1552, Xavier now applied himself wholly to the affairs of the company, and having eftablifhed Gafpar Barzens, vice provincial in the Indies, returned to Malacca with intention of profecuting his darling object, the converfion of the Chinese; and though he found on his arrival that the governor Don Alvarez d'Atayda, who had at first approved of his scheme, had now become an enemy to it, on account of fome umbrage given him by Pereyra, he refolved not to abandon it: he therefore determined, as he could not publicly, to make his way into the kingdom by ftealth. Full of this chimerical idea, after having prevailed upon the Grand Vicar of Malacca to publish a fentence of excommunication against the governor, who had thwarted his defign, and having dispatched Balthazar Jago, Edward Silva, and Peter Alcaceva to Japan, he embarked in a veffel called the Holy Crofs, which was bound to the land of Sancian. When he arrived at this place, he had new difficulties to encounter, for he could find no perfon bold enough to undertake to carry him to China; however, a Chinese merchant offered to run this hazard, provided he would pay him well for his trouble. Having made an agreement, and obtained from his friends the fum required by the Chinese for carrying him to Canton, he prepared for his departure; but the Portuguefe at Sancian, fearing that his zeal might ruin their affairs with the Chinese, * and expofe themselves to danger, begged him to fufpend his defign, at leaft for fome time. Xavier moved by their intreaties, engaged his word that he would not go to China, till they had terminated all their bufinefs, and departed from the island. In the mean time he was feized with a violent fever, but recovering in five days, he pursued his defign with more ardour than ever. All the Portuguese fhips having failed for the places of their deftination, except the Holy Crofs, which was not completely load ed, Xavier was reduced to fo much diftrefs for want of every neceffary, that he could fcarcely find enough to allay the calls of na ture; and his fever returning on the twentieth of November, he retired into the Holy Crois, but the agitation of the veffel having occafioned great pains in his head, he intreated the Captain the fallowing day to fet NO Τ E. The Chinese had given the Poutuguese liberty, to trade here, without violating their fundamental law, which excluded all ftrangers from entering their country. They were not permitted however to build houses, or to form any regular eftablishment, being fuffered only to erect flight cabbins, covered with reeds or mats, that they might not be always cooped up in their veffels. him again on fhore. He was obliged to take up his lodging in the wretched cabbin of a charitable Portuguese; his illness increased, and brought on a delirium, during which he raved of China, and in this flate he continued till the second of December, 1552, when he breathed his laft, aged forty-fix years, ten of which he had spent in the Indies. His body was interred in Sancian, with out any ceremony, in a coffin filled with quicklime; but it was taken up fome months after, and carried to Malacca, from which it was tranfported to Goa, and depofited in the chapel of the church of St. Paul, with great pomp and folemnity. Xavier's ftature was fomewhat above the middle fize, his conftitution was ftrong; he had a pleafing and majestic air, a fresh color, a large forehead, and his eyes were blue, but extremely piercing and lively; his hair and beard were of a dark chefnut; continual la bour had made him grey betimes, and in the laft year of his life, he was grizzled almoft to whiteness. Father Bouhours, who has written the life of this extraordinary man, a work which was tranflated into English by the celebrated Dryden, has been at great pains to display the miracles with which it is faid Xavier performed in different parts of the Indies, in fupport of his apoftolic miffion; fuch as railing people from the dead, calming tempefts, turning falt water into frefn, and many others. One miracle operated in his favour is extremely fingular, and is thus related with great gravity by his zealous biographer. A ftorm having arifen when Xavier was at fea, in the neighbourhood of Amboyna, he drew from his bofom a little crucifix, which he always carried about him, and leaning over the deck, intended to have dipt it into the water; but the crucifix dropt from his hand, and was foon carried off by the waves. Next morning, having landed on the island of Baranura, he was walking along the shore in company with one of his companions, when he beheld a crab fish emerge from the fea, which carried betwixt its claws the fame crucifix raifed on high. The crab fish advanced towards the haly father, and having prefented him with his crucifix, immediately returned to its own element. After the death of Xavier, the fociety made an aftonishing progress in Japan. Motives of intereft were the principal cause of the facility they found in making themselves profelytes, and establishing themfelves there; for the kings of that empire, being defirous of inviting the Portuguese into their domirions, because they made commerce flourish in them, granted them every kind of privilege, and tolerated