made easy to Xavier the paths of that perfection which were
hitherto unknown to him. He learnt from his new master, that the first
step which a sincere convert is to make, is to labour in the subduing of
his darling passion. As vainglory had the greatest dominion over him, his
main endeavours, from the very beginning, were to humble himself, and to
confound his own pride in the sense of his emptiness, and of his sins.
But well knowing that he could not tame the haughtiness of the soul
without mortifying the flesh, he undertook the conquest of his body, by
haircloth, by fasting, and other austerities of penance.

When his time of vacancies was come, he performed his spiritual
exercises, which his lectures of philosophy had till then hindered. Those
very exercises I mean, which Ignatius, inspired of God, had composed at
Manreze; and of which I have drawn the model, in the life of that holy
founder of the society of Jesus.

He began his retirement with an extraordinary fervour, even to the
passing of four days entire without taking any nourishment. His
contemplations were wholly busied, day and night, on divine matters. And
an ancient memorial assures us, that he went to his devotions with his
hands and feet tied; either to signify, that he was desirous to do
nothing, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, or to give himself
the same usage which was given to the man in the parable of the gospel;
"who dared to appear in the wedding-room, without cloathing himself in
wedding-garments."

By meditating at his leisure on the great truths of Christianity, and
especially on the mysteries of our Saviour, according to the method of
Ignatius, he was wholly changed into another man; and the humility of the
cross appeared to him more amiable than all the glories of the world.
These new insights caused him, without the least repugnance, to refuse a
canonry of Pampeluna, which was offered him at that time, and was very
considerable, both in regard of the profits and of the dignity. He formed
also, during his solitude, the design of glorifying God by all possible
means, and of employing his whole life for the salvation of souls.

On these foundations, having finished the course of philosophy which he
read, and which had lasted three years and a half, according to the
custom of those times, he studied in divinity, by the counsel of
Ignatius, whose scholar he openly declared himself to be.

In the mean time, Ignatius, who found in