aviour; and required no more from them in the beginning,
than what might be expected then from people of base extraction, and
grown inveterate in vice As they were generally poor, he took a
particular care of their families; and obtained from the king of
Portugal, that the Paravas should be discharged from certain excessive
yearly tributes. He protected them more than once from the fury of their
neighbouring nations, who made war against them out of hatred to the
faith, and induced the governor of the Indies to send a royal army to
their relief; he saved them even from the violence of the officers, who
despoiled them of their goods through avarice, and set bounds to the
unjust exactions of those griping ministers, by threatening to complain
of them both to King John the Third, and to the Cardinal Infante, who was
grand inquisitor.

As the sin of impurity was the reigning vice in India amongst the
Portuguese, he applied himself, in a particular manner, to withdraw them
from their voluptuous living. The first rule of his proceeding was to
insinuate himself into the favour, not only of the concubinarians, but of
their mistresses; and he compassed this by the mildness of his aspect, by
the obligingness of his words, and sometimes by good offices. Yet we
cannot think that the conversions of sinners cost him only these
addresses. Before he treated with them concerning the important business
of their souls, he treated with God at the holy altars; but to render his
prayers more efficacious, he joined them with all manner of austerities.
Having notice that three Portuguese soldiers, belonging to the garrison
of Amboyna, had lived for five years past in great debauchery, he
got their good wills by his engaging carriage, and wrought so well, that
these libertines, as wicked as they were, lodged him in their quarters
during a whole Lent, so much they were charmed with his good humour. But
while he appeared thus gay amongst them in his outward behaviour, for
fear of giving them any disgust of his company, he underwent most
rigorous penances to obtain the grace of their conversion, and used his
body so unmercifully, that he was languishing for a month of those
severities. When Xavier had reduced his penitents to that point at which
he aimed, that is, when he had brought them to confession, they cost him
not less pains than formerly. He always begged of God their perseverance
with his tears; and frequently, when he had enjoined them so