ore by a crab.

The cardinal also dwelt on miracles performed by Xavier's relics after
his death, the most original being that sundry lamps placed before the
image of the saint and filled with holy water burned as if filled with
oil.

This latter account appears to have deeply impressed the Pope, for in
the Bull of Canonization issued by virtue of his power of teaching
the universal Church infallibly in all matters pertaining to faith and
morals, His Holiness dwells especially upon the miracle of the lamp
filled with holy water and burning before Xavier's image.

Xavier having been made a saint, many other Lives of him appeared, and,
as a rule, each surpassed its predecessor in the multitude of miracles.
In 1622 appeared that compiled and published under the sanction of
Father Vitelleschi, and in it not only are new miracles increased, but
some old ones are greatly improved. One example will suffice to show the
process. In his edition of 1596, Tursellinus had told how, Xavier one
day needing money, and having asked Vellio, one of his friends, to
let him have some, Vellio gave him the key of a safe containing thirty
thousand gold pieces. Xavier took three hundred and returned the key
to Vellio; whereupon Vellio, finding only three hundred pieces gone,
reproached Xavier for not taking more, saying that he had expected to
give him half of all that the strong box contained. Xavier, touched by
this generosity, told Vellio that the time of his death should be made
known to him, that he might have opportunity to repent of his sins and
prepare for eternity. But twenty-six years later the Life of Xavier
published under the sanction of Vitelleschi, giving the story, says that
Vellio on opening the safe found that ALL HIS MONEY remained as he had
left it, and that NONE AT ALL had disappeared; in fact, that there had
been a miraculous restitution. On his blaming Xavier for not taking the
money, Xavier declares to Vellio that not only shall he be apprised of
the moment of his death, but that the box shall always be full of money.
Still later biographers improved the account further, declaring that
Xavier promised Vellio that the strong box should always contain money
sufficient for all his needs. In that warm and uncritical atmosphere
this and other legends grew rapidly, obedient to much the same laws
which govern the evolution of fairy tales.(293)

(293) The writer in the Catholic World, already mentioned, rather
rashly