A. D. 1599. Prouto 35. The next place visited by Menezes was Paligunde, in the territories of the Rannee of Pimenta and thence he proceeded to Prouto, Success at in the same country. At this place he had instances of great difficulty in removing an idea that had longevity. possessed the people's imagination. They had persuaded themselves that those who went to confess, especially the aged, died immediately after; a notion which the rector, whom the Archbishop had appointed here, was unable to correct. Menezes, however, considering it an impression of too much importance not to be removed without delay, gave to it all his attention; and at last he succeeded in persuading the inhabitants that their apprehensions were groundless, and then he obtained from them whatever he desired. The sacristan of this church is described as a man of great vigour, though sixty-nine years of age, and subsisting upon nothing but rice and vegetables, having eaten meat only once all his life. Herein, however, there was nothing remarkable, as this is the ordinary food of the Malabar Christians, who, notwithstanding their spare diet, attain to a great age, and are subject comparatively to few diseases. Many of the heathen are still more abstemious, all the higher castes. abstaining from animal food, and keeping long fasts. They are capable, nevertheless, of great exertions, but do not generally live longer than the inhabitants of other countries. 36. From Prouto Menezes proceeded to Carturté, his favourite church, being the first fruits of his labours. After settling every thing to his 9 An account is given of a man baptized at Tana, a place north of Goa, in the year 1603, who was 138 years old, and had been married 106 years, to a woman who lived to the age of one hundred and twenty. La Croze, p. 315. Menezes dination at Carturte holds an or another CHAP. 1. refractory cattanar dies sud picions of poison. mind, he conferred orders on many Malabar pupils, some of whom had studied Syriac at Caramanté, and others at Vaipicotta. Here he found a refractory cattanar, who had always denly sus been opposed to the union of his church with that of Rome. It is pleasing to find the spirit of freedom not entirely suppressed among this people, though truly painful to learn how dearly this man paid for its exhibition. The Archbishop having tried in vain to overcome him by remonstrances, was soon released from his fruitless labour, and the poor man from his sorrow over the prostration of his church. In the midst of his opposition, he was seized with a distemper, hitherto "unknown to all the world," and in a few days expired, without manifesting the slightest inclination to conform to the Roman Church. This death very naturally filled all the Christians with alarm, and, Gouvea says, it passed among them for a miraculous interposition. But the Protestant historian makes these remarks upon it, "It is melancholy to see such miracles multiply. It would be easy, without passing any rash judgment, to reason more particularly upon the subject. People, who think they have a right to burn (alluding to the fires of the Inquisition, and to those lighted about that time in Europe, by the emissaries of Rome, for the destruction of protestants), would not feel much scruple in using poison on such occasions. However this may be, we must leave such matters to the judgment of God."1 1 La Croze, p. 316. On a similar occasion, the same writer remarked-" It is uncertain whether the thunders of excommunication, so much dreaded by these Christians, had put an end to the pretended culprit; or whether, by way of example to others, recourse was had to some other method (of destroying him), which Christian charity would not permit us 37. Menezes proceeded thence to Corolongate and Ignapeli, which were the last visits he paid to the Malabar churches. At the latter place he received accounts from Goa of the death of his sister, Donna Mecia, Countess of Redondo; and also of Philip II., King of Spain and Portugal. The despatches that brought these heavy tidings were delivered to him in public; but, deeming it important to the Portuguese interests to conceal the king's death, he suppressed his feelings, caused the bells to be rung and Te Deum to be chanted in the church, in token of their thanks to Almighty God for the joyful tidings that he pretended to have received, and for the favours vouchsafed to the cause of Christianity in India. He gave out, that six vessels had arrived, bearing many thousand soldiers, and large sums of money from Philip II., who then enjoyed perfect health, and promised to send much larger supplies in the following year. On reading this, one is at a loss at which to feel the most astonishedwhether at this Archbishop's mendacity, or at the obliquity of his historian's conscience, who records it as an act of policy deserving commendation. If such were the religion of the Portuguese, it has been justly called-" a strange kind of Christianity indeed."2 Where may we assign limits to the moral devastations of a creed, that could thus lay prostrate the character of one of its highest order of teachers, and lead his disciples to glory in his shame! This intelligence compelled the Archbishop to close his visitation much sooner than he had intended, as he was summoned to Goa to cele to suspect in any but Portuguese ecclesiastics." La Croze, p. 285. La Croze, p. 317. CHAP. I. He is disturbed by the exhibition of a farce at Pallur which he suppresses. brate the obsequies of the king. There were many churches yet to visit on the coast; but, seeing that they would detain him too long, he felt constrained to leave them. On his way through Carturté, he visited a few churches in the neighbourhood, and then returned to Paru, in the vicinity of Cochin. 38. While on his way, the rector and cattanars of the church of Pallur, in the territories of the Zamorin of Calicut, wrote to inform him of a circumstance, which did not fail greatly to disturb the Christians of the whole province where it occurred. Three of the principal Christians of Pallur assembled the people at the church, and amused them with the exhibition of a farce. Gouvea, who is always fond of dealing in the marvellous, says, that they were possessed of a devil, who was jealous of the wonderful progress of the Roman Church in those parts. One of the speakers personated St. Peter; another, St. Thomas ; and the third, who acted as umpire, St. Cyriac, the patron of that church. St. Thomas began the dispute, by bitterly inveighing against St. Peter, and complaining of the wrong which that Apostle had done him, in seducing the Indian Christians from their allegiance to himself, seeing that he had acquired a legitimate right over them by his preaching. "Your law,' "Your law," said he to St. Peter," was preached at Rome, and in Italy; your proceedings here, therefore, are most unreasonable. You have brought into this country an Archbishop, a very enterprising man, who, by sheer violence, has maintained the cause of the Portuguese, and introduced your law among a people who owe you no allegiance. Your successors, the Bishops of Rome, can have no authority whatever in this country. We are both Apostles of Jesus Christ ; our power is, therefore, so equal, that you have no more jurisdiction over my Christians, than I have over yours." To such arguments, and others of equal force, St. Peter was represented as returning a very feeble answer. He contented himself with asserting, that his law was for all the earth; and that, although that of St. Thomas was good, yet his own was much better. Upon this the dispute grew very warm, both the Apostles becoming enraged. At last, however, bethinking themselves that, being the Apostles of Jesus Christ, it was unbecoming their dignity to dispute in this angry manner, they moderated their wrath, and agreed, that it would be better to refer the question to St. Cyriac, to whom this church belonged, both promising to abide by his decision. St. Cyriac, being called in, heard both cases, and decided immediately in favour of St. Thomas; Because,' said he, the Christians of India do not depend on St. Peter, but on their true pastor, the patriarch of Babylon. The Portuguese Archbishop, who declares the contrary, is a heretic, against whom it is necessary that the Indian Christians should be on their guard. They ought not to surrender their faith to him; and the oaths that he extorted at Diamper are manifestly null and void." 6 This dialogue, which Gouvea calls a diabolical farce, was frequently repeated in other churches; and from its popularity, there can be little doubt that it represented the general feeling of the people. Menezes very naturally took alarm at it; for it contributed more powerfully than any address that could have been made, to awaken the people's ancient veneration for their Patriarch at Babylon, and to re A. D. 1599. |