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The Works of John Dryden, Volume XVI. (of 18) by John Dryden

J >> John Dryden >> The Works of John Dryden, Volume XVI. (of 18)





The affairs of the Society being accommodated in this manner, Xavier
thought on nothing more than how to supply the missions of the Indies
with good labourers; or rather to increase the number of the missioners,
who were not sufficient for the common needs. He therefore sent Melchior
Nugnez to Bazain, Gonsalvo Rodriguez to Cochin, John Lopez to Meliapor,
and Luys Mendez to the Fishery, where he confirmed Henry Henriquez for
superior, whom the missioners of that coast had already chosen instead of
Antonio Criminal.

After this, he bent his whole endeavours to procure an embassy to China.
The viceroy, Don Alphonso de Norogna, with great willingness, granted
to James Pereyra that employment which Xavier had desired for him. He
promised even to favour it, in all things depending on him; and gave
wherewithal to furnish out presents for the emperor of China.
Notwithstanding the most magnificent were made at the charges of the
ambassador, he had prepared cloth of gold, ornaments for an altar of
brocard pictures of devotion, in rich frames, made by the best hands of
Europe, with copes and other magnificent church-stuff, all proper to
represent to the Chinese the majesty of the Christian religion. The
bishop, Don Juan d'Albuquerque, was not less favourable to the designs of
the Father than the viceroy; and being willing to write to the emperor of
China, thereby to give an honourable testimony to the holy law of God, he
ordered his letter to be written in characters of gold, and bordered
about with curious painting. Nothing more was wanting than only to make
choice of such missioners as were to accompany Xavier to China, and to
provide others for Japan; for, besides that the saint himself had his
dear Japonians always in his memory, the ambassador of the king of Bungo,
who was come with him to Goa, requested some evangelical preachers in his
master's name. The man of God had enough to do, to content all those, who
were desirous of that employment. There were at that time thirty of the
Society in the college of Goa. Some of them had been in the Indies from
the first years of Xavier's arrival in those ports; others were either
new comers, or had been lately admitted; all of them were of approved
virtue, and well worthy of that vocation, which they so earnestly
desired; but there was none amongst them who sought it with more
eagerness, nor who more signally deserved it, than Caspar Barzaeus.

Xavier, before his voyage to Japan, had recalled him from Ormuz, with
design of sending him to that country, or else of taking him with himself
to China. Yet he altered both those intentions; for, after many serious
debates within himself, he thought it most convenient to leave Barzaeus
at Goa, where, since his return from Ormuz, he had laboured in the
ministry with great success; but his principal reason was, the necessity
of the college of St Paul, which had not yet shaken off all the ill
symptoms of the government of Gomez, and which stood in need of a
superior, whose conduct should be regular. On these considerations, he
made him rector of the college of Goa, and also vice-provincial of the
Indies, by the authority which he had received from the general of the
order. For the saint, at his return from Japan, found two patients
waiting for him, which had been expedited from Rome in the year 1549, one
bearing date the 10th of October, the other the 2nd of December, as the
minutes which are kept in the archives of the Society declare. By the
first, Ignatius constitutes Father Xavier provincial of the Indies, and
of all the kingdoms of the East, of which he made a particular province,
distinct from that of Portugal; by the second, he endows him with all the
privileges which the popes have granted to the head of the order, and to
those members of it to whom the general shall please to impart them. For
what remains, see here the form of Barzaeus's establishment, which is
preserved in the archives of Goa, and written by the hand of Father
Xavier.

"Master Gasper, I command you, in virtue of holy obedience, as superior
of the company of Jesus in these countries of the Indies, to take the
government of this college of Santa Fe, in quality of rector; persuaded,
as I am, of your virtue, your humility, your prudence, and of all those
qualities which make you proper for the governing of others.

