SIR THOMAS ROE’S VOYAGE TO INDIA.

47

nions, and excelling in many virtues, efpecially in piety and reverence towards his prents, called in three Mints from Goa , the chief of whom was Jerom Aaverras -varrois. After their arrival he heard them difcourfe with much fatisfaftion, and diiputeof religion, and caufed F. Xaverius to write a book m defence is i S . Arboth Moors and Gentiles, which'when fimfhed he read m every night, and had lom.part difcuffed. Finally, he granted them his letters patent to build, pleach, teac :i,convert, and to ufe all their rites and ceremonies as freely as m Rome , b g

them means to ereft their churches and places of devotion. In this grant he give -berty to all forts of men to become Chriflians, even to his own court and blood, r -feffing it thould be no caufe of disfavour. Ezbar Sha himfelf continued a Mahometanyef he began to make a breach info the law ; for confidenng that MahomA wa, buman, and a King as he was, and therefore reverenced, he thought he nug Pgood a prophet himfelf. This defection of the King fpread not far ai ceitarno -ward awe withheld him, and fo he died in the formal profeffion of his feckGuire Sha, his fon, the prefent King, being the ilfoe of this new fancy, and never cr-

cumcifed, bred up without any religion at all, continues fo to this our,ai. ' ,

Sometimes he will profefs himfelf a Mahometan, but always obferves the holy days, anddoes all ceremonies with the Gentiles. He is pleafed with al religions, but loves nonethat changes •, and falling into his father’s conceit, has dared to proceed further , .and to profefs himfelf for the main of his religion, to be a greater prophet than Mai -met, and has formed to himfelf a new one, being a mixture of all others, which manyhave received with fuch fuperftition, that they will not eat tih they have fainted himthe morning; for which purpofe he comes at fun rifmg to a window open o agr < ■plain before his houfe, where multitudes attend him. When the Moors about himtalk of Mahomet, he will footh them ; but is glad when any one will la h out agamlthim. Of Chrift he never utters any difrefpeftful words, nor do any o a t t e e s j.which is a wonderful fecret working of God ’s truth, and worth obfexvmg.. _

As for the new planted Chriftian church, he confirmed and enlarged its privileges,fpending two hours every night for a year, in hearing difputes ; often dropping wordsof his converfion, but to a wicked purpofe. To give the more hope, he deliverer manyyouths into the hands of F. Francifco Cork, hill refident here, to teach them to read-and write Portuguefe, and to inftrua them inhuman learning, and m the law of Gnrut.To that purpofe the father kept a fchool fome years, to winch the King ent nncesbis brother’s Tons, who being brought up in the knowledge of God , and his bon ourbleffed Saviour, werefolemnly baptized in the church of Agra , with great p° p ’&hrft carried up and down all the city on elephants in triumph ; and this by the King s •exprefs order, who would often examine them to fee what progrefs they made, andfeemed well pleafed with them. This made many bend towards the fame way, beingignorant of His Maiefty’s intention ; others that knew him better, fuppofed he iuitered^is in policy to render thofe children odious to the Moors for their converfion, theftrength of his eftate confifting- in them : but all men miftook his delign, which wasthus difeovered. When thefe and fome other children were fettled, as was thought, uv>the Chriftian religion, and had learnt the principles thereof, as to marry but one wife,not to be coupled with infidels, &c. the King fet the boys to demand Portuguefe wives°f the Jefuits; who thinking it only an idle notion of their own, chid them, and fui-peTed no more : but that being the end of their converfion to get a woman for the&ing, and no care being taken in it, the two Princes came to the Jefuits, and deliveredPP their croffes, and all other tokens of religion, declaring they would be no longerGhriftiims, becaufe the King of Portugal fent them no prefents nor wives, as the^ex-