their religion. The Jefuits, who were permitted to preach publickly, having converted an infinite number of the the Japanese to the Catholic faith, fubdued at length the kings of Bungo, Arima and Imura, whom they perfuaded to fend an embally of obedience to Gregory XIII. This embaffy arrived at Rome, in the year 1585, and was received with much pomp and folemnity. The embaffadors prefented their letters to his Holinefs, which were infcribed, "To him who holds the place of God upon earth." Gregory careffed them greatly, and dying foon after he had given them audience, Sixtus, who fucceeded, careffed them ftill more. Christianity advanced fo much in Japan, that the Emperor, uneafy at having above two hundred thousand Chriftians in his Einpire, in the year 1586 forbade his fubjects, under pain of death to embrace it, and fix years after he fuppreffed all the Chriftian churches; but the Jesuits, trusting in their numbers, continued their exercifes notwithftanding this prohibition, by which they brought upon themfeives a cruel perfecution, which continued for feveral years, till at length the Portuguefe were expelled, and a general maffacre put an end to the Chriftian religion in that kingdom. It appears very probable that the banifh ment of the Portuguese, and the extirpation of the Chriftian religion from Japan, were in fome measure occafioned by the machinations of the Dutch, who about the year 1611, had fo far ingratiated themselves with the Emperor, as to procure liberty to trade in his dominions. Their enmity to the Portuguese and Spaniards, and their jealoufy at fecing them extend their commerce so much in India, no doubt incited them to thwart the designs of these enemies and rivals, in order to fecure to themselves a lucrative branch of trade. The Dutch, it is faid, having taken a Portuguese veffel near the Cape of Good Hope, intercepted a letter from fome of the Jefuits, addreffed to the Pope, in which they promised that in a few years they would reduce all Japan under obedience to the holy fee. This letter the Dutch fent to the Japanese monarch, and interpreted it in fuch a manner, as if the Jefuits intended to drive the Emperor from his throne, by the affistance of their new profelytes, giving him to underftand that the Pope was accuftoined to take the kingdoms of others, and to bestow them upon whomfoever he pleased. This accufation appeared to the Japanefe, already fulpicious, to be fo much the better founded, as they had remarked the great refpect and veneration entertained by the new Chriftians for their fpiritual teachers, the Jefuits, who on the other hand were always ready to accept whatever was given them by thefe people. Some of the governors alfo made great complaints, that the prefents they had been formerly accustomed to re ceive, were withheld, as the new profelytes bestowed upon their priests the most valuable of their effects. Befides this, the Dutch prefented to the Emperor a map of the world, and having fhewed him how far the King of Spain and the Portuguefe had pushed their conquefts, on one fide to the Manillas, and on the other to Macao, pointed out to him how eafy it would be for them to make themfelves mafters of Japan. A moft dreadful perfecution was upon this raised against the new profelytes, and it is hardly poffible to conceive the feverity of the punithment to which fome of them were expofed at various times, and for the space of many years; until at length, being tired with feeing fo many of their brethren butchered and tortured in the most inhuman manner, they retired in a fit of defpair, to the number of about thirty-seven thousand, into the castle of Sima-bara, on the coafts of Arima, in the island of Ximo, and province of Figen, with a firm refolution of making an obftinate refiftance. Here they were closely befieged by the imperial troops, and though they defended themselves with furprifing cou rage and refolution for the pace of three months, they were at length forced to yield to fuperior force. The caftle was taken on the 12th of April, 1638, and all, the besieged put to death; nor did this bloody tragedy end here, for an universal matsacre took place, and all the Christians, throughout the empire, were flaughtered without diftinction. After that time the Portuguese, and all other Chriftian nations, except the Dutch, were for ever excluded from Japan. The Dutch were exempted from this prohibition, merely because they pretended not to be of the fame religion as the Portuguefe, and becaufe when asked if they were Chriftians, they gave an evafive answer, and replied, that they were Dutchmen. They even are confined to a very fmall space of ground, and must submit to very great indignities, as appears from the account of their own coun tryman Kæmpfer, who tells us, that "fo great was the avarice of the Dutch, and such the alluring power of the Japanese gold, that rather than forego the profpect of a trade fo very advantageous, they fubmitted themfelves to an alinoft perpetual imprifonment, (for fuch is in fact their abode at Defima §) and chole to undergo many fevere hardships from a foreign heathen nation, fuch as to abfiain from performing divine fervice N Ở T E. The place where the Dutch factory is fituated, on