gift; but
the desire of engrossing all the gain, was the reason which prevailed
with Atayda to refuse it.

The treasurer, with the rest of the crown-officers, being come to
remonstrate to him, that the king's orders were positive, not to stop the
navigation of those merchants, who had paid the duties of the port, he
threatened them with his cane, which he held up against them, and drove
them out of his chamber with great fury, saying, "That he was too old to
be counselled; that, as long as he continued governor of Malacca, and
captain of the seas, James Pereyra should not go to China, either
as ambassador, or merchant; and if Father Xavier was intoxicated with the
zeal of converting heathens, he might go to Brazil, or to the kingdom of
Monomotapa."

Francis Pereyra, who was auditor-royal, and who had great credit in the
town, not being able, either by his intreaties, or his arguments, to
oblige Don Alvarez to restore the rudder of the Santa Cruz, would have
forced it from him; but this was opposed by Xavier, who foresaw, that the
soldiers, who kept the rudder, would defend it with the hazard of their
lives, and that this affair would have ill consequences.

The way which was taken by the holy man, was to send to the governor the
grand vicar John Suarez, attended by the most considerable persons of the
town, to shew him the letters of King John III., which expressly made out
his intentions, that Father Xavier should extend the faith, as far as he
was able, through all the kingdoms of the East, and that the governors
should favour him on all occasions. Suarez read also to the governor, the
letter of the vice-king Don Alphonso de Norogna, in which he declared
criminal of state, whosoever should hinder or oppose this particular
voyage of the saint. That which ought to have reduced Don Alvarez to
reason, or at least to have terrified him, served only to make him more
unreasonable, and more audacious. He rose from his seat, with the action
of a madman, and stamping with his foot, sent back the grand vicar, with
this dutiful expression: "The king's interest, you say, requires this to
be performed; and I will not suffer it to be performed: Here I am, and
will be master."

These outrageous dealings of the governor were not confined to those, who
made these remonstrances to him from the Father; they extended even to
the saint himself, whom he looked on as the author and head of the
enterprize. It is incredible what injurious