New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-08-20

the 6rma mens was rent BY falling rocks and peais
of uniu,er1,;ting thunder, he pointed 10 The fierce
| ishtnings and the river OF molten lava, and called
| ON the agitated crowd which chung 70 him For
safety, to repent, and TO obey the truth; but he
| also taught them that the sounds which racked
their ears were the groans of the Internal world,
and the sights which blasted their eyes, an out
J break from the atmosphere OF the place OF tor
ment. Repairing fer the celebration OF mass to
some ediGce which he had consecrated for the
purpose an earthquake shook the building TO its
| base The terrified worshippers fed: but Ga-
vier. standing in meek composure before the
rocking altar, deliberately completed that mystic
rious sacrifice, with faith least in this instance
enviablc in the real presence; rejoicing, as ne
states in bis description of the scene, TO perceive
tina, the demons of the island th1s atsested their
| flight before the archangers sword, from the
place where they had so long exercised their foul
| dominion There is no school-boy of our days who
| could not teach much, unsupported by Francis
! Xavier. of the laws which govern the material
| and the spiritual worlds; nor have many doc
tors who know as much as he did CT the nature of
| Him by whom the worlds of matter and of spirit
were created; and he studied in the school OF pro-
tracted rlarryrdom and active philanthropy, " here
| are divulged secrets unknown and unlmagined by
| the wisest and the most learned g. ordinary men.
| Importing everywhere such knowledge as he pos
sessed, he ranged over no small part OF The lndl-
an archipelago, and at length retraced his steps 10
| Malacca, if even yet his exhoratioSs and his
PRAYERS might avert her threatened doom.
It appeared to be drawing nigh. Alaradin, a
Mohamedan chief of Sumatra, had laid siege to
the place a, the head of a powerful fleet and
army III provided for defence by land, the Por-
tuguese garrison was still more unprepared for a
| naval resistance Seven shattered banks, unit
| for service formed their whole maritime strength.
| Universal alarm overspread the city, and the
governor himself at once partook and heightened
the general panic. Already, thoughts of capitula-
ton had become familiar to the besieged, and
European chivalry had bowed in AFFECT silence to
the insutiag taunts and naughty menaccs OF the
| Moslem. At this moment in his slight and
weather-beaten pinnacle, the messenger of peace
earth effected an entrance into the beeaguercd
| harbor But he came with loud and indignant
summons to the war; for Xavier was still a
Spanish cavalier, and he thought it foul scorn'
that gentlemen, subjects of the most faithful
King, should thus be bearded by Barbara enc
| mics and the worshippers of Christ defed by the
disciples OF the Arabian impostor He assumed
| The direction of the defence By his advice the
seven dsmantled ships were promptly equipped
| for sea. He assigned to each commander; and
having animated the crews with promises of both
temporal and eternal triumphs, despatched them
| to meet and conquer the hostile fleet. As they
| sailed from the hnrbor the admiraPs vessel ran
aground and instantly became wreck. Return
| ing hope and exultation promptly gave way TO
terror; and Xavier, The idol of the preceding
hour, was now the object of popular fury. He
alone retained his serenity. He upbraided the
cowardlce of the governor revived the troops, and
encouraged the multitude with prophecies of sue
cess Again the hotilla sailed, and sudden tenn
pesst drove it to sea. Day after day passed with
out intelligence of its safety; once more the
hearts OF the besieged failed them. Rumors of
defea, were rife; the Mobamcdans had effected
landing within six leagues of the city, and Xa-
vers name was repeated from mouth to mouth
with cries of vengeance He knelt before the al
tar, the menacing people scarcely restrained by
the sanctity of the place from immolating him
there as victim to his own disastrous counse!s.
On sudden his bosom was seen TO heave as with
some deep emotion; he raised alott his cruciix,
and with Il glowing eye, and in tones like one
possessed, breathed u short yet passionate prayer
for victory. solemn pause ensued; the dullest
eye could see that within that now faintng, pal
lid, agitated frame, some power more than human
in communion with the weak spirit of man
What might be the inefablc- sense thus conveyed
from mind to mind, without the aid of symbols
of words One half hour OF deep and agonizing
silence held the awe-stricken assembly in breath
less expectation-wheA, bounding on bis feet, his
countenance radiant with JOY, and his voice clear
and ringing as with the swelling notes of the trum
pet, he exclaimed, Christ has conquered for us !
AT this very moment his soldiers charging our
defeated enemies; they have f1ade.a great slaugh-
ter-we have lost only four Of our defenders. On
Friday next the intelligence will be here, and we
shall then see our fleet again. The catastrophe
Of s1ch u tale need not be told. Malacca followed
her deliverer, and the troops of the victorious
squadron, in solemn procession to the church,
| where amidst the roar of cannon, the peahng of
anthems, and hymns of adoring gratitude, his in
| ward sense heard and reverenced that narticulate
voice which still reminded him, that for him the
hour Of repose and triumph migh never come, I'LL
| ne should reach that state where sin would no
! longer demand his rebuke, nor grief his sympa-
| thy He turned from the halfidolatrous shouts of
an admiring people, and retraced his toilsome way
10 the shores of Coromande
He returnsdsto Goa poor and solitary, but no
longer an obscure man. From the Indus to the
Yellow Sea, had gone forth vague and marvel
| lous rumcr of him. The tale bore that stranger
had appeared in the semblancc of wayworn, alb
| iect beggar, who, by some magic influence and for
some inscrutnble ends, had bowed the nations to
his despotic will, while spurning the wealth, the
| pleasures, and the homage which they offered TO
| their conqueror. Many were the wonders which
travellers had to tell of his progress and without
number the ingenious theories nfoat for the sol-
ton Of them. He possessed the gift of ubiquity,
could at the same moment speak in twenty differ.
cnt tongues on as many dissimlar subjects, was
impassve to heat, cold, hunger and fatigue, held
hourly intercourse with invisible beings, the guides
or ministers of his designs, raised the dead to
life, and could float, when so it pleased him.
across the boiling ocean on the wings of the tv-
phoon. Among the listeners to these prodges
| had been Aueer, a native and inhabitant of Japan