of landing. After
they had made a turn or two, the saint stripped himself to the waist, and
taking a discipline, pointed at the ends with wire, struck so hard and so
often on 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