Legendsofmiracleshavethusgrownaboutthelivesofallgreatbenefactorsofhumanityinearlyages，andaboutsaintsanddevotees。Throughouthumanhistorythelivesofsuchpersonages，almostwithoutexception，havebeenaccompaniedorfollowedbyaliteratureinwhichlegendsofmiraculouspowersformaveryimportantpart——apartconstantlyincreasinguntiladifferentmodeoflookingatnatureandofweighingtestimonycausesmiraclestodisappear。Whilemodernthoughtholdsthetestimonytothevastmassofsuchlegendsinallagesasworthless，itisverywidelyacknowledgedthatgreatandgiftedbeingswhoendowtheearthwithhigherreligiousideas，gainingthedeepestholdupontheheartsandmindsofmultitudes，mayattimesexercisesuchinfluenceuponthoseaboutthemthatthesickinmindorbodyarehelpedorhealed。
Wehavewithinthemodernperiodverymanyexampleswhichenableustostudytheevolutionoflegendarymiracles。OutoftheseI
willselectbutone，whichischosenbecauseitisthelifeofoneofthemostnobleanddevotedmeninthehistoryofhumanity，onewhosebiographyisbeforetheworldwithitsmostminutedetails——inhisownletters，inthelettersofhisassociates，incontemporaryhistories，andinamultitudeofbiographies：thismanisSt。FrancisXavier。FromthesesourcesIdrawthefactsnowtobegiven，butnoneofthemareofProtestantorigin；
everysourcefromwhichIshalldrawisCatholicandRoman，andpublishedunderthesanctionoftheChurch。
BornaSpanishnoble，Xavieratanearlyagecastasideallordinaryaims，devotedhimselftostudy，wasrapidlyadvancedtoaprofessorshipatParis，andinthispositionwasrapidlywinningacommandinginfluence，whenhecameundertheswayofanotherSpaniardevengreater，thoughlessbrilliantlyendowed，thanhimself——IgnatiusLoyola，founderoftheSocietyofJesus。
TheresultwasthattheyoungprofessorsacrificedthebrilliantcareeronwhichhehadenteredattheFrenchcapital，wenttothefarEastasasimplemissionary，andtheredevotedhisremainingyearstoredeemingthelowestandmostwretchedofourrace。
Amongthevarioustribes，firstinlowerIndiaandafterwardinJapan，hewroughtuntiringly——toilingthroughvillageaftervillage，collectingthenativesbythesoundofahand-bell，tryingtoteachthemthesimplestChristianformulas；andthushebroughtmyriadsofthemtoanominalConfessionoftheChristianfaith。Aftertwelveyearsofsuchefforts，seekingnewconquestsforreligion，hesacrificedhislifeonthedesertislandofSanChan。
Duringhiscareerasamissionaryhewrotegreatnumbersofletters，whichwerepreservedandhavesincebeenpublished；andthese，withthelettersofhiscontemporaries，exhibitclearlyallthefeaturesofhislife。Hisownwritingsareveryminute，andenableustofollowhimfully。Noaccountofamiraclewroughtbyhimappearseitherinhisownlettersorinanycontemporarydocument。[290]Attheoutside，buttwoorthreethingsoccurredinhiswholelife，asexhibitedsofullybyhimselfandhiscontemporaries，forwhichthemostearnestdevoteecouldclaimanythinglikeDivineinterposition；andthesearesuchasmaybereadinthelettersofverymanyferventmissionaries，ProtestantaswellasCatholic。Forexample，inthebeginningofhiscareer，duringajourneyinEuropewithanambassador，oneoftheservantsinfordingastreamgotintodeepwaterandwasindangerofdrowning。Xaviertellsusthattheambassadorprayedveryearnestly，andthatthemanfinallystruggledoutofthestream。Butwithinsixtyyearsafterhisdeath，athiscanonization，andbyvariousbiographers，thishadbeenmagnifiedintoamiracle，andappearsinthevarioushistoriesdressedoutinglowingcolours。Xaviertellsusthattheambassadorprayedforthesafetyoftheyoungman；buthisbiographerstellusthatitwasXavierwhoprayed，andfinally，bythelaterwriters，Xavierisrepresentedasliftinghorseandrideroutofthestreambyaclearlysupernaturalact。
[290]ThisstatementwasdeniedwithmuchexplosiveemphasisbyawriterintheCatholicWorldforSeptemberandOctober，1891，buthebroughtnoFACTtosupportthisdenial。ImayperhapsbeallowedtoremindthereverendwriterthatsincethedaysofPascal，whoseeminenceintheChurchhewillhardlydispute，thebareassertionevenofaJesuitfatheragainstestablishedfactsneedssomesupportotherthanmerescurrility。
