n to
hear the European Bonzas. The first sermons of Xavier made a great
impression on their souls; and in less than twenty days, he baptized more
infidels at Firando, than he had done in a whole year at Cangoxima. The
facility which he found of reducing those people under the obedience of
the faith, made him resolve to leave with them Cosmo de Torrez, to put
the finishing hand to their conversion, and in the mean time to go
himself to Meaco, which he had designed from the beginning; that town
being the capital of the empire, from whence the knowledge of Christ
Jesus might easily be spread through all Japan.

Departing with Fernandez, and the two Japonian Christians, Matthew and
Bernard, for this great voyage at the end of October, in the year 1550,
they arrived at Facata by sea, which is twenty leagues distant from
Firando; and from thence embarked for Amanguchi, which is an hundred
leagues from it. Amanguchi is the capital of the kingdom of Naugato, and
one of the richest towns of all Japan, not only by the traffic of
strangers, who come thither from all parts, but also by reason of silver
mines, which are there in great abundance, and by the fertility of the
soil; but as vices are the inseparable companions of wealth, it was a
place totally corrupted, and full of the most monstrous debaucheries.

Xavier took that place only as his passage to Meaco; but the strange
corruption of manners gave him so much horror, and withal so great
compassion, that he could not resolve to pass farther without publishing
Christ Jesus to those blind and execrable men, nor without making known
to them the purity of the Christian law. The zeal which transported him,
when he heard the abominable crimes of the town, suffered him not to ask
permission from the king, as it had been his custom in other places. He
appeared in public on the sudden, burning with an inward fire, which
mounted up into his face, and boldly declared to the people the eternal
truths of faith. His companion Fernandez did the same in another part of
the town. People heard them out of curiosity; and many after having
inquired who they were, what dangers they had run, and for what end,
admired their courage, and their procedure, void of interest, according
to the humour of the Japonians, whose inclinations are naturally noble,
and full of esteem for actions of generosity. From public places they
were invited into houses, and there desired to expound their doctrine
more at