Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/783

 XAVIER Obaflos, in Navarre, April 7, 1506, died in the island of Sau Chau, near Macao, China, Dec. 2, 1552. His father, Don Juan de Jasso, was councillor of state to Jean d'Albret, king of Navarre, and his mother, Maria de Xavier y Azpilqueta, was sole heiress of the two noble houses of those names. He graduated master in philosophy at the college of Ste. Barbe in Paris in 1530, and lectured on Aristotle in the college de Beauvais. In the former college he occupied the same room with Ignatius Loyola, and at first looked upon him with fear and aversion on account of his ascetic practices; but he was soon won over, and became one of his first associates in the company of Jesus. (See JESUITS.) He joined Ignatius in Venice in January, 1537, was ordained priest there, and instructed the poor of Bologna, where he fell ill of fever. He preached and taught poor children in Rome from March, 1538, till March, 1540. The king of Portugal having asked Ignatius to send him missionaries for the Por- tuguese settlements in the East Indies, Xavier was one of the two selected, and eventually went alone to India. He travelled on foot to Lisbon, where he labored with such zeal among all classes that the king and clergy wished to keep him in the country ; but he could not be diverted from his purpose, and the king pro- cured his appointment as apostolic nuncio in the Indies, with most ample powers. He sailed from Lisbon, April 7, 1541. When the scurvy broke out, Xavier devoted his whole time to the diseased crew. He touched at Mozambique, Melinda, and Socotra, preaching with very remarkable effect wherever he land- ed, and on May 6, 1542, reached Goa, the capi- tal of the Portuguese Indies. He took up his abode in the hospital, and every day went with a bell in his hand through the streets, calling upon the Christian inhabitants to send their children and slaves to be instructed in the faith. In a short time he is said to have effected almost a complete reformation of the city. From Goa he went to the coast of Comorin and the island of Ceylon, and after- ward, making Malacca his headquarters, vis- ited many other parts of the East, baptizing vast numbers of the natives, and leaving wher- ever he went flourishing congregations under 'the care of his disciples. Other missionaries arrived from Europe, and in 1549 he went to Japan, where he was permitted freely to preach the gospel ; and when he set sail for Goa in December, 1551, he left three of the great princes of the empire Christians, besides hav- ing baptized immense numbers of the common people. His intention to penetrate into China was frustrated by his sudden death. His re- mains were taken to Goa and deposited in a chapel near the city. During his 10 years apostleship he is said to have planted the iaitb in 52 different kingdoms, preached the gospel through 9,000 miles of territory, and baptized more than 1,000,000 persons. Many miraclei were ascribed to Xavier, and he was beati- XENIA 765 fied by Pope Paul V. in 1619, and canonized by Gregory XV. March 12, 1622. His works comprise letters, a catechism, &c., all pub- lished by H. J. Coleridge ("The Life and Let- ters of St. Francis Xavier," 2 vols, London, 1872). His life was written in Latin by Tur- sellini (Rome, 1594) and Bartoli (Lyons, 1666), and in French by Bouhours (Paris, 1682 ; trans- lated into English by Dryden, London, 1688). XEMA, the presents given to the guests after a banquet by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and hence the title of the 13th book of Mar- tial's epigrams, which consists of distichs re- ferring to this custom. In the Musenalmanach for 1797 appeared a collection by Goethe and Schiller of over 400 distichs entitled Xenien, which were acute, epigrammatic criticisms upon art, society, current literature, &c. Their per- sonalities and caustic style called forth many replies. Later, Goethe alone published Zahme Xenien, a series of genial reflections upon art and life in epigrammatic form. XEMA, a city and the county seat of Greene co., Ohio, at the junction of several divisions of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and St. Louis railroad, about 50 m. N. E. of Cincinnati and W. S. W. of Columbus respectively; pop. in 1850,3,024; in 1860, 4,658; in 1870, 6,377; in 1876, .estimated at 9,000. It is well paved, lighted with gas, and has a good fire depart- ment. There are many substantial business blocks and elegant residences. The chief public buildings are the court house, one of the finest in the state, in a large and handsome park in the centre of the city ; the city hall, contain- ing a fine public hall ; and the jail. Xenia has an important trade, and is largely engaged in manufacturing. There are planing mills, saw mills, glass works, oil mills, marble and granite works, a large brewery, an extensive bakery, and manufactories of rope, bagging, agricul- tural implements, pumps, carriages and wagons, furniture, and tin ware. Four firms are en- gaged in pork packing. There are two na- tional banks. The principal charitable insti- tutions are the city hospital and the Ohio soldiers' and sailors' orphans' home, grounds of the latter, about 200 acres in ex- tent, are very attractive, and contain about ( buildings, accommodating 700 inmates. There are six fine public school buildings, several pri- vate schools, a conservatory of music, a com- mercial college, three weekly newspapers, and 15 churches, viz. : 2 Baptist (1 colored), 1 Episcopal, 1 Lutheran, 3 Methodist Episcopal (1 colored), 1 Presbyterian, 1 Reformed, 1 man Catholic, 1 Seceder, 3 United Presbyterian, and 1 Wesleyan Methodist (colored), besides a Spiritualist society. It is the seat of Xenn college (Methodist Episcopal) and of a Inited Presbyterian theological seminary. } ilber- force university (African Methodist Episcopal) is a short distance outside of the city limits. Xenia college occupies two fine buildings in a larwooded park in the E. part of the city. It has primary, normal, preparatory, and.