hose who are in the state of mortal sin;" and by this, he
brought into the minds of sinners, the remembrance and consideration of
their offences. For, seeing the ill habits of their minds, and that the
disease was like to be inflamed, if violent remedies were applied, he
tempered more than ever the ardour of his zeal. Though he had naturally a
serene countenance, and was of a pleasing conversation, yet all the
charms of his good humour seemed to be redoubled at Malacca, insomuch,
that his companion, John Deyro, could not but wonder at his gaiety and
soft behaviour.

By this procedure, the apostle gained the hearts of all and became in
some manner, lord of the city. At the very first, he rooted out an
established custom, which permitted the young maids to go in the habit of
boys whenever they pleased, which occasioned a world of scandal. He drove
out of doors the concubines, or turned them into lawful wives, according
to his former method. As for the children, who had no knowledge of God,
and who learnt songs of ribaldry and obsceneness as soon as they began to
speak, he formed them so well in a little time, that they publicly
recited the Christian doctrine, and set up little altars in the streets,
about which they sung together the hymns of the Catholic church. But that
in which he was most successful, was to restore the practice of
confession, which was almost entirely lost. But now men and women crowded
the tribunal of holy penitence, and the Father was not able to supply the
necessities of so many.

He laboured in the knowledge of the Malaya tongue, which is spoken in all
the isles beyond Malacca, and is as it were the universal language. His
first care was to have a little catechism translated into it, being the
same he had composed on the coast of Fishery; together with a more ample
instruction, which treated of the principal duties of Christianity. He
learnt all this without book; and, to make himself the better understood,
he took a particular care of the pronunciation.

With these helps, and the assistance of interpreters, who were never
wanting to him at his need, he converted many idolaters, as also
Mahometans and Jews; amongst the rest, a famous rabbi, who made a public
adjuration of Judaism. This rabbi, who before had taken for so many
fables, or juggling tricks, all those wonders which are reported to have
been done by Xavier, now acknowledged them for truths by the evidence of
his own eyes: for the saint