StillanotherclaimtomiracleisbaseduponhisarrivingatLisbonandfindinghisgreatcolleague，SimonRodriguez，illoffever。XavierinformsusinaverysimplewaythatRodriguezwassooverjoyedtoseehimthatthefeverdidnotreturn。ThisisentirelysimilartothecurewhichMartinLutherwroughtuponMelanchthon。Melanchthonhadbrokendownandwassupposedtobedying，whenhisjoyatthelong-delayedvisitofLutherbroughthimtohisfeetagain，afterwhichhelivedformanyyears。
Again，itisrelatedthatXavier，findingapoornativewomanveryill，baptizedher，sayingoverhertheprayersoftheChurch，andsherecovered。
Twoorthreeoccurrencesliketheseformthewholebasisforthemiraculousaccount，sofarasXavier’sownwritingsareconcerned。
Ofmiraclesintheordinarysenseofthewordthereisintheselettersofhisnomention。Thoughhewritesofhisdoingswithespecialdetail，takingevidentpainstonoteeverythingwhichhethoughtasignofDivineencouragement，hesaysnothingofhisperformingmiracles，andevidentlyknowsnothingofthem。ThisisclearlynotduetohisunwillingnesstomakeknownanytokenofDivinefavour。Aswehaveseen，heisveryprompttoreportanythingwhichmaybeconsideredananswertoprayeroranevidenceofthepowerofreligiousmeanstoimprovethebodilyorspiritualhealthofthosetowhomhewassent。
Nordothelettersofhisassociatesshowknowledgeofanymiracleswroughtbyhim。Hisbrothermissionaries，whowereinconstantandloyalfellowshipwithhim，makenoallusionstothemintheircommunicationswitheachotherorwiththeirbrethreninEurope。
Ofthisfactwehavemanystrikingevidences。VariouscollectionsoflettersfromtheJesuitmissionariesinIndiaandtheEastgenerally，duringtheyearsofXavier’sactivity，werepublished，andinnotoneoftheseletterswrittenduringXavier’slifetimeappearsanyaccountofamiraclewroughtbyhim。Astypicalofthesecollectionswemaytakeperhapsthemostnotedofall，thatwhichwaspublishedabouttwentyyearsafterXavier’sdeathbyaJesuitfather，EmanuelAcosta。
ThelettersgiveninitwerewrittenbyXavierandhisassociatesnotonlyfromGoa，whichwasthefocusofallmissionaryeffortandthecentreofallknowledgeregardingtheirworkintheEast，butfromallotherimportantpointsinthegreatfield。Thefirstofthemwerewrittenduringthesaint’slifetime，but，thoughfilledwitheverysortofdetailregardingmissionarylifeandwork，theysaynothingregardinganymiraclesbyXavier。
Thesameistrueofvariousothersimilarcollectionspublishedduringthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies。InnotoneofthemdoesanymentionofamiraclebyXavierappearinaletterfromIndiaortheEastcontemporarywithhim。
Thissilenceregardinghismiracleswasclearlynotduetoany“evilheartofunbelief。”Onthecontrary，thesegoodmissionaryfatherswereprompttorecordtheslightestoccurrencewhichtheythoughtevidenceoftheDivinefavour：itisindeedtouchingtoseehoweagerlytheygraspatthemosttrivialthingswhichcouldbethusconstrued。
Theiramplefaithwasfullyshown。Oneofthem，inAcosta’scollection，sendsareportthatanilluminatedcrosshadbeenrecentlyseenintheheavens；another，thatdevilshadbeencastoutofthenativesbytheuseofholywater；another，thatvariouscasesofdiseasehadbeenhelpedandevenhealedbybaptism；andsundryotherssentreportsthattheblindanddumbhadbeenrestored，andthatevenlepershadbeencleansedbytheproperuseoftheritesoftheChurch；buttoXaviernomiraclesareimputedbyhisassociatesduringhislifeorduringseveralyearsafterhisdeath。
Onthecontrary，wefindhisownstatementsastohispersonallimitations，andthedifficultiesarisingfromthem，fullyconfirmedbyhisbrotherworkers。Itisinteresting，forexample，inviewoftheclaimafterwardmadethatthesaintwasdivinelyendowedforhismissionwiththe“giftoftongues。”tonoteintheselettersconfirmationofXavier’sownstatementutterlydisprovingtheexistenceofanysuchDivinegift，anddetailingthedifficultieswhichheencounteredfromhiswantofknowingvariouslanguages，andthehardlabourwhichheunderwentinlearningtheelementsoftheJapanesetongue。
UntilabouttenyearsafterXavier’sdeath，then，asEmanuelAcosta’spublicationshows，thelettersofthemissionariescontinuedwithoutanyindicationofmiraclesperformedbythesaint。Though，asweshallseepresently，abundantlegendshadalreadybeguntogrowelsewhere，notonewordregardingthesemiraclescameasyetfromthecountrywhich，accordingtolateraccountsacceptedandsanctionedbytheChurch，wasatthisveryperiodfilledwithmiracles；nottheslightestindicationofthemfromthemenwhoweresupposedtobeintheverythickofthesemiraculousmanifestations。
