versus mare habitabant; et id in causa erat ut nostri a se invicem divisi essent; et cum sub diversis regibus infidelibus essent christiani, aliquando inter se bella gerebant, et nostris, qui pacificare eos nitebantur, satis negotii exhibebant. Erat inter alios Emmanuel de Morales, qui, ut ipse scribit, dum quibusdam locis juvandis vacaret, a falsis quibusdam amicis pro servo inimicis venditus fuit, sed ope divina eorum manus evasit. Cibi, quibus utuntur in eo tractu, sunt oriza, triticum, lac, butyrum, pisces et gallinae; moneta una, quam fanaum vocant, et duas tertias partes nummi argentei, quem realem vocamus, continet, et tres uno gallinae magnae emuntur. Ficus quibusdam in locis toto anno colliguntur; coccos habent plurimos, et fructus alios ad cocci naturam accedentes, cannas vocant, qui magnam aquae copiam continent, quae potata minime nocet. Omnes indigenae nudi incedunt, praeterquam quod pannis sub umbilico corpus tegunt, tam viri quam foeminae; pueri autem ne pannum quidem infra decem annos; aër autem salubris est admodum; et omnium christianorum habitatio in ipsa ora maris est; idolorum templa magna admodum sunt et ex marmore confecta, boum, elephantorum, simiarum et aliorum animalium figuras habentia; aliqua etiam minora sunt et minus pretiosa; eorum curam brachmanes habent, qui cum fingant pagodes comedere, et magno apparatu cibos ipsi confici jubeant, nidorem suis illis idolis exhibent, et ipsi cibis se ac suas familias sustentant.
321. In the region of the maritime province of Comorin it was said that year that there were more than two hundred thousand Christians. They lived in many places near the sea over a space of about seventy miles. And this is the reason why our men were separated from each other. And because the Christians lived under different pagan kings, sometimes they were at war with each other, and they paid attention to our priests, who tried to establish peace among them. There was among others Emmanuel de Morales who, as he writes, while he was helping them in some places, by some false friends was sold as a slave to the enemies, but with the help of God he escaped from their hands. The foods they eat in that region are rice, wheat, milk, butter, fish and chicken. There is one kind of money, which they call fanaum, and it contains two thirds of silver, which we call a realis, and one of them will buy three large chickens. In some places figs are gathered during the whole year; they have lots of coconuts, and other fruits something like the coconut, which contain a large amount of liquid, which is good to drink. All the natives go about naked, except that both the men and the women cover the lower private parts with a cloth; but boys under the age of ten wear absolutely nothing. The air is very healthy, and the dwellings of all the Christians are on the shore of the sea. The temples of the idols are very large and made of stone, having within them statues of cows, elephants, monkeys and other animals. The Brahmins take care of them, and when they pretend that the pagodas eat, they order foods to be prepared on a grand scale, they make steam come out of the idols, and they support themselves and their families with these foods.
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322. Est et aliud genus hominum, quos iogues vocant, et paupertatem profitentes ex mendicato vivunt, et quia id propria voluntate facere dicuntur, sancti habentur. Regem habent suum hujusmodi ioguii, et quo vilius vestiuntur, sanctiores existimantur; et suos illos pannos centonibus plenos ferunt. Brachmanes publice a carnibus abstinent et ab animalibus, quae sanguinem habent; sed furtim carnes etiam comedunt; uxores habent quotquot volunt, et in usum pagodum eas esse fingunt, et sic primariis provinciae foeminis abutuntur, ut merito, qui vel modicum prudentiae sint nacti, eorum fraudes et scelera abominari possit. Ex majoribus oppidis totius provinciae hujus illud est, quod Totuchorin vocant, et aliud est magnum Punicale; horum cura Patri Henrico data est; alja etiam loca invisere debebat, et eorum aliquam curam habere, quorum ordinaria sollicitudo quibusdam indigenis sacerdotibus erat commissa. Alii etiam ex nostris, qui praecedenti anno et hoc ipso in Indiam venerant, aliorum etiam plurimorum locorum curam suscipere potuerunt. Eam ipsis P. Franciscus Xavier distribuit, quem magnum Patrem, ut omnium curam gerentem omnes vocabant.
