The treasurer, with the rest of the crown-officers, being come to remonstrate to him, that the king’s orders were positive, not to stop the navigation of those merchants, who had paid the duties of the port, he threatened them with his cane, which he held up against them, and drove them out of his chamber with great fury, saying, “That he was too old to be counselled; that, as long as he continued governor of Malacca, and captain of the seas, James Pereyra should not go to China, either as ambassador, or merchant; and if Father Xavier was intoxicated with the zeal of converting heathens, he might go to Brazil, or to the kingdom of Monomotapa.”

Francis Pereyra, who was auditor-royal, and who had great credit in the town, not being able, either by his intreaties, or his arguments, to oblige Don Alvarez to restore the rudder of the Santa Cruz, would have forced it from him; but this was opposed by Xavier, who foresaw, that the soldiers, who kept the rudder, would defend it with the hazard of their lives, and that this affair would have ill consequences.

The way which was taken by the holy man, was to send to the governor the grand vicar John Suarez, attended by the most considerable persons of the town, to shew him the letters of King John III., which expressly made out his intentions, that Father Xavier should extend the faith, as far as he was able, through all the kingdoms of the East, and that the governors should favour him on all occasions.  Suarez read also to the governor, the letter of the vice-king Don Alphonso de Norogna, in which he declared criminal of state, whosoever should hinder or oppose this particular voyage of the saint.  That which ought to have reduced Don Alvarez to reason, or at least to have terrified him, served only to make him more unreasonable, and more audacious.  He rose from his seat, with the action of a madman, and stamping with his foot, sent back the grand vicar, with this dutiful expression:  “The king’s interest, you say, requires this to be performed; and I will not suffer it to be performed:  Here I am, and will be master.”

These outrageous dealings of the governor were not confined to those, who made these remonstrances to him from the Father; they extended even to the saint himself, whom he looked on as the author and head of the enterprize.  It is incredible what injurious words he gave him, and how rudely he treated him on several occasions; insomuch, that it was the common talk of Malacca, that this persecution might pass for the martyrdom of Father Xavier.  The servant of God resented nothing which was done to his own person.  He blessed God continually, for giving him occasions of suffering; but he was extremely sensible of what religion and the progress of the gospel suffered, and was often seen to weep abundantly.