NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 9 



human stature, of terrible aspect, and darting fire from his eyes. 

 . . . They were seized with amazement at the sight, and all of 

 them fled in precipitate confusion." 



Curious, too, is the after-growth of the miracle of the crab re- 

 storing the crucifix. In its first form Xavier lost the crucifix in 

 the sea, and the earlier biographers dwell on the sorrow which he 

 showed in consequence ; but the later historians declare that the 

 saint threw the crucifix into the sea in order to still a tempest. 

 In this form we find it among illustrations of books of devotion 

 in the next century. 



But perhaps the best illustration of this evolution of miracles 

 in Xavier's case is to be found in the growth of another legend ; 

 and it is especially instructive because it grew luxuriantly despite 

 the fact that it was utterly contradicted in all parts of Xavier's 

 writings. 



Throughout his letters, from first to last, Xavier constantly 

 dwells upon his difficulties with the various languages of the dif- 

 ferent tribes among whom he went. He tells us how he sur- 

 mounted these difficulties : sometimes by learning just enough of 

 a language to translate into it some of the main Church formulas ; 

 sometimes by getting the help of others to patch together some 

 pious teachings to be learned by rote ; sometimes by employing 

 interpreters ; and sometimes by a mixture of various dialects and 

 by signs. On one occasion he tells us that a very serious diffi- 

 culty arose, and that his voyage to China was delayed because, 

 among other things, the interpreter he had engaged had failed to 

 meet him. 



In various Lives which appeared between the time of his death 

 and his canonization, this difficulty is much dwelt upon ; but dur- 

 ing the canonization proceedings at Rome, in the great speeches 

 then made, and finally in the papal bull, great stress was laid 

 upon the fact that Xavier possessed the gift of tongues. It was 

 declared that he spoke to the various tribes with ease in their 

 own languages. This legend of Xavier's miraculous gift of 

 tongues was especially mentioned in the papal bull, and was sol- 

 emnly given forth by the pontiff as an infallible statement to be 

 believed by the universal Church. Gregory XV having been 

 prevented by death from issuing the Bull of Canonization, it was 

 finally issued by Urban VIII. To a thinking man there is much 

 food for reflection in the fact that the same pope who punished 

 Galileo, and was determined that the Inquisition should not allow 

 the world to believe that the earth revolves about the sun, thus 

 solemnly ordered the world, under pain of damnation, to believe 

 in Xavier's miracles, including his "gift of tongues," and the 

 return of the crucifix by the pious crab. But the legend was 

 developed still further : Father Bouhours tells us, " The holy 



