in differer t places at the same time. The long-boat of the ship in which he was sailing to Japan went adrift in a violent storm, with fifteen of the crew; he confidently prophesied its safe return, and after three days of tempest persuaded the captain to heave to and wait for it, assuring him that his lost sailors were close at hand, and in fact, they were soon descried pulling for the ship. Xavier had good reason for his confidence, for he had been present at the same time in the ship and in the longboat. These are but specimens from a multitude. His gift of tongues was, perhaps, even more remarkable. He spoke offhand and like a native the languages of some thirty or more different tribes; or if, in any case, the miracle was not in his speech, it was in the understandings of his hearers, as Neander supposes it may have been at the day of Pentecost. This was the case on his first arrival in Japan. He began preaching immediately, without resorting to the help of an interpreter, using a medley of Portuguese, Latin and Spanish, with now and then a Japanese word. Yet he was perfectly understood by the natives. He had also the singular gift, related of no one else, that when surrounded with a crowd of questioners, all plying him at once with doubts and objections, a single response, clothed in a few short words, had the marvelous effect of clearing up every man's difficulty and answering effectually every different argument.

We do not pause at fables like these. The great name of

* The Bull of Canonization given by Pope Urban VIII. under date of August 6, 1623, sets forth, "Signa et prodigia quibus Dominus apostolorum suorum sermonem in nascentis ecclesiae exordiis confirmavit, in manu etiam servi sui Francisci misericorditer renovasse. Sabito enim, a Deo, diversarum et incognitarum gentium linguas, quas non noverat, edoctus, dissertissime quasi in iisdem terris educatus esset, loquebatur. Et accidebat quandoque, ut eum ad diversarum nationum populos concionantem, unusquisque eodem tempore linguae suae, in qua natus erat, magnalia Dei loquentem, cum stupore et ecstasi audiret; eoque miraculo multitudo magna commota, reciperet verbum Dei." Cretineau Joly (Histoire de la Compagnie de Jesus i. 5,) halting between the credulity of a devout Catholic and the dignity of a modern historian, relates the miracle, but throws all the responsibility of the statement on the Pope. "The process of the canonization of the Apostle declares &c." Referring afterwards (iii. 3) to the miracles imputed to Christopher Ferreyra, he "defines his position" thus: "Au dire des annalistes de l' Institut, sa marche depuis Rome jusqu'a Nangasaki n'a été qu'une serie non interrompue de faits merveilleux. Nous ne les nions pas : nous ne les discutons pas. L'Eglise seule a le droit d'examiner ses prodiges &c."

Francis Xavier is injured by them. His only miracles were prodigies of energy, fortitude and self-devotion. The truth of his history, with its ten years' experience in Asia, of

"Most disastrous chances,

Of moving accidents by flood and field;

Of hair-breadth 'scapes i' the imminent deadly breach,
Rough quarries, rocks and hills whose tops touch Heaven;"

is great enough, without bringing in

"The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads

Do grow beneath their shoulders."

Kangosima belonged to the "kingdom," so called, of Satsouma, the south-western province of Kiousiou island. Though now closed to foreigners, like every other port in Japan except Nangasaki, it is advantageously situated for commerce at the head of a deep bay of the same name. The king of Satsouma was anxious to secure the Portuguese trade, and with this view readily granted Xavier permission to preach in Kangosima. Before visiting him to make this request, the "Apostle" betook himself in especial prayer to St. Michael, whom he had chosen as the patron of his enterprise; "beseeching him with great fervency to renew here his ancient victories over Lucifer, and to crush that rebellion in Japan which he had formerly quelled in Heaven."

Xavier continued laboring in Kangosima for a year, preaching in the streets, reasoning in his own house with the bonzes, and devoting whatever spare moments he could get, to the translation into Japanese, of Romish books of devotion. His success was by no means encouraging. The bonzes, inquisitive at first, soon began to ridicule and oppose him. At the end of a year he had baptized only a hundred converts. In the meantime the Portuguese fleet had arrived at Japan; but instead of landing at Kangosima, it made a port at Firando, a small island composing a kingdom of itself, lying between the island of Kiousiou and the coast of Corea. His majesty of Satsouma, between whom and the king of Firando there was implacable war, intimated in strong terms his disappointment. He more-over withdrew the license he had granted the missionaries, and issued an edict forbidding, under penalty of goods and life, any VOL. I.-30

of his subjects to "adopt the new religion of the bonzes from Europe."

