ly pressed his coming back. His first endeavours were
to repair the faults committed by the rector; and he began with the
business of Cochin: for, in his passage by it, at his return, knowing the
violence of Gomez, he assembled in the choir of the cathedral the
magistrate of the town, with all the fraternity of the mother of God,
and, in the presence of the vicar, falling on his knees before them, he
desired their pardon for what had passed, presented to them the keys of
the church, which was the cause of the dispute, and yielded it entirely
to them. But submission sometimes gains that, which haughty carriage goes
without: The fraternity restored the keys into the hands of Xavier,
and, of their own free motion, made an authentic deed of gift of their
church to the college of the Society. As for what relates to Goa, the
saint dismissed those Portuguese whom Gomez had received into the
Society; and, having gathered up as many as he could find of those young
Indians, who had either been expelled, or were gone out of the college
of their own accord, he re-established the seminary, whose dissolution
was so prejudicial to the Christianity of the Indies.

It was only remaining to chastise the criminal, who had made such evil
use of his authority. Xavier would make an example of him; and so much
the rather, because, having told him what punishment his faults had
merited, he found him standing on his terms, insolent, and with no
disposition to submit. He judged, upon the whole, that a man who was
neither humble nor obedient, after such scandalous misdemeanours, was
unworthy of the Society of Jesus; which notwithstanding, he was not
willing to pull off his habit at Goa, for fear his departure might make
too great a noise; but having made the viceroy sensible of the justice of
his proceeding, he sent him to the fortress of Diu, towards Cambaya, with
orders to the Fathers residing there to give him his dismission, and to
use all manner of persuasions with him that he would return into
Portugal, by the opportunity of the first ship which went away. All was
performed according to the intentions of the holy man. But Gomez
embarking on a vessel which was wrecked in the midst of the voyage, was
unfortunately drowned; giving us to understand, by so tragical an end,
that the talents of nature, and even the gifts of grace itself, serve
only to the destruction of a man in religious orders, who is not endued
with the spirit of humility and ob