WESTERN HINDOO ST AN. 113. 



that nation, whofe monarchs fo long had tyrannifed over them 

 in Europe. Goa, and fome few places on "6:^^ Malabar coaft, were 

 left to them. Moft of them are now deferted, and fallen to 

 ruin. Goa barely keeps up its head : a Vice-rovj a man of rank, 

 is ftill fent here ; a fliew of ftate is kept np, but nothing of ter- 

 ritory is left, except the ifland, and the two peninfulas that form 

 the harbour. The port of Goa is one of the fineft in India, and 

 in the hands of the Englijb or Dutch would be a wealthy and 

 flourifhing fettlement; but its commercial confequence is funk 

 to nothing : and fuch is the flate of Din and Damoon if they 

 ftill remain in their hands. 



It was at this place that the Apoftle of the Indies, St. Francis St. Francis de 



Xavier* 

 de Xavier, landed, when he undertook his great million for the 



converfion of the Hindoos. He was born at the cafUe Xavier, at 



the foot of the Pyrenees, in 1506. He became the friend of 



Ignatius Loyola, and, in concert with him, laid the plan for the 



fociety of 'J ejus. 'John III. of Portugal, by his embaffador, re- 



quefted of Loyola the recommendation of certain miffionaries, 



whom he would fend to India on the pious errand. Xavier was 



named as one. He landed at Goa on May 7, 1542. His fuccefs 



was correfpondent to his zeal : he made numberlefs converts at 



Goa, Comerin, Malacca, in the Molucca ifles, and in Japan. At 



length, in 1552, he paid the debt to nature, in an ifle off the 



coaft of China. He had the honor of canonization in 1622. The 



citizens of Goa boaft of having his body in the church oi Bon 



Jefus, in a magnificent chapel, dedicated to the faint. His tomb 



is of black marble, brought from Lijbon, with the hiftory of his 



Vol, I. Q life 



