John Dryden - The Works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16

The Holy Spirit, who had inspired his tongue, gave efficacy to his words, by touching the hearts of those who heard them. Many of them being joined together, it was resolved to form a company, which should provide for the subsistence of those young Indians newly converted; and that society at first was called, the Brotherhood of St Mary of the Light, (or Illumination,) from the name of that church where the fraternity assembled, to regulate that new establishment.

It is true, that, as great works are not accomplished all at once, in the beginning of this, there was only founded a small seminary, for the children of Goa, and those of the neighbourhood; but the revenues were increased so much afterwards by the liberality of Don Estevan de Gama, governor of the Indies, and by the bounty of John III., king of Portugal, that all the idolatrous children, who turned Christians, of what country soever, were received into it.

There was also a fund sufficient for the building a fair house and a magnificent church in a larger plot: and the seminary, over which Borba presided, was then called, the Seminary of Holy Faith.

Matters being thus disposed, above threescore children, of divers kingdoms, and nine or ten different languages, were assembled, to be educated in piety and learning. But it was soon perceived, that these children wanted masters, capable of instructing and forming them, according to the intention of the institute. God Almighty had pre-ordained the seminary of holy faith, for the Society of Jesus; and it was by a particular disposition of the Divine Providence, that the same year, wherein the seminary was established, brought over the sons of Ignatius to the Indies.

Accordingly, when Xavier first arrived at Goa, Borba offered him the conduct of this new establishment, and used his best endeavours to engage him in it. Xavier, who found an inward call to something more important, and who already was conceiving in his mind the conversion of a heathen world, would not coop himself up within a town, but in his secret intentions, designed one of his companions for that employment, which was presented to himself. In the meantime, Borba wrote into Portugal, to Simon Rodriguez, and earnestly desired from him some fathers of the new society, "for whom" he said, "the Almighty had prepared a house in the new world, before their coming."

During these transactions, Paul de Camerin and Francis Mansilla arrived at Goa, from Mozambique: Borba retained them both in the seminary, by permission from the viceroy; and that was the reason why they followed not Father Xavier to the coast of Fishery.

Xavier put into the seminary those young Indians whom he had brought along with him; and whatever want he had otherwise of his companions, he gave the charge of the Seminarists to Father Paul de Camerin, at the request of Borba, who had the chief authority in the seminary. For it was not till the year 1548, after the death of Borba, that the company possest it in propriety, and without dependence. It then received the name of a college, and was called the college of St Paul, from the title of the church, which was dedicated to the conversion of the apostle of the Gentiles. From thence it also proceeded, that the Jesuits were called in that country, the fathers of St Paul, or the fathers Paulists, as they are called in that country even at this day.

Father Xavier remained but a little time at Goa; and returned with all expedition to his Paravas, with the best provision of gospel labourers, which he could make. He was then desirous of sending a missioner of the company to the isle of Socotora, not being in circumstances of going thither in person; for he had not forgotten the promise, which he made to God in behalf of that people, when he left them. But the small number of companions which he had, was not sufficient for the Indies; and it was not till three or four years afterwards that he sent Father Alphonso Ciprian to Socotora.

Besides Mansilla, who had not yet received the order of priesthood, he carried with him to the coast of Fishery two priests, who were Indians by nation, and one Biscayner, called John Dortiaga. When they were arrived there, he visited all the villages with them; and taught them the method of converting idolaters to the faith, and of confirming those who were already Christians, in it. After which, having assigned to each of them a division at his particular province in the coast, he entered farther into the country; and, without any other guide than the spirit of God. penetrated into a kingdom, the language of which was utterly Unknown to him, as he wrote to Mansilla in these, terms.

"You may judge, what manner of life Head here, by what I shall relate to you. I am wholly ignorant of the language of the people, and they understand as little of mine; and I have no interpreter. All I can perform, is to baptize children, and serve the sick, an employment easily understood, without the help of an interpreter, by only minding what they want."

This was the preaching by which he declared Jesus Christ, and made the Christian law appear amiable in that kingdom. For amongst those barbarians, who reduce all humanity to the notion of not being inhuman, and who acknowledge no other duties of charity, than forbearing to do injuries, it was a thing of admiration, to see a stranger, who, without any interest, made the sufferings of another man his own; and performed all sorts of services to the poor, as if he had been their father, or their slave. The name of the country is neither known, nor the fruits which these works of charity produced. It is only certain, that the saint continued not there any long time; and that a troublesome affair recalled him to the coast of Fishery, when it was least in his intentions to return.

The Badages, who are a great multitude of robbers, in the kingdom of Bisnagar, idolaters, and enemies of the Christian name, naturally fierce, always quarrelling amongst themselves, and at war with their neighbours, after they had seized, by force of arms, on the kingdom of Pande, which is betwixt Malabar and the coasts of Fishery, made an irruption into the said coast, in the absence of Xavier. The Paravas were under a terrible consternation at the sight of those robbers, whose very name was formidable to them, not daring so much as to gather into a body, nor to hazard the first brunt of war. They took flight, and abandoned their country, without any other thought than of saving their lives. In order to which, they threw themselves by heaps into their barks, some of them escaping into little desart islands, others hiding amongst the rocks and banks of sand, betwixt Cape Comorin, and the Isle of Ceylon. These were the places of their retreat, together with their wives and children, while the Badages overran the coast, and destroyed their country.

But what profits it to have escaped the sword, when, they must die of hunger? Those miserable creatures, exposed to the burning heats of the sun, wanted nourishment in their isles, and on their rocks, and numbers of them daily perished.

In the mean time, the news of this excursion of the robbers, and the flight of the Christians, was spread about, and Xavier heard it in the country where he then resided. The misfortunes of his dear Paravas touched him in the most tender part. He made haste to their relief; and, having been informed that they were pressed with famine, he passed speedily to the western coast, and earnestly solicited the Portuguese to supply them in this their extreme necessity. He obtained twenty barks, laden with all manner of provision, and himself brought it to their places of retreat, where the poor Paravas, as many as were left alive of them, were languishing without hope of comfort, and expecting death to end their misery.

The sight of the holy man, whom all of them regarded as their common father, caused them to forget some part of their misfortune, and seemed to restore them to life. He gave them all imaginable consolation; and, when they had somewhat recovered their strength, he brought them back to their habitations, from whence the Badages were retired. Those plunderers had swept all away, and the Christians were more poor than ever; he therefore procured alms for them, and wrote a letter earnestly to the Christians of another coast, to supply their brethren in distress.