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The Arch-Bishop not being able to brook fuch things any longer, fix'd a day for his going towards the Serra, and when the Viceroy and the whole Clergy beg'd of him not to expose his Perfon to fuch visible danger, they could have no other answer from him but this, That his life was but too fecure in this case, seeing he had never merited enough to entitle him to the Honour of being a Martyr. However, left his Humility might deceive him in paffing a Judgment upon himself, he did not think fit to truft too much to his want of Merits; and for that reason went attended with a good Guard, he had also a Commiflion to treat with all the Princes of Malabar, about Peace and War, and particularly to engage the Samorim to affift the Portugueze to take Cunable, a Fortress lately poffeffed by a company of Mahometan Pyrates, who did very much difturb the Portugueze Trade upon that Coast. This Nest of Pyrates, was first built by one Pate Marca, a Mahometan, who having in a fhort time enriched it strangely with the Spoils of the Portuguezes, both by Sea and Land, left it at his Death to his Nephew Mahomet Cunable Marca. This Mahomet was Governour, or rather Prince of it at this time; and as he was nothing inferior to his Uncle in Courage or Conduct, fo he had Fortified the place fo as to make it abfolutely one of the strongest Garrisons in the Indies, neither did he infult the Portugnezes only, but the Malabars alfo, and particularly the Samorim, in whofe Country Cunable stood, and who had given

leave to his Uncle to fortifie that place, on purpose to incommode the Portugueze.

And tho' the Portugueze Hiftorians will have it, that he took this Affair of Cunable only in the way to his Vifitation; yet by the course of his procedure, one would be tempted to think, that it was what principally carried him to thofe

Parts.

On the 27th. of December, 1598. the ArchBishop Embarked upon a Gally Commanded by Don Alvaro de Menezes, and on the day of Epiphany, arrived at the Bar of Cunable, where he joined the whole Portugueze Armada, Commanded by the Viceroy's Brother, he was faluted with all the Guns and Mufick of the Fleet; and having called a Council of War, and heard the several Opinions of all the Captains concerning the best way to take Cunable, he dispatched the refolution they had come to thereon, to the Council of State at Goa; a moft Apoftolical beginning of a Vifitation. After having put the Siege of Cunable into a good Pofture, he departed with a good Convoy to Cananor, where he continued 16 days, and then failed to Cochim, where he was fplendidly received by the Governour and the whole City, at the Stairs they had made on purpose for him to Land at.

Next day, when the Magiftrates of the City came to Complement him at his Houfe, he acquainted them with his defign of reducing the Chriftians of St. Thomas before he returned to

Goa, defiring their affiftance therein, which they frankly promifed him.

The day following His Grace having called the common Council of the City together, recommended the enterprise of Cunable to them, whom he made fo fenfible of how great importance it was to their City above all others, to have that Fortress wrefted out of the hands of the Mahometan Pyrates, who had lately made themselves. Masters of it, that they immediately caused 150 Men to be Raised and Armed at their own Charge, whom, together with a great quantity of all forts of Ammunition, they fent upon five ftout Ships to joyn the Armada before Cunable; the Arch-Bifhop alfo, to give the more life to the enterprise, fent one of the best of his own Manchua's or Yachts, mann'd with his own menial Servants, along with them.

The King of Cochim was much troubled to hear of the Arch-Bishop's being fo hot upon the reduction of Cunable, being fenfible that a Peace betwixt the Portuguezes and the Samorim, without whofe affiftance by Land, it wou'd be hard for them to reduce that Fortress, must be the Confequence of the enterprise. And as there had been nothing,the Kings of Cochim had been always more careful to hinder fuch a Peace, which they than did on purpose to keep the Portuguezes in a closer dependance upon them; fo the prefent King following the wife measures of his Ancestors, endeavour'd, by a Stratagem, to destroy the Confidence he faw the Portuguezes had already repo

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fed in the Samorim. To which end he fent his Chief Justice, and one Joan de Miranda, a Gentleman of Cochim, to wait upon the ArchBishop and to acquaint his Grace from him, that he had received certain advice from fome Spies he had in the Samorim Cabinet-Council, that that Prince, whenever the Portuguezes Landed, inftead of joyning with them, had determined to cut them all off in revenge of the many Injuries they had done his Ancestors, of which danger he thought himself obliged, both as a Friend and a Brother in Arms to the King of Portugal to advise him.

The Arch-Bishop, who understood the Intrigues of Princes, as well as any Man living, returned the King his Thanks for his Intelligence, but withal fent him word, that they were refolved to trust the Samorim in this occafion; and the rather, because they did not want Power to be revenged on all that should deceive the King of Portugal either in Peace or War.

The King, when he found his Plot had not fucceeded according to his expectation, refolved to divert the Samorim from fending an Army to Cunable, by making a War presently. upon the Caimal, or Prince of Corugeira his Friend and Allie and having with incredible expedition got an Army of 60000 Men together, he sent to let the Arch-Bishop know, that before he marched he defigned to wait upon him. The Arch-Bishop, tho' he did not go over his Threshold to meet the King, received him, when he came, C 4 with

with great Civility and after the Complements were over, acquainted him firft, with his Intention of visiting all the Chriftian Churches in the Serra, in order to reduce them to the true Christian Faith, from which they had very much fwerved; telling him, that fince great numbers of thofe Churches were within his Territories, he expected his affiftance in fo good a work; of which being affured by the King, the Arch-Bishop went on and told him, that there was another thing that he must not deny him, and that was to put off his War with the Caimal till Cunable was taken; the King gave many reasons why he could not deferr it; but the Arch-Bishop preft him fo hard upon the point, that before they parted, he made him promife to disband his Army.

The Arch Bishop having put the Affairs of the Siege in a good pofture, begun to apply himself to the reduction of the Chriftians of St. Thomas, and the first step he made towards it, was to fend to the Arch-Deacon to come and fpeak with him at Cochim. But after having expected him fome days, and finding that he neither came himself, nor returned him any answer, he concluded, as well he might, that he was afraid to venture himself in that City; whereupon he fent him a Letter of fafe Conduct, fwearing he would not queftion him about any thing that was past.

The Arch-Deacon, upon this occafion, Affembled a great number of Caçanares, and other

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