o our brethren, as he himself is to us. Thus, when the sins,
of which you find yourself guilty, are a thousand times more numerous and
more crying than they are, I shall have the patience to hear them all,
and shall make no difficulty of giving you absolution, provided you take
those thoughts and resolutions which I shall endeavour to infuse into
you."

By these words he brought the soldier to a general confession. He
disposed him for it, by causing him to recal into his memory his past
life, and drawing him into the particulars of those sins, which a man of
his character and profession might possibly have committed. While they
were upon these terms, the ship cast anchor at the port of Ceylon for
refreshment. Many of the fleet went on shore, and, amongst the rest, the
Father and the soldier. They went together to a wild solitary place;
there the soldier made his confession with abundance of tears, resolved
to expiate his crimes, with whatsoever penance the Father should enjoin
him, were it never so rigorous. But his confessor gave him only a
paternoster and an ave to say. Whereat the penitent being much amazed,
"from whence proceeds it, my Father," said he, "that, being so great a
sinner as I am, you have given me so light a penance?" "Be content,"
answered Xavier; "O my son, we shall appease the divine justice:" and at
the same instant, he withdrew into a wood, while the soldier performed
his penance. There he did what he had formerly done on the like occasion:
he bared his shoulders, and disciplined himself so rigorously, that the
soldier heard the noise of the strokes, and came running to him,
beholding the Father all in blood; and rightly judging what was the
motive of so strange an action, he snatched the discipline out of his
hands, and crying out, "it was the criminal who ought to endure the
punishment, and not the innocent to bear the pains of sin;" he
immediately stripped himself, and chastised his body with all his
strength. Xavier oftentimes embraced him, and declared, that it was for
his sake alone that he came on shipboard. So having given him
wholesome admonitions to confirm him in the grace of God, he left him,
and returned to Goa in the first vessel which went out of the port where
they made the stay. As for the soldier, he followed the fleet; and after
the expedition of Aden was ended, he entered into religion, chusing one
of the most austere orders, where he lived and died in extraordinary
holiness.