e altogether heavenly, of which God himself is
the only teacher. Neither all the Bonzas of Japan, nor yet all the
scholars extant in the world, can prevail against it, any more than the
shadows of the night against the beams of the rising sun."

The king, at the request of Xavier, gave entrance to the Bonza.
Fucarandono, after the three usual reverences to the king, seated himself
by Xavier; and after he had fixed his eyes earnestly upon him, "I know
not," said he, with an overweaning look, "if thou knowest me; or, to
speak more properly, if thou rememberest me." "I remember not," said
Xavier, "that I have ever seen you." Then the Bonza, breaking out into a
forced laughter, and turning to his fellows, "I shall have but little
difficulty in overcoming this companion, who has conversed with me a
hundred times, and yet would make us believe he had never seen me." Then
looking on Xavier, with a scornful smile, "Hast thou none of those goods
yet remaining," continued he, "which thou soldest me at the port of
Frenajoma?" "In truth," replied Xavier, with a sedate and modest
countenance, "I have never been a merchant in all my life, neither have I
ever been at the port of Frenajoma." "What a beastly forgetfulness is
this of thine," pursued the Bonza, with an affected wonder, and keeping
up his bold laughter, "how canst thou possibly forget it?" "Bring it
back to my remembrance," said Xavier mildly, "you, who have so much more
wit, and a memory happier than mine." "That shall be done," rejoined the
Bonza, proud of the commendations which the saint had given him; "it is
now just fifteen hundred years since thou and I, who were then merchants,
traded at Frenajoma, and where I bought of thee a hundred bales of silk,
at an easy pennyworth: dost thou yet remember it?" The saint, who
perceived whither the discourse tended, asked him, very civilly, "of
what age he might be?" "I am now two-and-fifty," said Fucarandono. "How
can it then be," replied Xavier, "that you were a merchant fifteen
hundred years ago, that is fifteen ages, when yet you have been in the
world, by your own confession, but half an age? and how comes it that you
and I then trafficked together at Frenajoma, since the greatest part of
you Bonzas maintain, that Japan was a desart, and uninhabited at that
time?" "Hear me," said the Bonza, "and listen to me as an oracle; I will
make thee confess that we have a greater knowledge of things past, than
thou and thy fellows hav