who had despised the admonitions of Father Xavier.  The original and character of the Brachmans.  He treats with the Brachmans.  The conference of Xavier with a famous Brachman.  He works divers miracles.  He declares himself against the Brachmans.  The means whereby he destroyed idolatry.  He returns to Goa, and for what reason.  The beginning and establishment of the seminary of holy faith.  The seminary of holy faith new named the College of St Paul.  He returns to the coast of Fishery; his actions there.  He goes to the relief of the Christians, on the coast of Fishery.  He goes to the kingdom of Travancore, and there labours with great success.  God communicates to him the gift of tongues.  He is persecuted by the Brachmans.  He goes to meet the army of the Badages, and puts them to flight.  He prevails upon the king of Travancore to favour the gospel.  He raises two from death.

While the Christian religion flourished in Asia, under the emperors of Constantinople, there were two ordinary passages, and both of them short enough towards the Indies:  the one by Syria, over the Euphrates and the Persian Gulph; the other by Egypt, over the Arabian Gulph, commonly called the Red Sea.  But after the Saracens had possessed themselves of those places, the European Christians finding those passages unsecure for travelling, sought out ways of a larger circuit, to avoid falling into the hands of their most mortal enemies.

The Portuguese were the first who bethought themselves of coasting all Africa, and one part of Arabia and Persia; by taking this compass, the Indies are distant from Portugal about four thousand leagues, and the passengers are constrained to suffer twice the scorching heats of the torrid zone, in going under the equinoctial line, which divides Africa almost in two equal parts.

Don Henry, son of King John I., the most skilful prince of that age in the mathematics, was he who attempted the discovery of those seas, and undertook to double the Cape of Good Hope, upon the account of traffic, which he desired to establish betwixt the crown of Portugal and the emperor of Ethiopia, commonly called Prester John.  This enterprise having succeeded, the kings of Portugal, Alphonso V., John II., and Emanuel I., followed it so happily, that, by little and little, they completed the passage to the Indies.

This was the course that Father Xavier held with the fleet of Portugal.  He found himself sufficient employment, during the time of the navigation:  his first study was to put a stop to those disorders which are commonly occasioned by an idle life on ship-board; and he began with gaming, which is the only recreation, or rather the whole employment, of the seamen.

That he might banish games of chance, which almost always occasion quarrels and swearing, he proposed some little innocent diversions, capable of entertaining the mind, without stirring up the passions.  But seeing that, in spite of his endeavours, they were bent on cards and dice, he thought it not convenient to absent himself, but became a looker on, that he might somewhat awe them by his presence; and when they were breaking out into any extravagance, he reclaimed them by gentle and soft reproofs.  He shewed concernment in their gains, or in their losses, and offered sometimes to hold their cards.