the point of a rock, in a fmall ifland, or as Thevenot calls it, a peninfula, and feparated from the city of Nanga. faki only by a river or wall, which excludes them from all communication with the town. on Sundays and feftivals, to refrain from praying, or finging pfalms in public, to avoid the fign of the crofs before the natives, and all other outward marks of Chriftianity; and Jaftly, fubmiffively and patiently to bear, the abufive and injurious treatment of those infolent infidels towards them, than which, nothing can be offered more infulting to a noble and generous mind " Remarkable Inflance of the Force of Gra A titude. thofe they were the most anxious to preferve. The gentleman catched the two fifters one under each arm, and for a while, even thus incumbered, combated the waves ; but his ftrength failing, there was an abfolute neceffity to quit his grasp of the one, in order to fave the other; on which, following the emotions of his gratitude rather than his love, he let go the elder of these ladies, and fwam with the younger till he reached the fhore. One of the failors, who had got under his protection, faw the diftrefs of her whom her lover had left floating, and catched hold of her garments juft as fhe was finking; but deftiny forbade fuc cefs to his endeavours; a billow, too large and boisterous for human skill or ftrength to cope with, came rolling over them bobl, and plunged this unfortunate lady, with her intended deliverer, into the immense abyfs. Her lover, who had just eased himfelf of his burden, beheld from fhore what had befallen her, and not able to furvive the fhock, turned to the lady he had preferved at the expence of all he valued in life, and with a countenance full of horror and defpair, faid to, her, "Madam, I have difcharged my debt of gratitude to you, for the unfought affection you have for me to fail a confiderable diftance from shore, when all at once the afpect of the heavens wa changed, and from a moft ferene sky, became cloudy and tempeftuous; the wind grew every moment higher, and blew fo ftrong against them, that in fpite of their inten tion, they were borne ftill farther out at fea. The form increafing, the veffel being weak, and, as fome fay, the mariners unfkilful, it bulged againft a rock, and split at the bottom; the fea came pouring in at all fides-there was but a moment between Gentleman in the western parts of the accident and finking-every one was in England had two daughters at mar- the utmost confternation. The circumriage ftate, the elder of whom was addreffed ftances admitted no time for confiderati n by a perion whose birth and fortune render- all jumped over board, taking hold of el him more than an equal match; but notwithstanding thefe advantages, joined to a moft graceful form, and many great accom plishments of mind, fhe could not be brought, to liften to his courtship with any degree of fatisfaction, while her younger fifter languished in the most ardent paffion for him: -her love was of that pure and difinterefted kind, that though by what the felt, was too well convinced, that the never could be happy without a return in kind, yet fo much did he prefer his fatisfaction to her own, that he did him all the good offices in her power with her fifter. Their father foon discovered the different inclinations of his daughters, and fearing he should never be able to bring the eldest to abate of her aver fion, and loth to lofe the opportunity of fo good a match for one of them, would fain have endeavoured to turn the current of the gentleman's affections to the youngeft; but all efforts of that nature were wholly vain. His reafon avowed the merits of the kinder fair-it pointed out the lafting comforts he might enjoy with one who tenderly loved him; but his heart refused to liften to any other dictates than its own, and fhut out all impreffions but those it had first received: not all the difdain he was treated with by the one had power to ahate the ardor of his flame; nor all the foft, though modeft, to kens of an affection adequate to her fifler's hate, could in the other kindle the leaft fpark. A kind look from the one, transport ed him beyond himself; but the tender glances of the other ferved only to add to his difquiet. Thus did the beautiful infenfible, her hapless fifter, and despairing lover, unwillingly continue to torment each other, till one ill-fated day put a final period to all uncer tainty and vain dependance. The gentleman had lately bought a little pinnace, beautifully ornamented and fitted up for pleasure; to this he invited the two fifters, with feveral other ladies and gentlemen, who lived near the fea-fide, in order to give them a regale on board it. The weather being calm I muft now obey the calls of love, and follow her, whom to survive would be the worft of hells." With thefe words, he threw himself with the utmost violence amongst the waves, which immediately fwallowed him up. The young lady had neither power nor time to utter any thing to prevent fo defperate a deed, and only giving a fhriek, fell down in a fwoon; in which posture fhe was found by thofe, who feeing the diftrefs of the pinnace afar off, were coming to adminifter what relief the occafion would admit. The Author