"I will, that all the fathers and Portuguese brothers of the Society of
Jesus, who are spread over this new world from the Cape of Good Hope, as
far as Malacca, the Moluccas, and Japan, be subject to you. I will, in
like manner, that all those who shall come from Portugal, or from any
other country of Europe, into the houses of the Society under my
obedience, should acknowledge you for their superior; if it happen not,
that our Father Ignatius name some other rector of this college of Goa,
as I have already requested him by my letters; informing him at large of
the necessity of sending hither some experienced person, in whom he much
confides, to govern this college, and all the missions of our Society
depending on it. If then any of the Society sent by Father Ignatius, or
by any other general of the Society of Jesus, with patents signed in due
form, shall arrive at Goa, to take the government of this house, and of
those who are subjected to it, I command you, in the same virtue of holy
obedience, to resign the government into his hands forthwith, and to be
obedient to him in all things."

Xavier having thus declared Barzaeus superior in a full assembly of the
college, kneeled down, and acknowledged him for such, thereby giving a
public example of submission. After which, he commanded all of them, in
virtue of holy obedience, to be subject to him, and ordered him to expel
from the society, all such as should enterprize ought against his
authority, or refuse obedience to his orders. He ordered him, I say,
positively to expel them, without consideration of their capacity, their
eloquence, or any other gifts of nature; adding, that whatever excellent
qualities they had, they wanted those which were essential, namely,
humility and obedience.

Barzaeus replied not one word when it was intimated to him, that he
should not go to China, how desirous soever he were of that voyage; and
it may be said, that, on this occasion, he made a noble sacrifice of all
his fervent zeal to his obedience. But when he was nominated both rector
and vice-provincial, confounded at the mention of those dignities, he
said aloud, "That he was not endued with the spirit of government." He
was ready to die of shame, when he saw the saint upon his knees before
him; and, with great precipitation, fell also on his knees, and humbly
begged of him, with tears in his eyes, that he would consider his
infirmities. The saint, who had a perfect insight into his integrity,
would not hearken to him, and judged him to be so much the more worthy of
those two employments, as he judged himself to be incapable. As Barzaeus
was the desire of all in all places, and yet his presence was necessary
at Goa, not only for the due regulation of the college, but also for the
good of missions, Xavier forbade him, in virtue of holy obedience, to
depart out of the isle of Goa during the space of three years ensuing;
and for this reason, that Barzaeus having this tie of prohibition upon
him, might be privileged to refuse any towns which might desire him
amongst them; and that if his refusal should displease them, yet at least
the unkindness might not rest on him.

After all these punctual orders, Xavier gave in writing, to the new
rector, such instructions as he was to use in the government of his
inferiors, and in reference to the conduct of himself; according to what
all of them had proposed to themselves, to have no design, save only _ad
majorem Dei gloriam;_ to God's greater honour. Those instructions are
very ample, and I shall give you only the most material.

