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Few letters have been so enthusiastically received & so widely diffused as those of the sixteenth-century Jesuit missionary & Saint, Francis Xavier. Written from India, the Indonesian archipelago, Japan, & the island of Sancian off the coast of China, these letters were copied, recopied, translated into Latin, German, French, & other languages, & frequently printed for wider circulation. They are filled with information on newly discovered lands & cultures, & they are filled with the missionary spirit, the zeal for the honor & glory of God, which animated the whole of Xavier's life & work. They constitute a religious classic & an historical resource heretofore unavailable in English. Francis Xavier was one of the first companions & followers of Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). In 1540, he set off as a missionary to southern Asia, where in the midst of ten years of ceaseless labor he produced the 138 letters & instructions that this book contains. The translator of this highly readable English version, M. Joseph Costelloe, S.J., is well known in scholarly circles for his masterful translation of the definitive four-volume biography, FRANCIS XAVIER, HIS LIFE, HIS TIMES by Georg Schurhammer, S.J., published by the Jesuit Historical Institute in Rome.

Of her vocation we read: “Only those who have yearned to bring souls to Christ can understand the sentiments which filled Irma's heart during her four years of patient waiting. But the summons came at last. In 1839 Bishop de la Hailandiere of Vincennes, Indiana, an intimate friend of the family, who was in France, seeking aid for his mission, visited Irma's home. Here was the heaven-sent messenger. Never did a Desdemona listen to an Othello with half the eagerness with which Irma listened to the details which Bishop de la Hailandiere gave of those distant lands in America where so many souls were in darkness and in the shadow of death. Immediately after the visit, Irma wrote to a friend: 'We had a visit yesterday from Bishop de la Hailandiere, who spoke of his diocese and his great labors. Cecile wished to set out with him immediately. I did not say any thing, but I thought, "It is there perhaps that God calls me." Eugenie laughs and will not believe me; her gayety and her assurance make me heartsick. Poor dear sister how she will weep when I leave her.'”

Excerpt from The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier, Vol. 2 of 2 Letter LXXX. To the Fathers Gaspar Baertz. Balthasar Gago, and Diego Carvalhez, Cagoxima, Nov. 4, 1549. They are to come to Japan 262 letter LXXXI. To the Society at Goa, Cagoxima, Nov. 8, 1549. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 edition. Excerpt: ...returned from Meaco by sea, taking boat probably at Osaka, and this may account for his returning to Firando rather than to Amanguchi. At Amanguchi, however, he made up his mind to begin his new career of preaching. He took with him the letters and presents from the Governor of the Indies, the Bishop of Goa, and the Captain of Malacca, which had been originally intended for the Mikado himself. He dressed himself in a manner more becoming the Envoy of Portugal, and, with his companions as attendants, demanded an audience of the Prince or King of Naugato. He was very well received by the King, who was charmed with the presents--among which Cosmo Torres tells us were a 'manicordio e relox, ' a musical instrument of some sort, and a watch, with other more costly articles. Oxindono, as he was called, was unwilling not to show all courtesy to the representative of the secular and religious authorities of that half unknown power in India and the Eastern Archipelago which had so strangely risen up of late years, to interest and alarm the various countries at whose ports its ships were so continually presenting themselves, laden with strange merchandise of the most costly sorts, and whose prowess in arms seemed quite on a par with its spirit, of mercantile adventure. The next day an edict was placarded in the city of Amanguchi, allowing of the preaching of the Christian religion, and an empty 'bonzery' or monastery was assigned for the residence of the new teachers. A large present of gold and silver, which Oxindono sent to them, had previously been refused by Francis. We have now reached a point in the history of Francis Xavier's stay in Japan at which we may again use his own words. The following letter is remarkable for its comparative brevity, .