and horse, and the whole company gave him for lost. Xavier, moved with
compassion for the danger of his soul, because, having had a call from
heaven to enter into a religious life, he had not followed the motions of
grace, but remained in the world, began to implore God in his behalf. The
ambassador, who had a great kindness for him, joined in that devout
action, and commanded the whole train to follow their example. They had
scarcely opened their mouths for him, when the man and horse, who were
both drowning, came again above water, and were carried to the bank. The
gentleman was drawn out, pale in his countenance, and half dead. When he
had recovered his senses, Xavier demanded of him, what thoughts he had,
when he was at the point of perishing? He freely acknowledged, that the
religious life, to which God had called him, then struck upon his soul;
with dismal apprehensions, for having neglected the means of his
salvation. He protested afterwards, as Xavier himself relates, in one of
his letters, that, in that dreadful moment, the remorse of his
conscience, and the sense of God's judgments on souls unfaithful to their
vocation, were more terrible to him, than the horrors even of death
itself. He spoke of eternal punishments, with expressions so lively and
so strong, as if he had already felt them, and was returned from hell. He
frequently said, (as the saint has assured us,) that, by a just judgment
of eternal God, those who, during their life, made no preparations for
their death, had not the leisure to think on God when death surprised
them.

The ambassador, and all his people, doubted not, but the safety of this
gentleman was to be ascribed to the merits of the saint: but Xavier
himself believed it to be the pure effect of the ambassador's devotion;
for thus he writes to father Ignatius concerning it--"Our Lord was
pleased to give ear to the fervent prayers of his servant Mascaregnas,
which he made with tears in his eyes, for the deliverance of the poor