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rs in a conquered country. The pleasures of Asia, and the commerce of infidels, aided not a little to debauch the Portuguese, as starched and regular as they naturally are. The want of spiritual directors contributed largely to this growing mischief. There were not four preachers, in all the Indies, nor any one priest without the walls of Goa; insomuch, that in many fortified places whole years were passed without hearing a sermon or a mass. Behold a draught, not unresembling the face of Christianity in this new world, when Father Xavier arrived in it. The author of the relation from whence mine is copied, seems to have had some kind of foresight of his coming; for, in the conclusion of his memorial, he prays Almighty God, and earnestly desires the king of Portugal, to send some holy man to the Indies, who might reform the manners of the Europeans, by his apostolic instructions, and his exemplary virtues. As for the Gentiles, the life they led resembled that of beasts rather than of men. Uncleanness was risen to the last excess amongst them; and the least corrupt were those who had no religion. The greatest part of them adored the devil under an obscene figure, and with ceremonies which modesty forbids to mention. Some amongst them changed their deity every day; and the first living creature which happened to meet them in the morning was the object of their worship, not excepting even dogs or swine. In this they were uniform, that they all offered bloody sacrifices to their gods; and nothing was more common, than to see bleeding infants on the altars, slaughtered by the hands of their own parents. Such manifold abominations inflamed the zeal of Father Xavier. He wished himself able at the same time, to have applied remedies to them all; yet thought himself obliged to begin with the household of faith, according to the precept of St Paul; that is to say, with the Christians: and amongst them he singled out the Portuguese, whose example was like to be most prevalent with the baptised Indians. Behold in what manner he attempted this great enterprise of reformation. To call down the blessing of heaven on this difficult employment, he consecrated the greatest part of the night to prayers, and allowed himself at the most but four hours of sleep; and even this little repose was commonly disturbed: for, lodging in the hospital, and lying always near the sick, as his custom had been at Mozambique, his slumber was broke
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