extracted from the archives of the Casa Professa at Rome, and from the
acts of the canonization, what he relates of our saint in the first part
of the History of the Society, intitled, Asia.

Though these two historians have in some sort collected all that can be
said concerning St Francis Xavier, I omitted not to take a view of what
others have written on that subject; and chiefly the book of Nieremberg,
which bears for title, "_Claros Varones_, or Illustrious Men;" the
History of India, by Maffeus, and that of Jarrio; the Church History of
Japan, by Solia; the Castilian History of the Missions, which the Fathers
of the Society have made to the East Indies, and the kingdoms of China
and Japan, composed by Lewis de Gusman; and, lastly, the Portuguese
History of the Travels of Ferdinand Mendez Pinto.

But seeing St Francis Xavier himself has written some parts of those
accidents which have befallen him in India and Japan, I have faithfully
copied his letters, and from thence have drawn those particulars which
have much conduced to my information, and clearing of the truth. These
letters have also furnished me with materials to make the narration
appear more lively and moving, when you hear the saint himself speaking
in his proper words, and mixing his own thoughts and reflections with his
actions. I had almost finished this my work, when I received from Spain
and Italy two other lives of St Francis Xavier, which before that time I
had not seen: the one very new, which was written in Italian by Father
Joseph Massei; the other more ancient, written in Spanish by Father
Francis Garcia. I found nothing in those two books which I had not
observed in others; but read them with great pleasure, as being most
exactly and elegantly written, each in their several tongue.

For what remains, amongst all those historians which I have cited, there