Xavier found that a longer stay at Kangosima would be useless. Early in September 1550, he took his departure, with his two associates, for Firando. But he was still to leave the impress of his labors in the kingdom of Satsouma. At the distance of eighteen miles from the capital there towered, by the roadside, a remarkable castle, perched on the top of a rock and fortified with extraordinary care. It was held for the king of Satsouma by a nobleman named Esciandono. Xavier, whose reputation had preceded him, was received here with great respect. He embraced the earliest opportunity to preach "the true faith" to the family of the Tono, or Governor, and to the garrison. In a few days he had the happiness of baptizing at 'once seventeen converts. Among them was the Seneschal of the castle, who was left in charge of the spiritual welfare of the others. Xavier, on departing, placed in his hands, for his own instruction and that of the little flock, the following religious Library: An Abstract of the Life of Christ, the Seven Penitential Psalms, an Explanation of the Chief Articles of Faith, the Formula of Baptism, the Litany of the Saints, and a Calendar of the fixed and moveable Holidays; all translated into Japanese. He left besides two gifts taken from his own person, each of which turned out to be endued with miraculous virtue; his purse to the lady of the Tono, and his "discipline" or scourge, to the old Seneschal. Either of these hung about the neck had the power of healing diseases. The "discipline" was also used in its appropriate office, when the faithful assembled on Fridays to mortify the flesh. This miraculous scourge was so favorite an instrument on these occasions that it was in danger of being completely worn out. This led the proprietor to lay restrictions on its use. After having flagellated themselves heartily, according to rule, each might have the particular satisfaction of administering to himself three extra lashes, and no more, with the "discipline" of the Saint.**

Xavier, with his companions, proceeded to Firando, where

Vide the "discipline" in use among the Jesuits, figured and described in the NOVITIATE, by Andrew Steinmetz: Harper's ed. p. 208. "It is a kind of cat o' nine tails, duly knotted at the ends of the tails."

the Portuguese fleet lay at anchor. He was received like a prince or royal ambassador. To welcome this laborious missionary, who came on foot, bearing all his effects on his own shoulders, the flags of the squadron were displayed, trumpets sounded and the artillery thundered a salute. It was not only a testimony of real veneration, but a stroke of policy designed to impress the natives. Moved by this demonstration the king of Firando received the Apostle with profound respect. He granted him unconditional liberty of preaching, which Xavier improved so well that in less than twenty days, he had baptized more than in the entire year spent at Kangosima.

He was anxious, however, to strike at the centre, and soon made preparations for a journey to Meaco. His hope was to obtain a license from the Emperor which should protect him from the bonzes. It was in December, and the severe winter of Niphon, laden with storms of rain and hail, had set in. Xavier's scanty raiment furnished hardly any protection against the cold. His only provisions for a journey which lasted two months, was parched rice. The route conducted him over precipitous mountains, across valleys traversed by foaming torrents, through wide marshes. He travelled on foot, with Giovanni Fernandez and two Japanese converts, and carried on his own shoulders the paraphernalia for celebrating mass. In summer the journey would have consumed but two weeks.

After enduring incredible hardships, Xavier was rewarded with the sight of the vast circumference and lofty towers of Meaco, the palace of the Daïri-sama conspicuous in the midst. He was doomed to a bitter disappointment. He had left Firando in apostolic poverty, having distributed to the poor the whole of a large sum of money given him by the Portuguese Viceroy. The want of this money made his whole journey fruitless. An interview even with one of the ministers of the court cost six hundred ducats, and Xavier "had only himself and the treasure of eternal life." For once he was defeated and discouraged. He could do nothing in Meaco. The people were all absorbed in a war against some neighboring state, and he could find nobody to give him a hearing. He remained only a fortnight, and then retraced his steps over the same dreary and difficult country.

On his return he stopped at Amanguchy, "a metropolis of wealth and wickedness." Here the missionaries met with better success, a result attributed to a particular exercise of magnanimity and self-control by Giovanni Fernandez. He had taken his stand in one of the public places of the city, and was addressing a crowd of people, who were already yielding to the power of his eloquence, when a "miscreated pagan" approached, pretending a wish to make some private communication. Fernandez inclined towards him, and immediately received in his face a deluge of spittle. The "malcreato idolatro" ran off, laughing loudly at the success of his trick. Of the hearers some laughed with him, others expressed indignation; but all fixed their eyes on the preacher to see how he would behave under so gross an affront.

The Japanese are exceedingly jealous of personal honor, and vindictive to the last degree. They never forget nor forgive an insult, yet they do not blaze out in immediate passion. However grossly outraged, they content themselves at the moment with an exclamation of surprise, and "bide their time" for revenge. They were greatly impressed, therefore, with an exhibition of the same power of self-control in a foreigner. Fernandez never even cast a glance towards his retreating assailant, nor altered his manner in the least degree. He kept straight on with his argument, and as he did so, quietly drew out his handkerchief and wiped the dishonor from his face. Talleyrand himself could not have done better. The impression made on the people of Amanguchy was so favorable that several influential citizens soon demanded baptism.

Leaving his two associates to push their success, Xavier proceeded to the capital of the kingdom of Bungo, on the eastern side of Kiousiou island. He had learned the arrival there of a Portuguese vessel, commanded by Edward de Gama. His object was to obtain a passage to India. It was now eight years since he had left Goa, and the affairs of the Society there required looking after. He wanted recruits for the Japanese mission. The great hinderance to getting in an ample harvest seemed to be the fewness of the laborers. He also wanted brethren to join him in the effort to introduce Christianity into China.