The king of Bungo had hitherto been so fortunate, that his prosperity passed into a proverb; but God was pleased to try him.  Two months after his baptism, the most considerable of his subjects entering into a solemn league and covenant against him out of hatred to Christianity, and joining with his neighbouring princes, defeated him in a pitched battle, and despoiled him of all his estates.  He endured his ill fortune with great constancy; and when he was upbraided by the Gentiles, that the change of his religion had been the cause of his ruin, he made a vow at the foot of the altar to live and die a Christian; adding, by a holy transport of zeal, that if all Japan, and all Europe, if the Father’s of the Society, and the Pope himself, should renounce our Saviour Jesus Christ; yet, for his own particular, he would confess him to the last gasp; and be always ready, with God’s assistance, to shed his blood, in testimony of his faith.

As the piety of this prince diminished nothing of his valour nor of his conduct, having gathered up the remainder of his troops, he restored himself by degrees, partly by force of arms, and partly by amicable ways of treaty.  His principal care, after his re-establishment, was to banish idolatry out of his estates, and to restore the Catholic religion.  His devotion led him to send a solemn embassy to Pope Gregory XIII. who at that time governed the church.  Don Mancio, his ambassador, being arrived at Rome, with those of the king of Arima, and the prince of Omura, was not satisfied with bringing the obedience of the king, his master, to the vicar of Jesus Christ, by presenting him the letters of Don Francis, full of submission and respect to the Holy See; but he also petitioned him, in the name of his sovereign, to place the apostle of Japan amongst those saints whom the faithful honour; and declared to his Holiness, “That he could not do a greater favour to the king of Bungo.”

In the mean time, the memory of Xavier was venerated more than ever through all Asia.  An ambassador from the great Mogul being come to Goa, to desire some Fathers of the Society might be sent to explain the mysteries of Christianity to that emperor, asked permission to see the 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