322. There is also another kind of men, whom they call yogis; they profess poverty, live from begging, and because the do it of their own free will they are thought to be saints. These yogis have their own king, and the more poorly they are clothed, the more holy they are thought to be; they wear their clothes full of patches. The Brahmins abstain publicly from flesh meat and from animals that have blood in them; but secretly they also eat meat. They have as many wives as they want, and they pretend to use them in the pagodas, and so they waste the best women of the province, and so those who have a modicum of prudence can justly detest their deceits and crimes. Of the major cities of the whole province there is one which they call Totuchorin, and another one is Punicale; the care of these towns was given to Fr. Henry. He also had to visit other places, and to have some care of them, whose ordinary administration had been given to certain native priests. Some of our other members, who had come to India the previous year or this year, were able to take care of several other places. Fr. Francis Xavier assigned them to those places, and all called him the great Father, because he had the care of everyone.
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323. Interim Malacae, quam diximus olim auream Chersonesum vocatam, duo ex nostris residebant. Nam Aprili mense Pater Franciscus Xaverius, postquam in Indiam redierat, Patrem Franciscum Perez cum socio Rocho de Oliveira eo miserat; qui die 26 Maii Malacam pervenientes, magna hominum gratulatione sunt excepti, qui usque ad mare, ubi navis substiterat, cum exiguo navigio procedentes, Malacam eos deduxerunt, et in domo quadam, prope hospitale Misericordiae, hospitium eis dederunt. Et tam Vicarius Episcopi, quam clerici, magna animi laetitia eos invisebant; et tunc primum nostri quamvis pauci, firmum tamen habere domicilium Malacae coeperunt. Statim Rochus de Oliveira docere juventutem coepit, non solum legere et scribere, sed etiam orare; et in ipso Beatae Virginis officio et Christianae doctrinae a P. Francisco traditae libello, et descriptis Sanctorum vitis, hanc legendi peritiam docebat, ut simul cum ea Christianae religionis rudimenta et exempla discerent. Coepit etiam grammaticam filios lusitanorum docere, et centum octoginta fere brevi tempore convenerunt, qui cum ex matribus gentilibus nati essent, et patres docendi officio non admodum fungerentur, hujusmodi filii (quos mestizos vocant) doctrina et institutione summopere indigebant, sicut et alii neophytorum indigenarum filii. Nec parum saraceni et gentiles mirabantur, cum a tam remotis gentibus, non ad aurum et gemmas sed ad hominum salutem quaerendam advenisse, et in eo tantum elaborare nostros viderent. Pater Franciscus Perez, diebus dominicis et festis, lusitanis mane concionabatur; post meridiem autem liliis, et servis eorum, et Christianis neophytis, quos etiam quotidie catechismum per horam cum dimidio, vel duas horas docebat, eumdem modum, et doctrinae explicationem sectando, quam Pater Franciscus Xaverius scriptam reliquerat; unde tam late patuit catechismus, ut singulis domibus, et in tota urbe cantus hujusmodi doctrinae ad Dei laudem resonaret. In hospitali domo, quae pertenues habebat reditus, nostri, ex praescripto Patris Xaverii, diebus Mercurii Missae sacrificium faciebant, et pauperibus aegrotantibus in xenodochio urbis sanctum sacramentum Poenitentiae et Eucharistiae ministrabant; et semel in hebdomada sacrum ibi faciebant; et his ac aliis ministeriis Societati nostrae consuetis continuam occupationem, sed cum summa consolatione spiritus conjunctam, habebant. Singulis diebus dominicis ex civitate multi ad sacramenta Confessionis et Communionis accedebant, et plures accessissent, si pluribus tempus sufficere potuisset, aut alius sacerdos ipsi adjunctus fuisset. Diebus dominicis ibi Missae sacrificium celebrabat, ubi condonaturus erat, et sacro finito, sanctissimam Eucharistiam ministrabat; deinde suggestum ad concionandum ascendebat.