Butthisnegativeevidenceisbynomeansall。Thereisalsopositiveevidence——directtestimonyfromtheJesuitorderitself——thatXavierwroughtnomiracles。
FornotonlydidneitherXaviernorhisco-workersknowanythingofthemightyworksafterwardattributedtohim，butthehighestcontemporaryauthorityonthewholesubject，amanintheclosestcorrespondencewiththosewhoknewmostaboutthesaint，amemberoftheSocietyofJesusinthehigheststandingandoneofitsacceptedhistorians，notonlyexpresslytellsusthatXavierwroughtnomiracles，butgivesthereasonswhyhewroughtnone。
ThismanwasJosephAcosta，aprovincialoftheJesuitorder，itsvisitorinAragon，superioratValladolid，andfinallyrectoroftheUniversityofSalamanca。In1571，nineteenyearsafterXavier’sdeath，AcostadevotedhimselftowritingaworkmainlyconcerningtheconversionoftheIndies，andinthisherefersespeciallyandwiththegreatestreverencetoXavier，holdinghimupasanidealandhisworkasanexample。
ButonthesamepagewiththistributetothegreatmissionaryAcostagoesontodiscussthereasonswhyprogressintheworld’sconversionisnotsorapidasintheearlyapostolictimes，andsaysthatanespecialcausewhyapostolicpreachingcouldnolongerproduceapostolicresults“liesinthemissionariesthemselves，becausethereisnownopowerofworkingmiracles。”
Hethenasks，“Whyshouldouragebesocompletelydestituteofthem？”Thisquestionheanswersatgreatlength，andoneofhismaincontentionsisthatinearlyapostolictimesilliteratemenhadtoconvertthelearnedoftheworld，whereasinmoderntimesthecaseisreversed，learnedmenbeingsenttoconverttheilliterate；andhencethat“intheearlytimesmiracleswerenecessary，butinourtimetheyarenot。”
Thisstatementandargumentrefer，aswehaveseen，directlytoXavierbyname，andtotheperiodcoveredbyhisactivityandthatoftheothergreatmissionariesofhistime。ThattheJesuitorderandtheChurchatlargethoughtthisworkofAcostatrustworthyisprovedbythefactthatitwaspublishedatSalamancaafewyearsafteritwaswritten，andrepublishedafterwardwithecclesiasticalsanctioninFrance。[291]Nothingshowsbetterthanthesequelhowcompletelytheevolutionofmiraculousaccountsdependsupontheintellectualatmosphereofanylandandtime，andhowindependentitisoffact。
[291]TheworkofJosephAcostaisintheCornellUniversityLibrary，itstitlebeingasfollows：DeNaturaNoviOrbislibriduoetDePromulgationeEvangeliiapudBarbaros，siveDeProcurandaIndorumSalute，librisex，autoreJesephoAcosta，presbyteroSocietisJesu。I。H。S。Salmanticas，apudGuillelmumFoquel，MDLXXXIX。ForthepassagesciteddirectlycontradictingtheworkingofmiraclesbyXavierandhisassociates，seelib。
ii，cap。ix，ofwhichthetitleruns，CurMiraculainConversionegentiumnonfiantnunc，utolim，aChristipraedicatoribus，especiallypp。242-245；alsolib。ii，cap。viii，pp。237etseq。
ForapassagewhichshowsthatXavierwasnotthenatallcreditedwith“themiraculousgiftoftongues。”seelib。i，cap。
vii，p。173。Sincewritingtheabove，myattentionhasbeencalledtotheallegedmiraculouspreservationofXavier’sbodyclaimedinsundryletterscontemporarywithitsdisintermentatSanChanandreintermentatGoa。Thereisnoreasonwhythispreservationinitselfneedbedoubted，andnoreasonwhyitshouldbecountedmiraculous。Suchexceptionalpreservationofbodieshasbeencommonenoughinallages，and，alasfortheclaimsoftheChurch，quiteascommonofpagansorProtestantsasofgoodCatholics。OneofthemostfamouscasesisthatofthefairRomanmaiden，Julia，daughterofClaudius，overwhoseexhumationatRome，in1485，suchadowasmadebythescepticalscholarsoftheRenaissance。Contemporaryobserverstellusenthusiasticallythatshewasverybeautiful，perfectlypreserved，“thebloomofyouthstillupomhercheeks。”andexhalinga“sweetodour“；butthisenthusiasmwassolittletothetasteofPopeInnocentVIIIthathehadherreburiedsecretlybynight。Onlytheotherday，inJuneoftheyear1895，therewasunearthedatStade，inHanover，the“perfectlypreserved“