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He defers his voyage, in consideration of the Portuguese merchants. He writes divers letters to Malacca, and to Goa. He gives orders to Father Francis Perez, and to Father Caspar Barzaeus. He foretels the unhappy death of a merchant. He is reduced to an extreme want of all necessaries. The means fail him for his passage into China. He is still in hope, and the expedient which he finds.
The town of Ormus, which fell to the lot of Father Gaspar Barzaeus, had wholly changed its countenance; idolaters, Saracens, and Jews, ran in multitudes to baptism: the temples of idols were consecrated to Christ; the mosques and synagogues were dispeopled, ill manners were reformed, and ill customs totally abolished.
As Barzaeus was the desire of all in all places, and yet his presence was necessary at Goa, not only for the due regulation of the college, but also for the good of missions, Xavier forbade him, in virtue of holy obedience, to depart out of the isle of Goa during the space of three years ensuing; and for this reason, that Barzaeus having this tie of prohibition upon him, might be privileged to refuse any towns which might desire him amongst them; and that if his refusal should displease them, yet at least the unkindness might not rest on him.
Remember, that you cannot covet popular approbation without betraying your ministry, or becoming a deserter of your sacred colours, in going back from that evangelical perfection, which you are obliged to follow, with an unrelenting ardour." After this, Xavier gave Barzaeus sundry particular orders, relating to the persons and houses of the Society.
Some of them had been in the Indies from the first years of Xavier's arrival in those ports; others were either new comers, or had been lately admitted; all of them were of approved virtue, and well worthy of that vocation, which they so earnestly desired; but there was none amongst them who sought it with more eagerness, nor who more signally deserved it, than Caspar Barzaeus.
Barzaeus replied not one word when it was intimated to him, that he should not go to China, how desirous soever he were of that voyage; and it may be said, that, on this occasion, he made a noble sacrifice of all his fervent zeal to his obedience.
Yet he altered both those intentions; for, after many serious debates within himself, he thought it most convenient to leave Barzaeus at Goa, where, since his return from Ormuz, he had laboured in the ministry with great success; but his principal reason was, the necessity of the college of St Paul, which had not yet shaken off all the ill symptoms of the government of Gomez, and which stood in need of a superior, whose conduct should be regular.
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