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In the meantime, the Badages, who had ravaged the coast of Fishery the year before, animated of themselves against the Christians, and perhaps pushed forward by the devils, who saw their empire decaying day by day, excited also by the desire of glory, and above all things by the hope of booty, entered into the kingdom of Travancore, on the side of one of those mountains-which confine on the cape of Comorin.
The Badages, who are a great multitude of robbers, in the kingdom of Bisnagar, idolaters, and enemies of the Christian name, naturally fierce, always quarrelling amongst themselves, and at war with their neighbours, after they had seized, by force of arms, on the kingdom of Pande, which is betwixt Malabar and the coasts of Fishery, made an irruption into the said coast, in the absence of Xavier.
In order to which, they threw themselves by heaps into their barks, some of them escaping into little desart islands, others hiding amongst the rocks and banks of sand, betwixt Cape Comorin, and the Isle of Ceylon. These were the places of their retreat, together with their wives and children, while the Badages overran the coast, and destroyed their country.
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."
In conclusion, he told them, "That having so often experienced the care of Providence, it would be an impiety to distrust it; that it had not preserved him from the swords of the Badages, and the poisons of the Isle del Moro, to abandon him in other dangers; that India was not the boundary of his mission; but that in coming thither, his design had always been, to carry the faith even to the utmost limits of the world."
God communicates to him the gift of tongues. He is persecuted by the Brachmans. He goes to meet the army of the Badages, and puts them to flight. He prevails upon the king of Travancore to favour the gospel. He raises two from death.
There he comforted and confirmed the faithful, who were continually persecuted by the Badages, those mortal and irreconcileable enemies of the Christian name. He also encouraged the gospel labourers of the society, who, for the same reason, went in daily hazard of their lives.
The sight of the holy man, whom all of them regarded as their common father, caused them to forget some part of their misfortune, and seemed to restore them to life. He gave them all imaginable consolation; and, when they had somewhat recovered their strength, he brought them back to their habitations, from whence the Badages were retired.
Christianity flourished more than ever in the coast of Fishery, since the death of Father Antonio Criminal, who had cultivated it with care, and in that cultivation was massacred by the Badages. The blood of the martyr seemed to have multiplied the Christians: they were reckoned to be more than five hundred thousand, all zealous, and ready to lay down their lives for their religion.
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