Thus concluded the disputations which he had with Fucarandono and the Bonzas. They were very glorious for him, and for the religion which he preached, but brought not forth the expected fruit amongst the idolaters who were present at them; for neither the Portuguese author, whom we have frequently cited, nor other historians of the Father's life, make mention of any new conversions which were made; and it affords great occasion for our wonder, that the lords of the court, who so much approved the doctrine of Christianity, should still continue in the practice of idolatry, and of their vices, if it were not always to be remembered, that, in conversion, the light of the understanding avails nothing unless the heart be also touched, and that the philosophers, of whom St Paul speaks, "having known God, did not glorify him as God." Nevertheless we may probably believe, that these disputations in progress of time failed not of their due; effect; and it is also probable, that they were the seed of those wonderful conversions which were made in following years. Father Xavier went the next morning to take his last farewell of the king, who was more kind to him than ever, and parted from Japan the same day, which was Nov. 20th, in the year 1551, having continued in that country two years and four months. Not long before, Clod had made known to his servant, that the town of Malacca was besieged by sea and land; and that the king of Jentana, a Saracen, was personally before it, with an army of twelve thousand men: That neither the conduct of the governor, Don Pedro de Silva, nor the succours of Don Fernandez Carvalio, had been able to defend it against the attempts of the barbarians; that the Javans, a fierce and warlike people, had mastered that place; that of three hundred Portuguese, who were within it, above an hundred had been put to the sword, and the rest of them had only escaped by retiring into the fortress. In short, that Malacca was now become a place of horror, and that the enemy, wearied with the slaughter, had reserved many thousands of the inhabitants for the chain. The saint informed Gama, and the Portuguese of the ship, of these sad tidings, before they left the port, and declared to them, that the sins of that corrupt city had drawn down the curse of God upon it, as he had foretold and threatened; but he desired them, at the same time, to supplicate the Father of all Mercies, for the appeasing of his divine justice, and he himself prayed earnestly in their behalf. Besides the two Japanners, Matthew and Bernard, who had constantly followed the Father, and would never forsake him, an ambassador from the king of Bungo embarked with him in the same vessel. The business of this embassy was to seek the friendship of the viceroy of the Indies, and to obtain a preacher from him, who might finish the conversion of that kingdom, in the room of Father Xavier.