The change of manners, which was visibly amongst the Christians, was of no little service to the conversion of Saracens and idolaters.  Many of those infidels embraced Christianity.  But the most illustrious conquest of the saint, was of a famous Saracen lady, called Neachile Pocaraga, daughter to Almanzor, king of Tidore, and wife to Boliefe, who was king of Ternate, before the Portuguese had conquered the island.  She was a princess of great wit and generosity, but extremely bigotted to her sect, and a mortal enemy to the Christians, that is to say, to the Portuguese.  Her hatred to them was justly grounded; for, having received them into her kingdom with great civility, and having also permitted them to establish themselves in one part of the island, for the convenience of their trade, she was dealt with so hardly by them, that, after the death of the king, her husband, she had nothing left her but the bare title of a queen; and by their intrigues, the three princes, her sons, lost the crown, their liberty, and their lives.  Her unhappy fortune constrained her to lead a wandering life, from isle to isle.  But Providence, which would accomplish on her its good designs, brought her back at last to Ternate, about the time when Xavier came thither.  She lived there in the condition of a private person, without authority, yet with splendour; and retaining still in her countenance and behaviour, somewhat of that haughty air, which the great sometimes maintain, even in their fetters.

The saint gained access to her, and found an opportunity of conversing with her.  In his first discourse, he gave her a great idea of the kingdom of God; yet withal informed her, that this kingdom, was not difficult to obtain; and that being once in possession of it, there was no fear of being after dispossessed.  Insomuch, that the Saracen princess, who had no hopes remaining of aught on earth, turned her thoughts and her desires towards heaven.  It is true, that, as she was endued with a great wit, and was very knowing in the law of Mahomet, there was some need of argumentation; but the Father still clearing all her doubts, the dispute only served to make her understand more certainly the falseness of the Alcoran, and the truth of the gospel.  She submitted to the saint’s reasons, or rather to the grace of Jesus Christ, and was publicly baptized by the apostle himself, who gave her the name of Isabella.

He was not satisfied with barely making her a Christian.  He saw in her a great stock of piety, an upright heart, a tenderness of mind, inclinations truly great and noble, which he cultivated with admirable care, and set her forward, by degrees, in the most sublime and solid ways of a spiritual life:  So that Neachile, under the conduct of Father Xavier, arrived to a singular devotion; that is to say, she grew humble and modest, from disdainful; and haughty as she was, mild to others, and severe to herself, suffering her misfortunes without complaint of injuries; united to God in her retirements, and not appearing publicly, but to exercise the deeds of charity to her neighbour; but more esteemed and honoured, both by the Indians and Portuguese, than when she sat upon the throne, in all the pomp and power of royalty.