323. Meanwhile, two of ours were residing at Malacca, which we said formerly was called the golden Chersonese. For, in April Fr. Francis Xavier, after he had returned to India, had sent Fr. Francis Perez there with his companion Roch de Oliveira. They arrived at Malacca on May 26, and they were received by the people with great joy; they went out to the ship in a small boat and brought them back to Malacca, and they provided them with lodging in a house next to the hospital of Mercy. Both the Vicar of the Bishop and the clergy visited them and did so with much joy. Then ours for the first time, although few in number, began to have a stable residence in Malacca. Immediately Roch de Oliveira began to teach the youth, not only to read and to write, but also to pray; and in the Office of the Blessed Virgin and the book of Christian doctrine compiled by Fr. Francis, and in the written lives of the Saints, he taught them the skill of reading and at the same time with it they were learning the fundamentals of the Christian religion. He also began to teach grammar to the sons of the Portuguese, and in a short space of time there were one hundred and eighty of them. Since they were born from pagan mothers, and their fathers did not fulfill the task of teaching them, these boys (whom they call mestizos) were in great need of doctrine and instruction, like the other sons of native neophytes. The Saracens and pagans were very amazed, when they saw that ours came there from such distant nations, not seeking gold or gems but the salvation of men, and that they labored only for that. Fr. Francis Perez preached on Sundays and feast days in the morning to the Portuguese; but after midday to their sons, and servants, and to the Christian neophytes, to whom he also taught catechism daily for an hour and a half or for two hours. He followed the same method and explanation of doctrine, which Fr. Francis Xavier had left in a written form. Hence the catechism became so well known that in each house and in the whole city the singing of this doctrine resounded to the praise of God. In the hospital, which had a very small income, because of a command from Fr. Xavier, ours offered the sacrifice of the Mass on Wednesdays, and they administered the holy sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist to the poor sick people in the city hospital; and once a week they said Mass in the latter place. They were occupied continually with these and the other usual ministries of our Society, but it was done with great spiritual consolation. Every Sunday many people of the city approached the sacraments of Confession and Communion, and more would have come, if time allowed for it, or if another priest had been available. On Sundays he celebrated the sacrifice of the Mass there where he was going to preach, and when the Mass was finished he administered the holy Eucharist; then he went into the pulpit to preach.
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324. Est civitas illa Malaca celebre emporium et quo magna hominum multitudo solet confluere, non solum ex Indiae locis, sed ex turcarum etiam regione, per mare rubrum, multi albi coloris homines, sicut ex malavaribus, qui fusco colore sunt, ut et ipsi indigenae. Iudaei aliqui inter caeteros saracenos, arabes, et persas, ad praedicandos sectae suae errores veniebant; qui nullis vel periculis vel laboribus parcentes, gravia damna gregibus gentilium inferebant, et a nostris (quibus se plane inimicos ostendebant) avertere conabantur. Inter judaeos, qui illuc venerant, unus, qui se romanum esse affirmabat, concionibus Patris Francisci Perez intererat, et domum aliquando, ad aliquid de Bibliis conferendum, accedebat. Nihil illi durius nostra in religione videbatur, quam quod crederemus Deum hominem factum, flagellis caesum, et in cruce mortuum. Sed cum Franciscus Perez, blande cum eis agendo, nostrae fidei rationes redderet, illius cor a Domino illustratum est, et cum in ecclesia domus Misericordiae Franciscus versaretur, ingressus est judacus, et aquam benedictam accepit, et ulnis apertis Franciscum Perez amplexus est, et se Christianum velle fieri, ac nostrae fidei veritatem se cognoscere et tenebras errorum, in quibus versabatur, testatus est. Et quatuor vel quinque diebus, articulos fidei cum quadam protestatione, qua ibidem nostri utebantur, cum oratione dominica, et salutatione angelica ac Salve, Regina, confessionem generalem, et decem praecepta didicit; et ex domesticis ejus sex, vel septem sequuti sunt, et praesente Gubernatore, Duce Malacae domino Petro de Sylva, et aliis nobilibus lusitanis, ac primariis civibus urbis, sacramentum Baptismi suscepit. Cochinum deinde in Indiam discessit, ut filium, quem adhuc ibi habebat, Christianum faceret. Ad Societatem nostram nonnulli aspirabant, qui quamvis idonei viderentur, Patris Francisci Xaverii judicio relicti sunt; interim tamen et in spiritualibus Exercitiis, et in pietatis ac humilitatis operibus se diligenter exercebant.
