zed the
greatest part of them, they came to desire him, that he would make their
peace with their masters, whom they had left to free themselves from
slavery, and declared, that they were content once more to lose their
liberty in prospect of the salvation of their souls. Xavier received them
with open arms, as his well-beloved children, and afterwards obtained
their pardon.

After he had visited all the villages, he made some stay at Manapar,
which is not far distant from Cape Comorine. As the only end which he
proposed to himself, was to plant the gospel in the Indies, and that in
order to it he must there establish the society, he began to regulate all
things according to the principles, and in the spirit of Father Ignatius,
general of the order. Having reassembled all the labourers in the gospel
of that coast, he examined their several talents and virtues, in familiar
conversation with them, by causing them to give an account of what passed
betwixt God and them in their own hearts. After he had assigned to each
of them the places which were most convenient for them, both in regard of
their bodily strength, and of their spiritual endowments, he constituted
Father Antonio Criminal superior of all the rest: and to the end they
might be more capable of serving that people, he ordered every one of
them, with all possible care, to apply himself to the study of the
Malabar language, which obtains through all that coast. Upon this
account, he commanded Father Francis Henriquez to reduce that tongue into
the rules of art, and to compose an exact grammar of it, according to the
method of the Greek and Latin grammars. The work seemed impossible,
especially to one who was newly come from Europe, and who had little
knowledge in the Indian tongues; nevertheless Henriquez compassed it in a
small time, which was apparently a miracle of obedience. In the mean
while, Xavier judging that the exposition of the Christian doctrine,
which he had made for those of Molucca, might be of use to his dear
Paravas, ordered a Malabar priest, who was well versed in the Portuguese,
to translate it into his own language. But to the end that the conduct of
the missioners might be uniform, and that the same spirit might animate
all of them, besides the instructions which he gave them by word of
mouth, he gave them the following rules in writing.

In the first place, "Wherever the lot of your ministry shall fall, be
mindful of baptising infants newly