e already had made
him leave every fear; and consequently, without any horror of death,
notwithstanding that it represented itself to him as to all, full of
bitterness, he placed himself in excessive dangers, in order that he
might whiten with the water of baptism the souls of the inhabitants
of those ridges, so that in their darkened bodies they might obtain
the beauty of grace. Thus was his practice throughout his life,
not only in the above-mentioned district, but also in other places
of the many which are entrusted to us in those vast territories,
and if he did not effectively obtain the crown of martyrdom, yet the
merited reward will not be lacking to such prowess.

716. He did that when he was not the superior prelate, but afterwards
when he became provincial, he flew with his cares to undertakings
of almost infinite breadth. He beheld very near the great empire
of China, peopled by an incredible multitude of souls, almost all
of them seated in the shadows of death, and their acute intellects
ignorantly disturbed in the obscure darkness of their errors. The
mission so often craved by our reformed order to those countries,
was the first object of his zealous heart. He could not be satisfied
with trying to send others as evangelical laborers, but he tried with
the greatest seriousness to abandon the glory of the provincialate,
in order that he might be employed personally in an expedition so much
to divine service, and his inability to accomplish it cost him many a
bitter sob. He became a sea of tears, when he thought of the distant
kingdoms (also almost in sight) of Japon, Borney, Sumatra, Tunquin,
Cochinchina, Mogol, Tartaria, and Persia; for most of those who
have their wealth and amenities live but as mortals basely deceived
by their brutish worships, in order to die eternally in the more
grievous life. To some of those places and especially to Japon, he had
practical ideas of sending missionaries, and even of going thither
in person, and he made the greatest efforts for that purpose. And
although he did not obtain the end of his desires, because of the
obstructions which the common enemy is wont to place to such works,
such eagerness cannot but be praised very highly; and consequently,
they will have been rewarded with great degrees of glory, because of
what he was trying to communicate to the souls of others.

717. Since, then, he could not accomplish so well conceived love
which extended itself to the salva