324. The city of Malacca is a famous emporium and large crowds of people are accustomed to gather there, not only from places in India, but also from the region of the Turks; and across the red sea many white men come, and also those from Malabar, who have a dark skin like the local natives. Some Jews along with Saracens, Arabs and Persians come to preach the errors of their own sect; sparing no danger or effort, they inflict grave injuries on the flocks of the pagans, and they try to avoid coming in contact with ours (to whom they show themselves clearly to be enemies). Among the Jews who came there, one of them, who said he was a Roman, attended the sermons of Fr. Francis Perez, and sometimes he came to his home to confer with him about something in the Bible. Nothing in our religion seemed to him harder than that we believe God became man, he was scourged and died on a cross. But when Fr. Francis Perez, dealing with him gently, gave him the reasons for our faith, his heart was illuminated by the Lord. Now when Francis was in the church of the house of Mercy, the Jew came in, and he took holy water; with open arms he embraced Francis Perez, and he said that he wanted to become a Christian, that he acknowledged the truth of our faith and the darkness of the errors in which he was living. And in four or five days he learned the articles of faith, along with the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Salve Regina, the Ten Commandments and made a general confession. And six or seven of his domestics followed him, and the Governor, the Duke of Malacca, Lord Peter de Sylva, other noble Portuguese and the leading citizens of the city were present when he received the sacrament of Baptism. Then he departed from Cochin for India, in order to make his son a Christian, whom he still had there. Some desired to enter our Society, and although they seemed to be suitable, by the judgment of Fr. Francis Xavier they were not accepted; in the meantime, however, they exercised themselves diligently in giving the Spiritual Exercises and in performing works of piety and humility.
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325. Antequam Malacam nostros destinaret, P. Xaverius, ad Gubernatorem Indiae, qui tunc erat dominus Joannes de Castro, Bazainum, ubi tunc ille versabatur, se contulit; et quamvis tempus navigationis incommodum esset, et venti contrarii, paucis diebus eo delatus est, et benigne a Gubernatore et ejus exercitu fuit exceptus; et rogatus ut concionaretur, quamvis defatigatus valde, et studio tempus dare non potuisset, Deo tamen juvante, sic id munus praestitit, ut Gubernator, qui cum magna consolatione ipsum audierat, ne illa hyeme Goa discederet rogavit. Inde cum litteris necessariis ad duos ex nostris Malacam mittendos, Goam rediit, et praedictum Franciscum Perez et Rochum de Oliveira, in nomine Domini, octava die Aprilis Goa Cochinum, et inde Malacam misit. Cochinum Goa centum leucas, Malaca autem quingentas leucas Cochino distat; situs Malacae sub aequinoctiali est, a cujus linea duos gradus versus septemtrionem distat; toto fere anno pluit, unde non bene conjectarunt illi philosophi et poetae, qui regionem illam semper ab aestu torridam et inhabitabilem dixerunt; nullo autem anni mense, propter humiditatis copiam, herbae virentes desunt. Qui ad Sinas et Japoniam navigant, Malaca proficiscantur oportet; ad Malucas, etiam Bandam, Peguum, Cheromandel, et alias celebres regiones via etiam est; ideo mercatoribus abundat, et eruditis confessariis opus habet, ut subtilissimarum usurarum et contractuum difficilium nodos possint dissolvere, et lepram a lepra discernere. Quia vero supra mentio facta est de fidei protestatione, qua nostri in India, auctore P. Francisco Xaverio, uti consueverant, quaenam ea sit, jam subdam, scilicet: <<Deum vere confiteor, ut bonum Christianum decet, Sanctissimam Trinitatem, Patrem, Filium et Spiritum Sanctum, tres personas, unum solum Deum. Credo firmiter, nihil haesitans, quidquid tenet et credit sancta mater