and the Talker. Shering that a Genius for Compofition is diftinét from a Genius for Writing. Have known men ́remarkably lively and and clear when they let out, tempted them I well informed in converfation appear to great great disadvantage on committing their to flight, naturally retreat from nonfenfe thoughts to paper, and others who wrote and levity to the pleasant indulgence of learnedly, elegantly, politely, and acutely, their own contemplation; therefore they fo dull, and apparently fo weak in converfa- fay but little, and that little often from cition, as to be confidered as very unpleasant vility rather than because they are fruck and uninftructive companions. And I have with what paffes, or impelled to speak by obferved this so often, as to be led to think, the interefting nature of the queftion, or what may appear paradoxical, that a genius the manner in which it is difcuffed. In the for writing and a genius for talking are dif. mean time a feather will tickle and excite ferent in their nature. a fool. It appears to me that fuperficial men talk moft fluently, and, in mixed companies, moft agreeably. They are ufually gay and cheerful, for their fpirits are not exhausted by deep thought, nor drawn from the things before them by abfenee. But gaiety and cheerfulness will give them, in the convivial hour, a charm which the profound scholar, who utters his thoughts with gravity and hefitation, can never difplay. A man of a fuperficial mind and little genius has no diffidence arifing from thofe delicacies and fenfibilities which often cruelly diftrefs the really ingenious. What he thinks, or has read, or heard, he utters with the confidence of an oracle; ignorant of objections, and fearless of miftake. His confidence gives him credit. The company, is always difpofed to liften with attention when any man speaks with the affurance of undoubting conviction. Attention gives him additional fpirits, and he begins to enjoy the greateft fhare of converfation as his right, and at length overpowers with volubility and emphafis the filent or gentle diffidence of modeft merit. Ignorant and-fuperficial admirers, finding a voluble fpeaker just calculated for the meridian of their understandings, are highly delighted with him as a companion, and cry him up as a prodigy of parts and abili ties. It is wrong therefore, I conclude, to form a decifive opinion of a man's profeffional abilities from what appears in common converfation. The only true criterion is the exercife of thofe abilities in some act of the profeffion. Judge of the companion in company; but of the lawyer's abilities at the bar, or from his written opinion; of the clergyman's from the pulpit, or the prefs; of the phyfician's from the repeated fuccefs of actual practice; judge of the merchant from his punctuality and payments, from his behaviour and appearance at the Royal Exchange, and not from his volubility at fome tavern or coffee-house, nor even at a meeting at one of the cityhalls. dwelling upon It is an erroneous judgment which is often formed of children as well as men, when thofe are fupposed to have the beft abilities who talk moft. Exceffive garrulity is certainly incompatible with folid thinking, and is the mark of that volatile and fuperficial turn, which, the furfaces of things, never penetrates deeply enough to make any valuable difcoveries. But as no rule is without exceptions, fome great thinkers, it must be confelfed, have teen alfo great talkers; but this generally has been the cafe, when men of this kind have feen much of the great world, and been celebrated actors in it. Their voices uniting in his favour pro- No one man can unite in himself every cure him, perhaps, fome profeffional or of excellence. He who excels as a pleafant ficial employment in which compofition may and lively companion may be deficient in be neceffary. He writes; and the wonder judgment, in accuracy, in a power of atis no more. How are the mighty fallen!tention and labour; and he who excels in Quantum mutatus! Applauded in the circles of a tavern club, he ventures to publish. A fatal venture! for he who appeared, in conversation, a giant, becomes, when approached in the clotet, a pigmy or Lilliputian. I wish to prevent miftakes, by prevent ing the hafly formation of an idea of a man's intellectual talents or genius folely from pleafantnefs or vivacity as a companion. Conftant experience proves it to be a fallacious criterion. Men of great thought, folid judgment, and well-digefted learning, are able indeed to speak to great advantage on great occafions; but they are not fufficiently interested in trifling or ordinary company, and without pride, or any intention thefe may want the verfatility, the gaiety, the cheerfulness, which are neceflary to render the communication of ideas in a mixed society agreeable. Men affociate in the convivial hour of leifure from their profeffional or commercial employment, more for the fake of paffing their time with ease, and even mirth, than of being improved or lefioned by the fage remarks of grave philofophy. Addifon, who could write fo agreeably on all fubjects, was not an entertaining.companion unless the circle was felect. Samuel Johnson loved company, because he found