Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

Chriftians in the Dominions of the Queen of Pimenta. He took several Churches in his way thither, at fome of whieh he met with a kind Reception, at others the Chriftians would not fo much as fee him. Being arrived at Carturte, after a dangerous Voyage, on the Friday before Palm-Sunday, he went to Church betimes next Morning, where having faid Mass, and Preached, he Commanded the Congregation not to fail to be at Church next day, for that he had fomething of Importance to communicate to them; and having the fame Night invited several of the most confiderable Chriftians of the place aboard his Galley, by fome means or other; for you must understand he was not sparing of his Money in this occafion, no more than he was of his Promises, he gained two of the most substantial among them intirely to his Party, who did him afterwards very great Service: Their Names were Itimato Mapula, and Itimane Mapula.

The Arch-Bishop not knowing but that the Portuguezes Mufick might charm the common People, and reconcile them to the Latin Service, to which they seemed to have a great averfion, fent for a full Quire from Cochim, and on PalmSunday had high Mafs performed with the fame Ceremony and Majesty that he could have had it done at Goa: but the Caçanares and People were so far from being fatisfied with the Mufick and pompous Ceremony of that Service, that if they liked it ill before, they liked it a great deal worse after that, as in truth none but they that place

place all Religion in external Performances can do otherwise, there being no Paffion which that Service will not excite in its Spectators (which is all the People are) fooner than Devotion.

The Queen of Pimenta being importun'd to it by feveral Chriftians, and her own Jealousies, sent an Order to the Arch-Bishop to leave her Kingdom in three days upon pain of Death, and not to trouble her Subjects with his Novelties, under which, she had reason to apprehend fome ill defign against her State was couched. But the Arch-Bishop knew his own ftrength too well to be frighted away with Paper Threats, and fo fent the Queen back word pofitively, that he would not ftir out of her Territories before he had finished the work that had brought him thither, telling her withal, That he was ferving her rather than otherwife in what he was doing, and that her Ancestors had granted Privileges to the Arch-Bishop of the Serra, but being Infidels had never offered to concern themselves in the matters of their Religion; That if he fhould Murther him, she must know, that fhe Muthered the fecond Man in the Indies; and that his would be the dearest Blood that ever she Spilt in her Life; fince the Portuguezes, the Greatness of whofe Power She and her Kingdom could not be but fenfible of, having fo often felt it, would infallibly Revenge his Death to the utmoft.

What made the Arch-Bishop the ftouter in this occafion, was his knowing that he had fecured most of her Regedores, namely him of Carturte, and the Country about it to his Party, whom E

he

he had engaged by very rich Presents to favour and protect him in the execution of his defigns. The Arch-Bishop having thus intimidated the Queen, and bribed her Officers, began to make bolder steps than he had offered to make before, and fo feeing a Caçanır at Church one day, whom he had excommunicated but a little before, for having prefumed to excommunicate him, he fent to him to get him out of the Church, which was no place for an excommunicate Rebel as he was. The Caçanar laughed at the Crder, and told him very briskly, That he would not go out of the Church, for that he was none of his Prelate, neither did he value Roman Excommunications no more than he did the dirt under his feet; the Roman Church having nothing to do with the Church of the Serra; the Arch-Bishop not being able to bear fuch a publick Affront, and knowing his Party in the Church to be the stronger, commanded the Service and Mufick to ceafe; and turning towards the place where the Caçanar stood, commanded him to come up to him, which the Caçanar refufing to do with great fcorn; he was dragg'd up to him by fome Caçanares, and others that he had gained to his Party, and being kept down upon his Knees before him, was commanded to beg his Lordship's Pardon; he told them refolutely, He would die before he would do it, or any thing whereby he should acknowledge him his Prelate. The Arch-Bishop perceiving that he was not to be terrified into a compliance, ordered him to be turned out of the Church; the Caçanar told

him, He would not be turned out of a Church where he had more to do than he had upon this the whole Church was all in an uproar, fome ftriving to keep him in the Church, and others to thrust him out, but the Arch-Bishop's Party being the stronger, after a great disturbance, turned out he was.

The Night following feveral Caçanares and others, abjured the Patriarch of Babylon, and were reconciled to the Church of Rome at the Arch-Bishop's Lodgings, which were over the Church. After which the Arch-Bishop was refolved either to make the Arch-Deacon bend, or to break with him totally; and fo having all his Converts together, without whofe advife he told them he would never do any thing; he declared to them that he could no longer bear with the Arch-Deacon's Rebellion, and was therefore determined to depofe him, and put another in his place, naming one Thomas Curia a near Kinfman of the Arch-Deacon's, to be his Succeffor. They all owned that His Grace had great reafon to be angry with the Arch-Deacon; but yet feeing he was but a young Man, and had had the ill luck to be in the hands of bad Counfellors, they intreated His Grace, before he declared his place void, to allow them fome time to admonish him in, and to try whether they could not perfwade him to Conformity; for which they defired but twenty days, promifing, that if he did not fubmit within the time, that they would never own him more, but would fubmit to any Arch

E 2

Arch-Deacon that His Grace fhould fet over them. Next day they fent fix to treat with him, who, tho' they took a great deal of pains to perfwade him to fubmit himself to the Arch-Bishop, could not prevail with him to do it.

On Eafter-Eve the Arch-Bishop had a fecond Ordination, whereat he Ordained a great many that had been hindred by the Regedores from coming to the first. The fame day Francifco Roz, the Jefuite, who was afterwards made Bifhop of the Serra by the Pope, came to wait upon the Arch-Bishop, who, after Mass, told him, That he could not believe he was in Carturte, where, not many Months ago, having a mind to say Mass, he was forced to have the Church doors opened to him by the Queen's Regedor, and where, when he elevated the Sacrament, the People all fout their Eyes, that they might not fee it; and beat one of his Scholars for having named the Pope in his Prayers ; and when he fhewed them an Image of our Lady, cried out, Away with that filthiness, we are Chúiftians, and for that reafon do not adoze Idols o2 Pagods.

On Eafter-day the Arch-Bishop intended to have a most folemn Proceffion, which the Heathens having notice of, were refolved either to hinder or disturb it; but finding they were not ftrong enough to do the former, by reafon of the Regedore's guarding the Arch-Bishop as he did, they hired the most infamous Sorcerer of the whole Country to kill the Arch-Bishop in the Proceffion, which he undertook to do with a Charm that

had

« AnteriorContinua »