Ecclesia Romana; et ita promitto me victurum et moriturum in sancta fide catholica Domini mei Jesu Christi; et nunc pro eo tempore quo moriturus sum, si tunc loqui non potero, confiteor Dominum meum Jesum Christum ex toto corde meo. „ Hactenus protestatio, quae a catechumenis exigebatur, quamque memoriter addiscebant. Modus autem homines congregandi ad catechismi doctrinam hic erat. Egrediebatur Rochus de Oliveira cum tintinnabulo per totam urbem, et in quibusdam ejus locis, alta voce, praeconis more, dicebat: “Christiani, mittite vestros filios et filias, servos et ancillas, ut audiant sanctae fidei praedicationem. „ Diebus autem profestis aliqui ex pueris, ejus discipuli, cum eodem tintinnabulo, per eadem loca, eisdem verbis utebantur. Nec solum symbolum, decalogus et orationes, sed etiam mensae benedictio et gratiarum actio, peccata mortalia et oppositae virtutes, et modus bene confitendi, et alia non pauca sic tradebantur, ut pueri ac puellae, et viri et mulieres, haec omnia memoriter tenerent.
325. Before Fr. Xavier sent ours to Malacca, he went to see the Governor of India, who then was Lord John de Castro at Bazain, where he was living at the time. And although it was not a suitable time for sailing, since the winds were contrary, he stayed there for a few days, and he was received kindly by the Governor and his army. And when he was asked to preach, although he was very tired, and he did not have time to prepare, nevertheless with the help of God he performed that task in such a way that the Governor, who listened to him with great consolation, asked him not to leave Goa during the winter. Therefore, with the necessary letters to send two of ours to Malacca, he returned to Goa; on the eighth day of April, in the name of the Lord, he sent the previously mentioned Francis Perez and Roch de Oliveira from Goa to Cochin, and from there to Malacca. Cochin is a hundred miles from Goa, and Malacca is five hundred miles from Cochin. Malacca is situated below the equator about two degrees; it rains during almost the whole year, and so the philosophers and poets have not speculated correctly, who said that the region is always arid and uninhabitable because of the heat. Those who sail to China and Japan must depart from Malacca; from Malacca there is the way also to Bandam, Peguum, Coromandel, and other famous regions. Therefore the place abounds in merchants, and it also needs learned confessors, so that they can resolve the problems of subtle usury and difficult contracts, and distinguish leprosy from leprosy. But because mention was made above about the profession of faith, which was compiled by Fr. Francis Xavier and was used constantly by ours in India, I will now present it here as follows: “Truly I confess God, as befits a good Christian, the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons, and only one God. I firmly believe, without any reservations, whatever our holy mother, the Roman Church, holds and believes; and so I promise that I will live and die in the holy Catholic faith of my Lord Jesus Christ; and now for the time when I shall die, if I cannot speak then, I confess my Lord Jesus Christ with my whole heart.” This is the profession that was required of catechumens, and which they were to learn by memory. But the method of gathering people for the teaching of catechism was the following: Roch de Oliveira walked through the whole city ringing a bell, and in each place, with a loud voice like a herald, he said: “Christians, send your sons and daughters, servants and handmaids, to hear the teaching of the holy faith.” But on ordinary days some of the boys, his disciples, with the same bell, going through the same places used the same words. Not only the creed, the Decalogue and the prayers, but also the table blessing and thanksgiving, the mortal sins and the opposite virtues, the way of making a good confession and many other things were handed on in this way, so that boys and girls, men and women learned all these things by memory.
