These letters prevailed nothing; the man, who had refused so much as to turn out of his way to see his mother, was bent against the taking of a journey, and forsaking his important business to visit one of his relations.  The king retained Xavier at Lisbon, at the request of Xavier himself; and the father wrote a letter of excuse to the doctor of Navarre, who had written two to him full of tenderness and friendship.  As that doct&r was unsatisfied with that kind of life, which his nephew had embraced, so Xavier resolved him, on that point, in this manner.  “For what concerns our institute, of which so many reports are now raised, I have but one word, at present, to say of it.  ’Tis of little consequence, illustrious doctor, to be judged by men, especially by such, who will needs be judging before they understand the matter, and know the merits of the cause.”

As to his intention of going to the Indies, he desired him to think no farther of it; for thus Navarre relates that passage in his manual:  “I had resolved to have ended my days in those parts, if Xavier, in consideration of my great age, had not thought me incapable of those labours which attend his mission:  and if he had not written to me at his departure, that I should comfort myself for his absence, by the hope of seeing each other in the celestial kingdom.”

Our two missioners laboured not in vain at Lisbon.  From the very beginning of their ministry, devotion began to spread amongst the people.  All men ran to the blessed sacrament, which before was never thought on but in Lent:  and this holy custom diffused itself insensibly through all the towns of Portugal Many, who had deferred their conversion from time to time, now on the sudden gave themselves up to God, and even renounced the world.  The most inveterate enemies were sincerely reconciled, and the most impudent harlots abandoned their prostitute way of living.

But this change of manners was most particularly apparent at the court:  the king, who was truly religious, and full of goodness, was the first to declare himself against those vices which usually infect the palaces of princes.  And that he might introduce a reformation by degrees, not only into his house, bat also dilate it through his whole kingdom, he obliged all the young courtiers to confess themselves once a week; for he said, “That if the lords and gentlemen would accustom themselves, from their tender years, to the service and fear of God, they would live with greater Christianity in their riper age:  and if persons of quality came once to give good examples of religion, the commonalty, who form themselves according to their model, would not fail to regulate their manners; and therefore the reformation of all degrees in the kingdom consisted chiefly in the virtuous education of young noblemen.”

The example of the prince and the young courtiers drew the rest; and thereupon Xavier writes to Ignatius in these terms: