Another Portuguese, by profession a soldier, called Jerome Fernandez de Mendoza, received a considerable assistance from Xavier, in a different manner, but full as marvellous.  Fernandez, having put off from the coast of Coromandel, in a ship belonging to him, wherein was all his wealth, to go to another coast more westward, was taken near the cape of Comorin, by the Malabar pirates, equally covetous and cruel.  To save his life, in losing his goods, he threw himself into the sea, and was happy enough, in spite of his ill fortune, to swim to land, on the coast of Meliapor.  Meeting there Father Francis, he related his misfortune to him, and begged an alms.  The father was almost sorry, at that time, for his being so poor himself, that he had not wherewithal to relieve the miserable man; yet he put his hand into his pocket, as if he were searching there for something, but finding nothing, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and afterwards turning to Fernandez, with looks full of compassion, “have courage, brother,” said he to him, “heaven will provide for you.”  After which, walking forward four or five paces, he once more put his hands into his pockets, and pulled out fifty pieces of gold:  “receive,” added he, “what heaven sends you; make use of it, but speak not of it.”  The surprise and joy of Fernandez were so great, that it was impossible for him to keep silence.  He published, in all places, the bounty of his benefactor; and the pieces of gold were found to be so pure and fine, that it was not doubted but they were miraculous.

But perhaps nothing is more admirable, than what passed betwixt the Father and John Duro, or Deyro, as some have called him.  He was a man of about five-and-thirty years of age, who had formerly borne arms; afterwards became a merchant and owner of a ship, very wealthy and fortunate in all his traffic; all which notwithstanding, he was ill satisfied with the world, uneasy to himself, unquiet in the midst of all his wealth, and persuaded that God alone could content his soul.  He went one day to see the holy man, and told him, that for many years he had a desire of changing his condition, and of serving God as perfectly as he was able, but that two reasons had always hindered him:  the one was, that he never yet could meet with any person, who was capable of shewing him the way of perfection; the other was, that he was afraid of falling into poverty.  He added, that he was now out of pain concerning those two points.  That for the first, he hoped he should walk surely in the way of heaven, having so able a guide as he; and for the second, he had got sufficiently for his maintenance in an honest and comfortable way, during the remainder of his life.  He begged leave of Father Xavier, that he might follow him, and promised, on all occasions, to defray his charges.