"Have before your eyes continually your own nothingness; and endeavour,
above all things, to have your mind so possessed with it, that the
contempt of yourself may never leave you. Always treat the fathers of the
Society with great mildness and respect; as well those who inhabit with
you, as those who live in other places at a distance. Let not the least
roughness, or haughty carriage, appear in you, if it be not when your
moderation and humility are turned into contempt; for on such occasions,
having nothing in your intentions but the good of your interiors, and not
making the contempt of your authority the object of your vengeance, you
are to make the guilty somewhat sensible of your power. But you shall
only punish them so far as need requires, and for their amendment, and
the edification of our brethren, who were witnesses of their fault. All
the offences which shall be committed, either by the fathers or the
brothers, against the rule of obedience, ought to be punished by some
correction; and in so doing, the character of priesthood must be no
privilege to the offender. If any of your inferiors act presumptuously
against you, and, full of self-opinion, resist you with stubbornness,
raise yourself in opposition to their pride, and speak magisterially to
them. Let your behaviour towards them have more of severity than of
mildness. Impose some public penance on them; and beware, of all things,
that they may not observe in you the least remissness, which they will be
sure to interpret fear; for nothing more encourages the untractable and
haughty to rebellion, than the softness and fearful spirit of a governor.
And it is not credible, how assuming, proud, and peremptory, they will
grow, when once they find the reins are slackened, and that their
pusillanimous superior is afraid of punishing their want of due respect.
Impunity hardens that sort of people in their insolence; or rather, it
makes them more and more audacious; which disturbs the peace of religious
houses. Execute then my orders, without fearing the opinion or speech of
people; and let no consideration, no regard of persons, hinder you from
the performance of your duty. Amongst your inferiors, you will find some
who are neither obstinate nor disobedient, but who are weak; who are
forgetful of what is enjoined them, who indeed despise not the orders of
their superiors, but sometimes neglect them, either out of
faintheartedness, or want of sense. Reprehend such men with more
gentleness and moderation, and temper your reproof with the mildness
of your countenance; and if you find it necessary to punish them, impose
but an easy penance on them. Never admit into the Society such as are not
endued with judgment, and good natural parts; nor those who are of a weak
constitution, and proper for no employment, or of whom you may reasonably
suspect, that they would enter into religion for secular respects, rather
than out of a sincere devotion of serving God. When they shall have ended
their exercises, you are to employ them in the service of the sick in the
public hospitals, and in the meanest offices of the house. You shall
cause them to give you an account of the endeavours they have made, to
acquit themselves well of their ordinary meditations, according to the
form prescribed. If you are assured, that they are lukewarm and faint at
their devotions, you will do well to dismiss them, and turn them out of
the Society betimes; or if there be any hope of their amendment, you
shall withdraw them for some days from those interior exercises;
depriving them, by way of penance, of an honour which their negligence
has made them unworthy to enjoy; and such indeed is that of communicating
with God in prayer, to the end, that, being ashamed to stand excluded
from that celestial commerce, they may desire more ardently to be
re-admitted to it. I recommend extremely to you, that you pay an
extraordinary respect to my lord the bishop; and that you be obedient to
him. Beware of doing any thing which may displease him; endeavour, on the
contrary, to serve him in all things according to your power; and
acknowledge, by all manner of good offices, those infinite obligations
which we have to so charitable a father and benefactor. Command those
fathers who are out of Goa, to write to him from time to time, but not
too prolixly; and to give him an account of the fruit of their labours.
That they mention in their letters, as far as truth will give them leave,
the commendation of his vicars; and omit not the other good actions of
the religious; and if they can say no good of them, let them be silent of
them; for we are not to imagine that our duty obliges us to complain to
the bishop, of the ill conduct of his vicars, or of other
gospel-labourers; there will never be wanting those who will ease us
of that trouble. Beware, not to trouble yourself with the management of
worldly business; nor even to encumber your inferiors with it, on any
occasion whatsoever. When secular men shall desire to engage you in the
employments of civil life, return this answer, 'That the time which
remains free to you from preaching, and the administration of the
sacraments, is scarce sufficient for your studies and devotions, which
are yet necessary to you before you go into the pulpit, or appear in the
tribune of penance; that you cannot prefer the care of worldly things,
before the cure of souls, without perverting the order and rule of
charity.' By this means you shall disengage yourself from all those sorts
of encumbrances; and without this circumspection, you will do great
prejudice to the Society; for you ought to understand, that the world
often enters by this door into religious houses, to the extreme damage
both of the religious, and of religion.

"In the visits which are made to you, endeavour to find out the bottom
and end of their design, who come to see you. For some there are, the
least part of whose business is to be instructed in spirituals; it is
only temporal interest which brings them to you: there will even be some,
who will come to confession, on no other motive, than to acquaint you
with the necessities of their family. The best counsel I can give you, is
to stand upon your guard with such; and, to be rid of them, let them know
from the very first, that you can neither furnish them with money, nor
procure them any favour from other men. Be warned to have as little
discourse with this sort of people as possibly you can; for most commonly
they are great talkers, and if you trouble yourself with giving them the
hearing, you are almost certain to lose your time. For what remains,
disquiet not yourself with what they think or say of you; let them murmur
on, and do you take up a resolution of standing out so firmly, that they
may not find the least concernment in you; for the shew of any natural
sensibility would discover that you are not enough disengaged from the
world, as if you were wavering what part to take betwixt the world and
Christ. Remember, that you cannot covet popular approbation without
betraying your ministry, or becoming a deserter of your sacred colours,
in going back from that evangelical perfection, which you are obliged to
follow, with an unrelenting ardour."

