When the Manarois had notice, that the great father, so famous in the Indies, was at Pasim, they assembled together, above three thousand of them, for the most part Gentiles, and being come to the village, besought him humbly to deliver them from the pestilence.

Xavier asked three days, wherein to implore of God, for that which they had begged from him.  During all which time, he only offered up to our Lord, and set before him the merits of those blessed martyrs, who had suffered for his name at Pasim.  Before those days were ended, his prayers were heard, the plague ceased, and all the sick were restored to health at the same moment.  So visible a miracle wrought on all of them to believe in Jesus Christ; and the apostle baptized them with his own hand.  He could make no longer stay with them; for the naval army then expected him, and his presence was necessary to encourage the soldiers, and mind the captains of the performance of their duty.

He passed over from Manar to Negapatan; but there he found all things in a far different condition from what he hoped.  The Portuguese navy diminished daily; and the commanders, who at the beginning had been so zealous for the Holy War, were now the first to condemn it.  It was in vain for him to set before their eyes the honour of their nation, and that of God:  interest did so blind their understanding, that they forgot they were either Portuguese or Christians:  behold, in short, what overthrew so glorious an expedition.

While they were equipping the fleet, it happened that a Portuguese vessel, coming from the kingdom of Pegu, and laden with rich merchandise, was driven by tempest upon the coast of Jafanatapan.  The king made seizure of it, and possessed himself of all within it, according to the custom of the barbarians.  The captain and the ship’s company foreseeing, that if, in this conjuncture, war should be made against the heathen prince, they should never be able to retrieve their wealth out of his hands, corrupted the officers of the fleet with large presents, to desist from their undertaking.  Thus the tyrant, whom Father Xavier designed to drive out from his ill-gotten kingdom, was maintained in it, by the covetousness of Christians; or rather by the secret decrees of Providence, which sometimes permits the persecutors of the church to reign in peace, to the end a trial may be made of such as dare to continue constant in their faith.

As holy men resign their will to that of God, Xavier wholly abandoned the enterprize of Jafanatapan, and thought only of returning to the kingdom of Travancore.  Being now on sea, he cast back his eyes on the Isle of Ceylon, which he saw from far; and cried out, lamenting for it, “Ah!  Unhappy island, with how many carcases do I behold thee covered, and what rivers of blood are making inundations on all sides of thee!” These words were prophetical of what happened afterwards, when on Constantine de Braganza at one time, and Don Hurtado de Mendoca at another, destroyed all those islanders with the sword; and the king of Jafanatapan being himself taken, together with his eldest son, was put to death in his own palace; as if the divine justice had not deferred the death of this persecutor, but only to render it more terrible, and more memorable.