the next spring, and these
apostolical persons not knowing what it was to live in idleness, Xavier
was not satisfied only to instruct those young gentlemen in piety, whom
the king had committed to his charge; he gave himself an employment, and
did at Lisbon what he had done at Venice, Bolognia, and Rome, for the
space of two years and more. But, besides that he assisted the sick in
the hospital day and night, visited the prisoners every day, and
catechised the children many times in the week, he often discoursed
with the principal persons of the court, and engaged them in the
spiritual exercises of Ignatius.

At first he preached not in the churches, judging, that the ministries of
the gospel ought to begin with less public actions; and went not into the
pulpit, without being first requested by the king, who one day sending
for him to the palace, acquainted him with the desire he had to hear him
preach; and told him, "That the Bishop of Lisbon was of opinion, that
they ought not any longer to defer his public exhortations."

Father Simon Rodriguez laboured also on his part, in the service of his
neighbour, according to the same method, and with the same spirit.

In the mean time, Martin d'Azpilcueta, surnamed the doctor of Navarre,
who was uncle to Xavier, on the mother's side, and who was chief
professor of divinity in the university of Coimbra, having heard the news
of his nephew's arrival, wrote earnestly to the king, that it would
please him to send Father Francis to him. He added, that in case the
Father might have leave to remain with him till the departure of the
fleet, he would oblige himself to make two new lectures, at his own
expence, the one in canon-law, the other in mystical divinity. And
farther, that in few years afterwards he would follow Xavier to the
Indies, and preach the gospel in conjunction with him, to the eastern
idolaters.

These letters prevailed nothing; the man, who had refused so much as to
turn out of his way to see his mother, was bent against the taking of a
journey, and forsaking his important business to visit one of his
relations. The king retained Xavier at Lisbon, at the request of Xavier
himself; and the father wrote a letter of excuse to the doctor of
Navarre, who had written two to him full of tenderness and friendship. As
that doct&r was unsatisfied with that kind of life, which his nephew had
embraced, so Xavier resolved him, on that point, in this manner. "For
what concern