ce of
Christianity, was retained in idolatry by carnal pleasures: and for
Neatondono, first prince of the kingdom, who, having noble and virtuous
inclinations, might have proved the apostle of the court, if some trivial
reasons had not hindered him from becoming a Christian. He, and the
princess his wife, respected Xavier as their father, and even honoured
him as a saint. They also loved the faithful, and succoured them in all
their needs. They spoke of our faith in terms of great veneration; but,
having founded many monasteries of Bonzas, it troubled them, as they
said, to lose the fruit of charity: and thus the fear of being frustrated
of I know not what rewards, which the Bonzas promised them, caused them
to neglect that eternal recompence of which the holy man assured them.

But how powerful soever the example of princes is usually in matters of
religion, yet on all sides Christianity was embraced; and an action of
Xavier's companion did not a little contribute to the gaining over of the
most stubborn. Fernandez preached in one of the most frequented places of
the town; and amongst his crowd of auditors were some persons of great
wit, strongly opinioned of their sect, who could not conceive the maxims
of the gospel, and who heard the preacher with no other intention than to
make a sport of him. In the midst of the sermon, a man, who was of the
scum of the rabble, drew near to Fernandez, as if it were to whisper
something to him, and hawking up a mass of nastiness, spit it full upon
his face. Fernandez, without a word speaking, or making the least sign
that he was concerned, took his hand-kerchief, wiped his face, and
continued his discourse.

Every one was suprised at the moderation of the preacher:--the more
debauched, who had set up a laughter at this affront, turned all their
scorn into admiration, and sincerely acknowledged, that a man who was so
much master of his passions, as to command them on such an occasion, must
needs be endued with greatness of soul and heroic courage. One of the
chief of the assembly discovered somewhat else in this unshaken patience:
He was the most learned amongst all the doctors of Amanguchi, and the
most violent against the gospel He considered, that a law which taught
such patience, and such insensibility of affronts, could only come from
heaven; and argued thus within himself: "These preachers, who with so
much constancy endure the vilest of all injuries, cannot pretend to cozen