his naked body, that, in a very little time, his back and shoulders were all bloody.  “It is for your sake,” said he to the gentleman who accompanied him, “that I do what you see, and all this is nothing to what I would willingly suffer for you.  But,” added he, “you have cost Christ Jesus a much dearer price.  Will neither his passion, his death, nor all his blood, suffice to soften the hardness of your heart?” After this, addressing himself to our blessed Saviour, “O Lord,” said he, “be pleased to look on thy own adorable blood, and not on that of so vile a sinner as myself.”  The gentleman, amazed and confounded, both at once, at such an excess of charity, cast himself at the feet of Xavier, beseeching him to forbear, and promising to confess himself and totally to change his former life.  In effect, before they departed out of the wood, he made a general confession to the father, with sincere contrition for his sins, and afterwards lived with the exemplary behaviour and practice of a good Christian.

Being returned to the port, they went again on shipboard, and continued their voyage to Cambaya.  When they were arrived at that place, Xavier went to wait on the viceroy, and easily persuaded him to what he desired, in reference to Jafanatapan; for, besides that Sosa reposed an entire confidence in Father Xavier, and was himself zealous for the faith, the expedition, which was proposed to him, was the most glorious that the Portuguese could undertake, since the consequence of it was to punish a tyrant, to dispossess an usurper, and to restore a lawful king.

The viceroy, therefore, wrote letters, and dispatched couriers, to the captains of Comorin and of the Fishery, commanding them to assemble all the forces they could make at Negapatan, and make a sudden irruption into the tyrant’s country, without giving him time to provide for his defence.  He gave them also in charge to take the tyrant alive, if possibly they could, and put him into the hands of Father Francis, who desired his conversion, not his death, and hoped the blood of the martyrs of Manar might obtain the forgiveness of his crimes.

Xavier, encouraged by these hopes, returned towards Cochin, where he proposed to himself to follow his ministerial vocation, while the preparations of war were making.  Coming back by Cananor, he lodged in the house of a Christian, who himself was religious, but his son debauched, and subject to all sorts of vices.  The good man, sensibly afflicted at the ill conduct of his graceless son, wept day and night; and Xavier began at first to comfort him, saying, those vices were ordinary in youth, and riper age would reclaim him from them.  Having done speaking, he stood mute awhile, and recollected himself; then, suddenly lifting up his eyes to heaven, “Know,” said he, “that you are the most happy father in the world.  This libertine son, who has given you so many disquiets, shall one day change his manners, he shall be a religious of the order of St Francis, and at last shall die a martyr.”  The event verified the prediction.  The young man afterwards took the habit of St Francis, and went to preach the faith in the kingdom of Cande,[1] where he received martyrdom from the barbarians.