The inhabitants of the maritime villages took fright at the noise of an hostile army; and retiring, for the most part with great haste and confusion into the inland country, carried even to the court the news of the invasion.

The king of Travancore, whom the Portuguese call the Great Monarch, because indeed he is the most powerful of all the kings of Malabar, collecting his army with all speed, put himself at the head of it, and marched towards the enemy.  The battle, in all appearance, was likely to be bloody, and the victory seemed assured to those vagabond robbers, who were more in number, and better disciplined.

Father Xavier, so soon as he understood that the Badages were drawing near, falling prostrate on the ground, “O Lord,” said he; “remember that thou art the God of mercies, and protector of the faithful:  give not up to the fury of these wolves that flock, of which thou hast appointed me the pastor; that these new Christians, who are yet so feeble in the faith, may not repent their embracing it, and that the infidels may not have the advantage of oppressing those, who repose their confidence in none but thee.”

His prayer being ended, he arose, and inspired with a more than human courage, which made him incapable of fear, he takes a troop of fervant Christians, and, with a crucifix in his hand, runs with them towards the plain, where the enemies were marching in battalia.  When he arrived within distance of being heard, he stopped and said to them, in a threatening voice, “I forbid you, in the name of the living God, to pass farther, and on his part, command you to return the way you came.”

These few words cast a terror into the minds of those soldiers who were at the head of the army; they remained confounded, and without motion.  They, who marched after them, seeing the foremost advanced not, asked the reason of it; answer was returned from the first ranks, that they had before their eyes an unknown person habited in black, of a more than human stature, of a terrible aspect, and darting fire from his eyes.  The most hardy were desirous to satisfy themselves concerning what was told them; they were seized with amazement at the sight, and all of them fled with a precipitate confusion.

The new Christians who had followed Xavier, ran to declare to the neighbouring villages this wonderful event.  The fame of it was suddenly spread abroad, and the king, who was marching towards the enemy with great speed, heard the report of it on his way.  He caused Xavier to be brought into his presence, and embraced him as the redeemer of Travancore; and after he had publicly thanked him for so eminent a service, he said thus to him:  “I am called the Great Monarch; and, from henceforth, you shall be called the Great Father.”