rent of the sovereign. They were allowed to sit, even on a carpet, in presence of the rajah and his ministers of state; an honour conceded also to foreign ambassadors. During the sixteenth century, the rajah of Paru proposed to extend this last named privilege to the Naires in his dominions, but the Christians immediately declared war against him if he persevered; when, conscious of his inabilility to enforce it in opposition to their will, he was obliged to leave matters on their ancient footing. All these immunities and honours rendered the dignity of their Bishop so considerable, that, as the Italian missionary, Vincent Marie, has testified, he was as highly esteemed as a king. We cannot be surprised, therefore, at the Jesuit's anxiety to possess themselves of an office invested with such authority, and so calculated to exalt their order in the estimation of the native princes. But, as in Japan and Abyssinia, so here, their consummate ambition and intolerance marred their design, and provoked the natives to expel them, before they had become firmly seated in the episcopal chair which they usurped. After this description of the Syrian Christians, extracted from the works of their restless and implacable enemies, and published at the very time when they were making every effort to dissolve the unity of this church, and identify it with that of Rome; we shall give, from the same authorities, the character of the Roman church, as it then existed in India. It consisted chiefly of Portuguese, who are thus described by a Carmelite missionary of their own. "The Christians who live in the Portuguese colonies in India are composed of three classes. CHAP. I. 8 The first are the soldiers, who came from Portugal, and are called Regnicoles. The second are called, Métifs, the descendants of the former. The third are the slaves that have been converted to the faith. The first class, the nobility among them excepted, are the dregs of Portugal; for the most part a seditious people, covered with crimes, and banished from their country. The second class are ill educated, extremely effeminate, and abandoned to all kinds of sensual indulgence. The third are a wild race, totally incapable of instruction, and ferocious in the extreme. In a climate so warm as that which these people inhabit, their natural propensity to evil is always on the increase: indeed, many of them actually believe vice to be necessary. It is incredible with what enmity and thorough malevolence they persecute one another, and that for the most trivial offence. Such is their immodesty, that we cannot venture to describe it. The men and women live in continual idleness, passing all their days together perfectly naked, without the least respect for each other, or any regard to the difference of sexes. They are incessantly chewing betel, cardamoms, and areca, which are heating and intoxicating drugs. They are also perpetually smoking tobacco. This mode of living is enough to set their bowels in a flame, which are already almost burned up by the heat of the climate they inhabit. From these general causes, one can easily comprehend what must be the conduct of this people: but I will gladly omit a 7 The natives of the kingdom of Portugal. 8 That is, mongrel or mixed breed; their fathers being Portuguese, and their mothers natives of India, generally of the lowest castes. more particular detail, in order to spare the reader's feelings. This description, appalling as it must appear, is, however, somewhat flattering: for the Métifs and Slaves are introduced for the purpose of diverting the reader's attention from the infamy of the Regnicoles; whereas, those two debased classes are just what these, their fathers and instructors, made them. The general character of the people is qualified by the exception made in favour of the nobility, in order to avoid giving offence to the whole nation of Portugal: but every author, whether ancient or modern, who has undertaken to describe them, has concurred in giving them the same character. We have seen the state of debauchery in which Francis Xavier found them. Linschot, who has entered much into the offensive details, plainly shows, that there was no corruption of manners more infamous or more general than that of the Portuguese in India. And yet, these composed the church to which the Syrian Christians were invited, yea, commanded, upon pain of excommunication and death, to join themselves! Who can wonder that they shrunk with abhorrence from such a community? The very proposal was an insult to their feelings and understanding. With all their ignorance and imperfections, they were to the Portuguese, as light to darkness, as salt to clay. How revolting then to every pious senti • Vincenzo Maria, Lib. ii. c. 18. p. 202, 203. La Christianità che vive, &c. See La Croze, pp. 87-89, where the other Italian and Portuguese authorities are all given. To the testimony of the missionary here quoted might be added that of Linschot, Tavernier, and other travellers, all Portuguese or Italians, and therefore interested in giving the best account they could of this people. СНАР. I. ment or feeling, and even to the dictates of common sense, was the attempt, under the pretext of imparting to them superior religious blessings, to unite such a people with these base invaders of their country. What other effect could have resulted from such an amalgamation, than the extinguishing of the little light which their own church had preserved, and the loss of the Christian savour they might yet retain? Heathen conquerors have frequently adopted the Gods of the nations they subdued. Happy had it been for the Portuguese if they had so far followed the example, as to trim their own waning lamp by the brighter torch which they found burning in Malabar, instead of labouring to extinguish it. CHAPTER II. THE FIRST VISITATION OF DON ALEXIO DE ME- A. D. 1598. the South 1. THE Archbishop of Goa, seeing that his negociations with the Syrians were not likely Menezes to produce the desired result, determined to passage to visit them in person, and fixed a day for his ern coast. departure. When the viceroy and the clergy at Goa heard of his intention, they entreated him not to expose himself to such imminent danger; but he returned them only this answer, That his life was but too secure in this case, seeing he had never merited enough to entitle him to the honour of being a martyr. Lest, however, his humility should deceive him in passing this judgment upon himself, he did not think proper to rest his security upon his want of merit to suffer, and therefore provided himself with a strong escort for his protection. What a contrast to the confidence of Ezra in his God, when about to pass through much greater perils on his way from Babylon to Jerusalem. He and his companions united, in fasting and supplication, to seek the protection of heaven; for he said, "I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our |