After this, Xavier gave Barzaeus sundry particular orders, relating to
the persons and houses of the Society.

And now he chose for his companions, Balthazar Gago, Edward Silva, and
Peter Alcaceva, with Francis Goncalez, and Alvarez Ferreyra de Monte
Major; without reckoning into the number a young secular Chinese, named
Antonio, who had been brought up in the seminary of Sainte Foy. Some
of these were intended for China, and others for Japan. Father Ignatius
had written to Father Xavier, that it was of great importance to send
from the Indies into Europe one of the Society, well versed in the
eastern affairs, who might render an exact account of all things to the
king of Portugal, and the Pope; as a means of procuring temporal supplies
from the one, and spiritual favours from the other; both which were
necessary for the further increase of Christianity in Asia. Father
Francis did not receive those letters till after his voyage of Japan. He
had thought of these very things formerly, but now seeing that the
judgment of Ignatius concurred with his, he deputed into Italy and
Portugal, Andrew Fernandez, a man of parts and probity, who was not yet
in priest's orders. He not only gave him ample informations concerning
the present condition of the Indies, but also wrote large letters on the
same subject, to the king of Portugal, to Father Ignatius, and to Simon
Rodriguez. Being now ready to go for the voyage of China, he gave notice
of his intentions to king John, in this ensuing letter.

"I shall depart from Goa within the compass of five days, intending first
for Malacca; from whence I shall take the way of China, in the company of
James Pereyra, who is named ambassador. We carry with us the rich
presents, which are bought partly at the cost of your majesty, and partly
at the proper charges of Pereyra: but we carry also a far more precious
present, and such an one as no king, at least to my knowledge, has made
the like to another prince, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ; and if
the emperor of China once knew its value, I am confident he would prefer
that treasure before all his own, how immense soever they may be. I hope,
that at length Almighty God will look with eyes of pity on that vast
empire, and that he will make known to those great multitudes, who are
all made after his own image, their Creator, and the Saviour of mankind,
Christ Jesus.

"We are three in company, who go to China with Pereyra; and our design
is, to free from prison those Portuguese who are there languishing in
chains; to manage the friendship of the Chinese in favour of the crown of
Portugal; and, above all things, to make war with the devils, and their
adherents: on which occasion, we shall declare to the emperor, and, in
sequel, to all his subjects, from the King of Heaven, the great injury
which they have done him, to give the devils that adoration which is only
payable to the true God, creator of mankind, and to Jesus Christ, their
judge and master. The undertaking may seem bold, to come amongst
barbarians, and dare to appear before a mighty monarch, to declare the
truth to him, and reprehend his vices: but that which gives us courage
is, that God himself has inspired us with these thoughts; that he has
filled us with the assurance of his mercy; and that we doubt not of his
power, which infinitely surpasses that of the emperor of China. Thus our
whole success being in the hands of God, what cause of distrust or fear
is it possible for us to have? for certain it is, that our only
apprehension ought to be of offending him, and of incurring those
punishments which are ordained for wicked men. But my hopes are
incomparably greater when I consider, that God has made choice of such
weak instruments, and such sinners, as we are, for so high an employment,
as to carry the light of the gospel almost, I may say, into another
world, to a nation blinded with idolatry, and given up to vice."

While they were fitting out the ship, which was to carry the missioners
of China and Japan, Xavier assembled the fathers of the college by night,
not being able to do it by day, because they were in continual employment
till the evening. He discoursed with them concerning the virtues
requisite to the apostolic vocation, and spoke with so much ardency and
unction, that the congregation was full of sighs and tears, according to
the relation of some who were present, and have left it to us in writing.
But the instructions which he gave, in taking his last farewell of them,
are very remarkable. And I cannot, in my opinion, report them better,
than in the very words of the author, who took them from the mouth of the
apostle: "The Father, Master Francis," says he, "embracing his brethren
before his departure for China, and weeping over them, recommended
constancy in their vocation to them; together with unfeigned humility,
which was to have for its foundation, a true knowledge of themselves, and
particularly a most prompt obedience. He extended his exhortation on this
last point, and enjoined them obedience, as a virtue most pleasing to
Almighty God, much commended by the Holy Spirit, and absolutely necessary
to the sons of the Society."

