hip's captain. Gama
shewing Father Francis to the messenger, told him, that the noise which
had alarmed the court, was only a small testimony of the honour which was
owing to so great a person, one so dear to heaven, and so much esteemed
in the court of Portugal.

The Japanner, who saw nothing but poverty in the person of the Father,
and remembered what had been written of him from Amanguchi, stopped a
little without speaking; then, with amazement in his face, "I am in
pain," said he, "what answer I shall return my prince; for what you tell
me has no correspondence either with that which I behold, or with the
account we have received from the Bonzas of Amanguchi; who have seen your
Father Bonza entertain a familiar spirit, who taught him to cast lots,
and perform certain magical operations to delude the ignorant. They
report him to be a wretch forsaken, and accurst by all the world; that
the vermin which are swarming all over him, are too nice to feed on his
infectious flesh; besides which, I fear, that if I should relate what you
say concerning him, our priests would be taken either for idiots, or men
of false understanding, or for envious persons, and impostors." Then Gama
replying, told the Japonian all that was necessary to give him a good
impression of the saint, and to hinder him from contempt of his mean
appearance. On this last article he declared to him, that he, who had so
despicable an outside, was of noble blood; that fortune had provided him
with wealth, but that his virtue had made him poor; and that his wilfull
want of all things was the effect of a great spirit, which despised those
empty pomps that are so eagerly desired by mankind. This discourse
ravished the Japanner with admiration; he made a faithful relation of it
to his king; and added of himself, that the Portuguese were more happy in
the possession of this holy man, than if their vessel were laden with
ingots of gold.

The king of Bungo had already heard speak of Father Francis; and gave no
credit to what the Bonzas of Amanguchi had written of him. He was a
prince of five-and-twenty years of age, very judicious, generous, and
civil; but too much engaged in carnal pleasures, after the manner of the
Japonian princes. What he had heard from the relation of the messenger,
increased his longing to behold Xavier; and the same day he writ to him,
in these very terms:--

"Father Bonza of Chimahicoghin, (for by that name they call Portugal,)
may your