himself attended to in it as an oracle of tafte and wifdom, but he could not be faid to poffefs companionable qualities. His cha rafter racter enfured him' respect previously to his Speaking, and what he faid juftified it; for it was original and folid; his authoritative tone and manner compelled acquiefcence, even if conviction was not produced; but, after all, he was not what the world calls a pleafant companion. I could mention fome of his contemporaries of far inferior merit, and more circumfcribed reputation, who diffused joy and information wherever they went, and were beloved at the fame time that they were admired. They alfo have written books; but their books are not to be compared to Johnfon's. Their books were forgotten or defpifed, even while their converfation was fought and enjoyed by all ranks of people. But as univerfal excellence is defirable, it feems right that men should labour to fupply every defect, and therefore I wish that writers would cultivate the art and habit of converfation, and converfers on the other hand endeavour to obtain the folidity and accuracy of writers; and thus the advantage derived to hearers and readers will be augmented. CE The Unexpeed Meeting. NELIA was the only daughter to a WestIndia planter, over whofe eftate Claudio had long fuperintended. He had left England, early in life, to feek his fortune in the torrid zone, and he found, in the ifland of Jamaica, protection and encourage nient. The flaves over whom he prefided were treated by him with fuch humanity and attention, that their minds experienced eafe, though their bodies fuffered under bonds, and they worked and fung with the cheerfulness of freemen. The plantations of their master flourished, and its greateft ornaments were, the comfortable huts, and well fupplied gardens of his slaves. Claudio had received a genteel education, which he cultivated with care, and though neither a deep read Grecian, or critical Latinift, yet he knew enough of both languages to give the polish of learning to his converfation. In hiflory he was a proficient, the Italian, French, and Portuguese languages he fpoke with fluency, and, as a poet, difplayed infinite tafte and found judg. ment. A man with a good perfon, and handfome face, and mild manners, joined to the qualities before mentioned, could not fail of gaining univerfal elteem; and, when viewed in the fituation of her tutor, it is not furprifing that he fhould gain the heart of the gentle Celia. Albertus alfo loved Calia. He was one of the richest planters on the island, but in qualities of mind and body, the very reverfe of her amiable inftructor. His vices heing, Lowever, lacquered over by hypocrify were not perceptible, and a happy turn at humour rendered him an agreeable companion. Albertus applied to the father of Celia, and obtained permiffion to offer her his hand. She received his addreffes with modefty, and defired time to confult her heart-but her heart had been long in the poffeffion of Claudio, whom the immediately made her confidant. The confequence was an eclairciffement, which produced a mutual confeffion of reci procal love; and a refolution, on the part of Celia, to acquaint her father. "I am opulent, and I am happy," faid the father of Celia," and I owe both, in a great measure, to the induftry and abilities of Claudio-I fhall be impatient, my daugh ter, till I call him my fon." Thefe good tidings were received by Claudio with gratitude and rapture-the interview of communication is not to be defcribed, but may eafily be conceived by those whofe hearts have experienced the delicate fenfibilities of chafte love. The bofom of Claudio was replete with rapture-The heart of Albertus burned with resentment; his pride was wounded, his vanity mortified, and his paffion disappointed. The approaching marriage of Claudio and Celia, communicated fatisfaction to every perfon except Albertus, who meditated revenge; and who, to cover his purposes affumed the fpecious mask of friendship. With apparent kindness he congratulated the happy lovers on their approaching felicity, and a few days before that appointed for their marriage, gave Claudio an invitation to accompany him on a fifaing party, for a purpose the most villainous. Claudio, deceived by appearances, accompanied his rival. They failed for the fishing bank at night, for the purpose of commencing their sport in the morning, and as foon as they were on board, retired to reft. Albertus had a negro on board in whose wickedness he could confide, and with this fuborned wretch he had planned the deftruction of Claudio. At the grey of the morning Albertus rofe and was on deck; the vessel rode at anchor, and Claudio being called, no fooner approached to falute Albertus, than the flave feizing him fuddenly round the waift, forced him over the gunwale into the fea. During the course of the night a brifk gale had Iprung up, which foon blew frea; fo that Albertus immediately called on two other hands, who lay in their hammocks, informed them that his friend had fallen overboard, and gave orders for weigh ing anchor immediately, Clandio, being but a bad fwimmer, had taken the precaution of putting on a cork jacket, with which circumftance Albertus was una-quainte.. |