The apostle went from Goa on holy Thursday, which fell that year, 1552,
on the 14th of April. The sea was calm enough, till they came to the
height of the islands of Nicubar, which are somewhat above Sumatra,
towards the north. Thereabouts the waves began to swell; and presently
after, there arose so furious a tempest, that there scarcely remained any
hopes of safety. That which doubled their apprehension, was, that two
foists, which bore them company, unable to sustain the fury of the waves,
sunk both by one another. The ship, which carried Xavier and his
companions, was a royal vessel, very large and deep laden, so that her
unwieldy bulk and heavy freight hindered her sailing and her steering. It
was thought necessary to ease her, and the merchandizes were ready to be
cast overboard, when Father Francis desired the captain not to be too
hasty. But the sailors saying, that the tempest increasing, as usually it
does towards evening, the vessel could not so conveniently be disburdened
in the dark, he bid them not disturb themselves about it, for the storm
should cease, and they should make land before sun-set. The captain, who
knew how certain the predictions of Xavier were, made not the least
scruple of believing him, and the event verified the prophecy. The sea
grew calm, and land appeared before the setting of the sun.

But while every one was rejoicing at the nearness of the port, the holy
man had sadness in his countenance, and often sighed. Some of them
enquired the cause, and he bade them pray to God for the city of Malacca,
which was visited with an epidemical disease. Xavier said true; for the
sickness was so general, and so contagious, that it seemed the beginning
of a pestilence. Malignant fevers raged about the town, which carried off
the strongest constitutions in a little space, and the infection was
caught almost at sight. In this condition the ship found Malacca; and
never was the sight of the holy man more pleasing to the inhabitants.
Every one promised himself ease of body, and consolation of mind from
him; and they were not deceived in their expectation.

So soon as he was set on shore, he went in search of the sick, and found
employment enough amongst them for the exercise of his charity. Not a man
of them, but desired to confess to Father Francis, and to expire in his
arms; according to the popular opinion, that whoever died in that manner,
could not fail of being saved. He ran from street to street with his
companions, to gather up the poor, who lay languishing on the ground for
want of succour. He carried them to the hospitals, and to the college of
the Society, which on this occasion he changed into an hospital. And when
both the college and the hospitals were full, he ordered cabins to be
built along the shore, out of the remainders of rotten vessels, for
lodgings, and necessary uses of those distressed creatures. After which
he procured them food and medicines, which he begged from the devouter
sort, and himself attended them both day and night. That which appeared
most wonderful, was, that though the sick could not be served, nor the
dying assisted, nor the dead buried, without taking the infection, and it
was death to take it, yet Xavier and his companions enjoyed their perfect
health in the midst of such dangerous employments. This indeed was
wonderful, but there was also an undoubted miracle, which it pleased
Almighty God to work by the ministry of his servant, on a young man, whom
at that time he restored to life.

This young man, named Francis Ciavus, the only son of a devout woman, who
had long been under the conduct of Xavier, having put into his mouth,
without thinking of it, a poisoned arrow, such as are used in those
eastern parts, died suddenly, so subtile and so mortal was the venom.
They were already burying him, when Xavier came by chance that way. He
was so moved with the cries and lamentations of the mother, that, taking
the dead by the hand, he revived him with these words: "Francis, in the
name of Jesus Christ, arise." The youth thus raised, believed from that
moment, that he was no more his own, and that he was obliged to
consecrate that life to God, which was so miraculously restored: In
effect he did it, and out of acknowledgment to Xavier, took the habit of
the Society. When the mortality was almost ceased, the saint pursued his
design of the embassy to China, and treated with Don Alvarez d'Atayda,
the governor of Malacca, on whom the viceroy had reposed the trust of so
important an affair Don Alvarez had much approved this enterprize, when
Xavier had first opened it, at his return from Japan, and had even
promised to favour it with all his power. But envy and interest are two
passions, which stifle the most reasonable thoughts, and make men forget
their most solemn protestations.

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