rector of the college of Goa, "to receive the orders
of priesthood, who is not sufficiently learned; and who has not given,
for the space of many years, sufficient examples of his good life in our
Society; because our Father Ignatius has expressly forbidden it." For
the same reason he exactly observed the constitutions of the Society.
"Make not haste," writes he in the same letter to Barzaeus, "to receive
children which are too young; and totally reject such sorts of people,
whom Father Ignatius would have for ever excluded from our order." But
nothing, perhaps, can more clearly discover how perfect the submission of
Xavier was, than what his superior himself thought of it. At the time
when Xavier died, Ignatius had thoughts of recalling him from the Indies;
not doubting, but at the first notice of his orders, this zealous
missioner would leave all things out of his obedience. And on this
occasion he wrote to him a letter, bearing date the 28th of June, in the
year 1553. Behold the passage which concerns the business of which we are
speaking: "I add," says Ignatius in his letter, "that having in prospect
the salvation of souls, and the greater service of our Lord, I have
resolved to command you, in virtue of holy obedience, to return into
Portugal with the first opportunity; and I command you this in the name
of Christ. But that you may more easily satisfy those, who are desirous
of retaining you in the Indies, for the good of those countries, I will
present you with my reasons: You know, in the first place, of what weight
are the orders of the king of Portugal, for the confirmation of religion
in the East, for the propagation of it in, Guinea and Brasil; and you can
rightly judge, that a prince so religious as he, will do all things
necessary for the advancement of God's honour, and the conversion of
people, if one of your ability and experience shall personally instruct
him; And besides, it is of great importance, that the holy apostolical
see should be informed of the present state of India, by some authentic
witness; to the end, that Popes may issue out spiritual supplies, as well
to the new as to the ancient Christianity of Asia; without which, neither
the one nor the other can subsist, or cannot subsist without much
trouble; and nobody is more proper than yourself for this, both in
respect of your knowledge in the affairs of the new world, and of your
reputation in these parts.

"You know, moreover, of what consequ