ed God to perate by his means. The coast of Fishery
was never so full of diseases, as when the father was there. It seemed,
as he himself has expressed it in a letter, that God sent those
distempers amongst that people, to draw them to him almost in their own
despite. For coming to recover on an instant, and against all human
appearance, so soon as they had received baptism, or invoked the name of
Jesus Christ, they clearly saw the difference betwixt the God of the
Christians and the pagods, which is the name given in the Indies, both to
the temples and the images of their false gods.

No one fell sick amongst the Gentiles, but had immediate recourse to
Father Xavier. As it was impossible for him to attend them all, or to be
in many places at the same time, he sent there Christian children where
he could not go himself. In going from him, one took his chaplet, another
his crucifix, a third his reliquiary, and all being animated with a
lively faith, dispersed themselves through the towns and villages. There
gathering about the sick as many people as they could assemble, they
repeated often the Lord's prayer, the creed, the commandments, and all
they had learnt by heart of the Christian faith; which being done, they
asked the sick, "If he believed unfeignedly in Jesus Christ, and if he
desired to be baptized?" When he had answered "Yes," they touched him
with the chaplet, or crucifix belonging to the father, and he was
immediately cured.

One day, while Xavier was preaching the mysteries of faith to a great
multitude, some came to bring him word from Manapar, that one of the
most considerable persons of that place was possessed by the devil,
desiring the father to come to his relief. The man of God thought it
unbecoming of his duty to break off the instruction he was then making.
He only called to him some of those young Christians, and gave them a
cross which he wore upon his breast; after which he sent them to Manapar
with orders to drive away the evil spirit.

They were no sooner arrived there, than the possessed person fell into an
extraordinary fury, with, wonderful contortions of his limbs, and hideous
yellings. The little children, far from being terrified, as usually
children are, made a ring about him, singing the prayers of the church.
After which they compelled him to kiss the cross; and at the same moment,
the devil departed out of him. Many pagans there present, visibly
perceiving the virtue of the cross, w