."----

Father Xavier, since his return, had sent Nicholas Lancilotti to Coulan,
Melchier Gonzales to Bazain, and Alphonso Cyprian to Socotora. Before his
departure, he sent Gasper Barzaeus to Ormuz, with one companion, who was
not yet in orders. This famous town, situate at the entry of the Persian
Gulph, was then full of enormous vices, which the mingle of nations and
different sects had introduced. The saint had thoughts of going thither
himself, to prepare the way for other missioners; according to his own
maxims, to send none of the priests to any place, which he knew not first
by his own experience. But the voyage of Japan superseded that of Ormuz.

How great soever his opinions were of the prudence and virtue of Father
Gasper, yet he thought fit to give him in writing some particular
instructions, to help him in the conduct of that important mission. I
imagine those instructions would not be unpleasing to the reader; I am
sure, at least, they will not be unprofitable to missioners; and for that
reason I shall make a recital of them. You shall behold them, neither
altered, nor in that confusion which they are in other authors; but
faithfully translated from the copy of a manuscript extant in the
archives of Goa.

"1. Above all things, have care of perfecting yourself, and of
discharging faithfully what you owe to God, and your own conscience. For
by this means you will become most capable of serving your neighbour, and
of gaining souls. Take pleasure in the most abject employments of your
ministry; that, by exercising them, you may acquire humility, and daily
advance in that virtue.

"Be sure yourself to teach the ignorant those prayers, which every
Christian ought to have by heart; and lay not on any other person an
employment so little ostentatious Give yourself the trouble of hearing
the children and slaves repeat them word by word after you. Do the same
thing to the children of the Christian natives of the country: they who
behold you thus exercised, will be edified by your modesty; and as modest
persons easily attract the esteem of others, they will judge you proper
to instruct themselves in the mysteries of the Christian religion.

"You shall frequently visit the poor in the hospitals, and from time to
time exhort them to confess themselves, and to communicate; giving them
to understand, that confession is the remedy for past sins, and the
communion a preservative against relapses; that both of them dest