“I would once have confessed myself,” replied the soldier, “at least for fashion and decency, but the vicar of Goa would not so much as hear me, but told me I was a reprobate, and deserved nothing but hell-fire.”  “The vicar was, in my opinion,” said Xavier, “somewhat too severe, to treat you in that manner.  He had perhaps his reasons for that usage, and I have mine to treat you otherwise.  For indeed the mercies of our Lord are infinite, and God would have us as indulgent to our brethren, as he himself is to us.  Thus, when the sins, of which you find yourself guilty, are a thousand times more numerous and more crying than they are, I shall have the patience to hear them all, and shall make no difficulty of giving you absolution, provided you take those thoughts and resolutions which I shall endeavour to infuse into you.”

By these words he brought the soldier to a general confession.  He disposed him for it, by causing him to recal into his memory his past life, and drawing him into the particulars of those sins, which a man of his character and profession might possibly have committed.  While they were upon these terms, the ship cast anchor at the port of Ceylon for refreshment.  Many of the fleet went on shore, and, amongst the rest, the Father and the soldier.  They went together to a wild solitary place; there the soldier made his confession with abundance of tears, resolved to expiate his crimes, with whatsoever penance the Father should enjoin him, were it never so rigorous.  But his confessor gave him only a paternoster and an ave to say.  Whereat the penitent being much amazed, “from whence proceeds it, my Father,” said he, “that, being so great a sinner as I am, you have given me so light a penance?” “Be content,” answered Xavier; “O my son, we shall appease the divine justice:”  and at the same instant, he withdrew into a wood, while the soldier performed his penance.  There he did what he had formerly done on the like occasion:  he bared his shoulders, and disciplined himself so rigorously, that the soldier heard the noise of the strokes, and came running to him, beholding the Father all in blood; and rightly judging what was the motive of so strange an action, he snatched the discipline out of his hands, and crying out, “it was the criminal who ought to endure the punishment, and not the innocent to bear the pains of sin;” he immediately stripped himself, and chastised his body with all his strength.  Xavier oftentimes embraced him, and declared, that it was for his sake alone that he came on shipboard.  So having given him wholesome admonitions to confirm him in the grace of God, he left him, and returned to Goa in the first vessel which went out of the port where they made the stay.  As for the soldier, he followed the fleet; and after the expedition of Aden was ended, he entered into religion, chusing one of the most austere orders, where he lived and died in extraordinary holiness.