frequently the extreme poverty of the infant Jesus, as the pattern of his
own; and said within himself, that, since the Saviour of mankind had
chosen to be in want of all things, they who laboured after him for the
salvation of souls, were obliged, by his example, to possess nothing in
this world.

How pleasing soever this loneliness were to him, yet, his forty days
being now expired, he left it, to instruct the villages and
neighbour-towns, and principally Monteselice, where the people were
grossly ignorant, and knew little of the duties of Christianity.

The servant of God made daily exhortations to them, and his penitent
aspect gave authority to all his words; insomuch, that only looking on
his face, none could doubt but he was come from the wilderness to
instruct them in the way to heaven. He employed himself during the space
of two or three months in that manner: for, though there was no
appearance that any vessel should set sail for the Holy Land, yet
Ignatius and his disciples, who had obliged themselves to wait one year
in expectation of any such opportunity, would not depart from the
territories of the republic till it was totally expired, that they might
have nothing to upbraid themselves, in relation to the vow which they had
made.

Xavier being thus disposed, both by his retirement, and his exterior
employments, at length said his first mass at Vicenza; to which place
Ignatius had caused all his company to resort; and he said it with tears
flowing in such abundance, that his audience could not refrain from
mixing their own with his.

His austere, laborious life, joined with so sensible a devotion, which