body of Father Francis; but he durst not approach it till first himself
and all his train had taken off their shoes; after which ceremony, all of
them having many times bowed themselves to the very ground, paid their
respects to the saint with as much devotion as if they had not been
Mahometans. The ships which passed in sight of Sancian saluted the place
of his death with all their cannon: sometimes they landed on the island,
only to view the spot of earth where he had been buried for two months
and a half, and to bear away a turf of that holy ground; insomuch, that
the Chinese entering into a belief, that there was some hidden treasure
in the place, set guards of soldiers round about it to hinder it from
being taken thence. One of the new Indian converts, and of the most
devoted to the man of God, not content with seeing the place of his
death, had also the curiosity to view that of his nativity; insomuch,
that travelling through a vast extent of land, and passing through
immense oceans, he arrived at the castle of Xavier: entering into the
chamber where the saint was born, he fell upon his knees, and with great
devotion kissed the floor, which he watered also with his tears. After
this, without farther thought, or desire of seeing any thing besides in
Europe, he took his way backwards to the Indies; and counted for a mighty
treasure a little piece of stone, which he had loosened from the walls of
the chamber, and carried away with him in the nature of a relick.

For what remains, a series of miracles was blazed abroad in all places.
Five or six passengers, who had set sail from Malacca towards China, in
the ship of Benedict Coeglio, fell sick, even to the point of death. So
soon as they were set on shore at Sancian, they caused themselves to be
carried to the meadow, where Xavier had been first interred; and there
having covered their heads with that earth which once had touched his
holy body, they were perfectly cured upon the spot.

Xavier appeared to divers people on the coast of Travancore, and that of
Fishery; sometimes to heal them, or to comfort them in the agonies of
death; at other times to deliver the prisoners, and to reduce sinners
into the ways of heaven.

His name was propitious on the seas, in the most evident dangers. The
ship of Emanuel de Sylva, going from Cochin, and having taken the way of
Bengal, in the midst of the gulph there arose so furious a tempest, that
they were constrained to cut the ma