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326. Quamvis hoc anno Cochini nostri non resederint, aliquandiu tamen ibidem fuerunt, et opera Adami Francisci effectum est, inter alia, ut vir quidam primarius, malavaris nationis, cum uxore, liberis et domo tota ad Christum converteretur; alia etiam ibidem cum Christianis ad Dei gloriam gesta sunt.
326. Although during this year ours did not reside in Cochin, still they spent some time there, and by the work of Adam Francis it was brought about, among other things, that a very important man, from Malabar, with his wife, children and whole household were converted to Christ; other things also were done there with the Christians for the glory of God.
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327. Cum sub finem anni praecedentis P. Joannes de Beira, cum P. Nonnio Ribeiro et sociis, Malucum venissent, prior in insulas Mauri cum duobus sociis, posterior in insulas Amboini se contulit; hic quatuor illis mensibus, quibus naves lusitanorum ibidem esse solent, dum tempus navigandi exspectant, fere sexcentos filios Ecclesiae per baptismum peperit; christianorum loca invisit; idola gentilium confregit; et christianae religionis doctrinam gentes illas, quae in summis tenebris ignorantiae versabantur, docuit; et recedentibus navibus, cum quibusdam lusitanis, qui zelo fidei illi se socios in sancto eo labore adjunxerunt, ut fidelium numerum augerent… Sed de illis hoc anno nihil praeterea intellectum est.
327. When at the end of the previous year Fr. John de Beira, with Fr. Nonnius Ribeiro and companions arrived in the Malukus, the former went to the islands of Mauri with two companions, and the latter to the islands of Amboini. Here for four months, when the Portuguese ships are accustomed to be there, while they are waiting for the right time to sail, he won over almost six hundred sons for the Church through Baptism; he visited the places of Christians; he broke up the idols of the pagans; and he taught the doctrine of the Christian religion to those peoples, who were living in the great darkness of ignorance. And when the ships departed, some of the Portuguese out of zeal for the faith joined him as companions in this holy work, so that they might increase the number of the faithful…. [6. Huic loco respondet in margine positum signum quoddam cum iis verbis: vide supra 192. In pagina autem (mss.) 192, quae hic est 266, post ultima verba historiae anni 47, signum huic omnino simile reperimus. Quid vero commune haec cum illis habeant plane non perspicimus.
There is a note in the margin at this place with the words, see above 192. But on page 192 (of the manuscript), which here is 266, after the last words of the history of the year 1547, we find a note very much like this one. But it is not clear to us what these words have in common with the former words.] But about those things during this year there is no further information. [7. Quae de Indicis rebus hoc anno gestis narrat Polancus et iis plura continentur in litteris, quas toto hoc anno et sequentis initio scripsit Xaverius, et in aliis, quas a Xaverii sociis aliisque scriptas et italic sermone donates habes, non integras semper sed decurtatas saepius aut in compendium redactas, in volumine Avisi particolari, de quo supra. Quarumdam autographa, aliarum autem antiqua satis apographa, quae Romae, Conimbricae, Evorae, etc., transcribe nobis licuit, suo his tempore edemus.
Regarding what Polanco narrates about the things done in India during this year, many things are contained in the letters which Xavier wrote during this whole year and at the beginning of the following year, and in others which you have written by the companions of Xavier and others in Italian, not always complete but often abridged or given in a summary in the volume, Avisi particulari, which was mentioned above. The autographs of some, but the quite ancient copies of others, which we were able to copy in Rome, Coimbra and Evora, will be cited here at the proper time.]
