Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

Dio, Chaul, and all the other Portugueze Ports, his Subjects Ships were all strictly searched, and all the Boys and Girls that were found Aboard, of whatfoever Quality, Abyffnes or Mahometans, were forcibly carried afboar, and there detained from their Parents or Mafters. This, faith he, is a matter that I cannot but be extreamly offended with; neither can I judge otherwife of your permitting fuch Violences, but that you have a mind to break with me, for if you had not I cannot be perfwaded that your People durft prefume to commit fuch Infolencies: He goes on. Let it fuffice that no difference can happen between us, but what gives me great difpleasure, and that I am both a Brother and an Allie of the King of Portugal, and do esteem you as my particular Friend, to put a stop to this matter, that fo my Subjects may have no further caufe to complain thereof. Befides, I am confident the King of Portugal will not thank any, that shall be inftrumental in making a Breach between me and him, by compelling my Subjects thus against their Wills to turn Chriftians, a practice, faith he,that's abominable in the fight of all the World; nay, I am confident that Jesus Christ himself,the God whom you adore, cannot be well pleased with fuch Service as this: Force and Compulfion in all fuch Cafes,being what God, Kings, and all the People of the World do abominate. The work of turning People from one Religion to another, if it be not done by the Divine Inspiration, and the immediate Will of God can never be fincere, neither can Converts have any inward respect for a Religion, which they are com pelled to Profefs. I do therefore intreat you to fee

that

that this matter be speedily redreffed, but especially that of taking Peoples Children from them by violence, which is a thing I ftand amazed at, and am in duty bound to fee remedied.

In his fecond Letter he thanks the Viceroy for. an Order he had fent to Ormus, and the other Portugueze Ports, prohibiting all fuch Violences, but at the fame time tells him, That his Order was not in the least regarded; for that the Portuguezes notwithstanding it, went on ftill in their former Courfes, to which he tells him, If there were not a Speedy and effectual stop put, it must necessarily beget a War betwixt him and the Portuguezes; adding, That as he knew that neither God, nor wife Kings, took any delight in Difcords, fo he was certain that there was no Religion in the World, that juftified the forcing of People from one Religion to another.

And in his Speech to his Captains he tells them, The Portuguezes at first came among us, under the notion of Merchants, promifing to help us to feveral Goods that we wanted, but that afterwards by making of trifling Prefents to fome weak Princes and other Arts, they had obtained leave to build Store-Houfes for their Wares upon the Coast; but that instead of Ware-Houfes, they had built Fortreffes, by which means they had ftrengthned themselves fo in India, both by Sea and Land, that it was more than time for the Natives to look about them, and to join together to extirpate fuch cruel Tyrants and Ravagers of fo many Kingdoms, and Enemies to the general quiet and commerce of the World; and that for one

thing cfpecially, which was what no patience was able to endure, their compelling the Indians in all places, where they had Power, to change their Religion.

In this Affair the Chriftian and Mahometan, of which Sect this Hidalcaon was, feem to have changed Parts, the Mahometan writing therein like a Chriftian, and the Chriftians behaving themfelves like Mahometans.

Pudet hæc opprobria nobis

Vel dici potuiffe.

About this time the Dominican Friars, under pretence of building a Convent, built a Fortress at Solor, into which, as foon as it was finished, the Viceroy put a strong Garrison: There were perpetual Bickerings betwixt this Garrison and the Natives, in most of which, fome of the Friars, as they were Converting those Infidels, with Swords in their hands, fuffered Martyrdom.

We read of a famous Portugueze Miffionary about this time, it was one Fernando Vinagre, who, tho' a Secular Prieft, Commanded the Squadron that was sent to the affistance of the King of Tidore; in which occafion he is faid to have behaved himself both like a great Captain, and a great Apostle, and to have appeared one day in Armour, and another in a Surplice, and to have Baptized feveral in his Armour, with his Surplice over it. In thefe a la Dragoon Converfions, he was feconded by his Admiral Antonio Galvam, who with the affiftance of Captain Francifco da Caftro,

Caftro, is faid to have Converted five Kings in the Island of Mazacar ; and tho' he was really no other than a St. Ruth, yet he is faid by the Portugueze Hiftorians to be another St. Paul, in Governing all that came under his Power both with his Sword and with his Voice, A Sword and Voice, fay they, worthy of a glorious Eternity. It was this Antonio that first discovered the King of Portugal's fpecial Title to the Clove, which, for having five Points, he faid, had the King of Portugal's Arms, which are the five Wounds of Chrift ftamp'd upon it.

The fame Author tells us, and approves of what an Indian faid of the Portuguezes, when in the height of their Triumphs: Let them alone, faid the Indian, for they will quickly come to lofe that as Covetous Merchants, which they have gained as admirable Soldiers; they now Conquer Afia, but it will not be long before Afia will Conquer them.

The Emperor of Perfia is reported by the fame Author to have made the fame Prediction, who being told by the Portugueze Ambaffador, when he asked him how many of the Governours of the Indies Heads his Mafter had chopped off, that he had not taken off one, replied, If that is true, it is not possible the Portuguezes should hold the Indies long.

About this time the Portuguezes were driven out of the Island of Ito by the Natives. They were stirred up to do it by a Speech made by one Gemulio, a confiderable Native, wherein he told the Portuguezes in a full Affembly of them, That if they Preached to others that there was a God

in Heaven, who obferved all that was done on Earth, and would certainly Reward all Good, and Punish all Evil-Deeds, without believing it themselves, or without practising what they believed, they were certainly guilty of the Abomination, which fuch a God must deteft above all others: He likewise told them, They were Strangers come from the very Skirts of the World, and will you, faith he, who are the OffSpring of the Shades, which the Sun leaves when it goes down, prefume to Tyrannize over us, who entertained you so kindly, and have been fo long a Sanuary to you? If these be the Customs of your Country, you must know they are what we Abominate; return, return therefore to your native darkness, or your ancient Habitations, where the want of Light will hide your Actions, and do you not come hither to commit them in the very apple of the Eye of the Sun, as it rifeth out of his brightest Cradle. Yon preach Chrift Crucified to us, and at the fame time Crucifie thofe you have perfwaded to believe in him. You will make others to be Chriftians, without appearing to be fuch your felves. You must know we are not ignorant of what you have done to the King of Xael, and how you rewarded his great kindness and Civility to you, with Violences and Outrages, and his Subjects good turns with dishonouring their Wives: We know likewife how you have used the Queen of Aram, whom, after she had loft both her Kingdom and Husband to fecure you, you have difhonourably thrown off, as one who could be of no further ufe to you. Be gone therefore immediately out of this Island, and hereafter don't you prefume to

Set

« AnteriorContinua »