This terrible prospect of a sinful town, gave Xavier to comprehend, that his stay in Malacca was necessary, and might possibly turn to a good account; but before he would undertake the reformation of a town so universally corrupted, he employed some days in serving of the sick; he passed many nights in prayer, and performed extraordinary austerities.

After these preparatives, he began his public instructions, according to the methods which he had frequently practised at Goa.  Walking the streets at evening with his bell in his hand, he cried, with a loud voice, “Pray to God for those who are in the state of mortal sin;” and by this, he brought into the minds of sinners, the remembrance and consideration of their offences.  For, seeing the ill habits of their minds, and that the disease was like to be inflamed, if violent remedies were applied, he tempered more than ever the ardour of his zeal.  Though he had naturally a serene countenance, and was of a pleasing conversation, yet all the charms of his good humour seemed to be redoubled at Malacca, insomuch, that his companion, John Deyro, could not but wonder at his gaiety and soft behaviour.

By this procedure, the apostle gained the hearts of all and became in some manner, lord of the city.  At the very first, he rooted out an established custom, which permitted the young maids to go in the habit of boys whenever they pleased, which occasioned a world of scandal.  He drove out of doors the concubines, or turned them into lawful wives, according to his former method.  As for the children, who had no knowledge of God, and who learnt songs of ribaldry and obsceneness as soon as they began to speak, he formed them so well in a little time, that they publicly recited the Christian doctrine, and set up little altars in the streets, about which they sung together the hymns of the Catholic church.  But that in which he was most successful, was to restore the practice of confession, which was almost entirely lost.  But now men and women crowded the tribunal of holy penitence, and the Father was not able to supply the necessities of so many.

He laboured in the knowledge of the Malaya tongue, which is spoken in all the isles beyond Malacca, and is as it were the universal language.  His first care was to have a little catechism translated into it, being the same he had composed on the coast of Fishery; together with a more ample instruction, which treated of the principal duties of Christianity.  He learnt all this without book; and, to make himself the better understood, he took a particular care of the pronunciation.