Hamilton’s account of the east inihes.

354

days after that noble exploit. She was called Donna Maria. She came to India litman’s apparel, in quell of a gentleman that had promifed her marriage, and then,deferted her, and went, in quality of captain, to India ; Ihe found him, and challengedhim at fword and piftol, but he rather chofe to make the quarrel up amicably bymarriage.

I have Hood on a little hill near the city, and have counted about eighty churches,convents and monafteries, within view ; and I was informed, that, in the city and itsdiftri&s, which ftretch about 40 miles along the fea-coaft, and 15 miles within land,there are no fewer than 30,000 church vermin, who live idly and luxurioufly on thelabour and fweat of the miferable laity, fo that every body that has fons and' fubftance,-ltrives to buy places for them in the church, becaufe neither military or civil pre-ferments can be expected from the Hate, or if by merit they chance to raife themfelves,yet the tyranny and oppreffions of the domineering clergy is infupportable j forinltance, I knew a gentleman that bought a parcel of frefh filh, and a prieft comingfoon after to the filhers, and finding that none was left for the church, he de-manded the gentleman’s bargain, who excufed himfelf, by telling the prieft, thathe had fome friends to dine with him, and could not fpare them. The prieft.gavehim a reprimand in fcurrilous language, and the gentleman ufing fome tart lan-guage to the prieft, that offended him, he let fly the ftiarp dart of excommunica-tion, that pierced him fo deep, that it coft him above feven pounds fterling to take itout again, and beg his pardon on his knees before the Archbifhop, before he could beabfolved.

In a fine (lately church, dedicated to St. Paul the apoftle, lies the body of St.Francis Xavier , a Portuguefe apoftle, and a Jefuit by trade, who died in his million toJapon in the fifteenth century and, about fifty years after, as a Portuguefe (hip wasgoing to, or coming from China , being near an ifland on that coaft, called after St.Juan, fome gentlemen and priefts went alhore for diverfion, and accidentally foundthe faint’s body uncorrupted, and carried it paflenger to Goa , and there with much,veneration and ecclefiaftical ceremony, it was depofited in an aide of St. Paul’s church,where it lies dill, and looks as frefh as a new fcalded pig, but with the lofs of onearm ; for when the rumour of the miracle reached Rome , the foveregin pontiffordered his right arm to be fent, that he might find out if there was any impofture init or no, or perhaps make him fadge in a China bonzee into his calender, under thename of a Chriftian faint. Accordingly his arm was fairly cut off by the (houlder,and fent to Rome to (land its trial. When His Holinefs had viewed it, he called forpen, ink and paper to be brought on a table, and the arm fet near them. After alittle conjuration, in full view of the facred college, who were there prefent, andno body elfe, the faint’s hand took hold of the pen, dipped it in ink, and fairly wroteXavier .

I take it to be a pretty piece of wax-work that ferves to gull the people of theirmoney, for many vifit it with great veneration, and leave fomething at its fhrine forthe maintainance of candles and olive oil, that continually burn before it: And a prieftattends weekly to (have his head and beard ; but none but that prieft has the honour to.come within the iron rails that are placed about the corpfe, four or five yards diftantfrom it. Now, if any (hould queftion the truth of Xavier’s (lory at Goa , they wouldbe branded with the odious name of an obftinate incredulous heretick, and perhaps fallin the hands of a convincing inquifition.

But, if any incredulous heretick (hould be fqueamifli, and cannot fwallow the (loryof Xavier without chewing it, I will tell them of another,, that, doubtlefs,. will go glibly

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