“This pious prince,” says Xavier in another of his letters, “who has so tender an inclination for our society, and who wishes our advancement as much as if he were one of us, has thereby engaged us for ever to his service; and we should be guilty of a most horrible ingratitude, even to be unworthy of life, if we made not a public profession of our service to him, and if every day of our lives we endeavoured not to acknowledge, by our prayers, as far as our weakness will give us leave, all the favours of so generous a protector, and so magnificent a benefactor.”

The Prince, Don Henry, who was nominated cardinal not long after, and in process of time came to the crown by the death of Don Sebastian, had not less affection for them than the king his brother.  Being grand inquisitor, he gave the fathers an absolute power in his tribunal; and permitted them to discourse freely with all the prisoners of the Inquisition.

Some of the greatest quality in the court were so much edified with the apostolic life of Xavier and Rodriguez, that they were desirous to embrace their institute; as some learned persons of the city had already done.  In short, every thing succeeded with them so, that Xavier had some apprehensions concerning this tide of happiness:  He bemoaned it sometimes to himself, and said, that prosperity was always formidable, even in the most pious undertakings; that persecution was more desirable, and a much surer mark of Christ’s disciples.

The two missioners appointed for the Indies lived in this manner; and impatiently waited for the proper season of navigation.  But the king weighing in his mind the great good which they had done, in so short a time, both amongst the nobility and the common people, was desirous to retain them still in Portugal.  It seemed reasonable to him, that the interest of his own kingdom ought to be dearer to him than that of foreign nations; and that these new labourers would produce a larger increase in Catholic countries, than amongst barbarians.

Yet that he might undertake nothing without mature deliberation, he called a council, and himself proposed it to them.  All of them approved the king’s opinion, excepting only the Prince Don Henry; who strongly urged, that Xavier and Rodriguez having been nominated for the new world, by the vicar of our Saviour, it was in a manner to disturb the order of Providence, if he thwarted their intended voyage; that the Indies were equally to be considered with Portugal itself, since they had been conquered by the Portuguese, and were annexed to the imperial crown; that those idolaters had better inclinations towards Christianity than was generally thought; and that they would come over to the faith of their own accord, when they should see amongst them disinterested preachers, free from avarice and ambition.