Storia do Mogor 265.28
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 265.28
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265.28.1
One of her slave-girls was much favoured by her husband. This lady's-maid wanted to kill her mistress by magic arts. For this purpose she stole some money from her master and resorted to a young Hindu servant of the house to get him to take measures to put an end to her mistress's life. When the lady was dead she would become head of the house, and would reward him. The youth accepted the task (for such persons when there is anything to gain have neither religion nor conscience). He tried to do what the slave-girl wanted, and not succeeding, had recourse to a magician. This man directed him to bring some hair, nail-clippings, and a piece of defiled cloth belonging to the lady. The youth reported to the slave-girl, and she sent what was required. When some days had passed, the youth made over to her a doll into the head of which had been thrust one pin, the point of which reached nearly to the stomach, and another pin was stuck into the navel coming half-way down the legs.
265.28.2
She was told that at midnight she must go entirely naked into the middle of the house-garden, holding up in one hand the doll, and in the other a piece of burning wood. Orders as to what she was to do were added. She was warned that while acting as above there would appear a black cat, but she must not be afraid. The wretched woman did as instructed. Going to the centre of the courtyard, she set fire to the ends of the doll's feet and hands. At that moment there appeared to her the awe-inspiring cat, with eyes which looked like two flames of fire. On seeing such an apparition the slave-girl was in terror. At this time [252] there arose in the house loud cries and commotion. Being frightened, the girl went into her mistress's chamber as if she wanted to help, carrying with her the doll, which she hid in the sacking of the lady's bedstead. In her hurry and agitation she did not thrust it well in, so that it remained half hanging out. The lady of the house was in mortal anguish, complaining that she felt on fire from her head to her stomach, and from the navel down to her lower limbs, her hands and feet burning with insufferable heat and agony.
265.28.3
They called in the doctors, who could not determine what ailment it was, and the remedies given her did not take effect. For several days the lady suffered in the same way. Then it chanced that a child of three years, playing about, went under the bed and saw a doll half projecting. It pulled it out with a cry of delight, and, playing with it, showed it to its nurse. When the woman saw it she recognised at once what it was, and showed it on the spot to her mistress and the rest of those present, saying that it was a piece of magic and through it she had suffered. Upon making sure of this, they called in a Hindu magician, who as soon as he entered the house went to Joao Pereira de Faria, and told him he was the cause of his wife's sufferings. He was ashamed, and hung his head. Upon seeing the image the magician told the wife that in a short time she would be restored to health, but the people of the house must not be alarmed if they saw her lie without sense or movement. For his purposes the magician retired into a room and very slowly drew out the pins, unstitching the image bit by bit in each separate member. Finally he opened up the abdomen, where were found the nail-clippings, the hair and the cloth spoken of above, with other mixed items put in by the magician. When the image had been entirely pulled to pieces, he threw it into a vessel of milk, and after making his incantations, he threw that vessel into the sea.
265.28.4
At the expiration of twelve hours Donna Maria came back to her senses and lost her pains; but she was so weak that it took her three months to recover her strength. The magician fixed upon the slave-girl who had done the mischief, and the negress, on confessing it, was punished and banished for the rest of her life. The originator of the trouble was the master of the house, who had given such authority to a slave in order to gratify his own desires in an illicit direction. The slave thus thought she could become lady of the home upon the death of the wife. I have seen some lose their lives or ruin their families by the commission of such insults and discords in their own houses. Be it known to the reader that slave-girls in India are generally thieves, evaders of work, and self-indulgent, and ladies endure much from their disrespectful manners. The men slaves and servants are very troublesome, insolent thieves, with no object but their own interests. It is necessary to be on your guard with them. How much do soldiers suffer on the march, and have to put up with their servants' impertinence, owing to the necessity they are under on such occasions ! Servants are ordinarily slothful and shameless, and reply publicly with irrelevant arguments, as may be seen in my Third Part (III. 70).
265.28.5
As a reward for curiosity I will give some account to the reader of the Christian women in India. They are very eager to read futurity and know hidden things. For these ends they support certain old women who are practised in this art. I knew an old woman of Bengal called Anna Vas, who lived in Lahor, and was very devout. She told me that in her young days there were several women of her race, from whom you could acquire or know whatever you desired. She told me several instances, of which I will insert one that happened to her. The relations of a Senhor de Souza, a renegade, then deceased, applied to this old woman to find out by her prayers if the defunct were in Purgatory or Paradise. The old woman prepared herself for the ordeal by fasting seven days. On the eighth day at midnight she bathed and went naked into a room containing an oratory where she was accustomed to pray. Lighting six candles, she fell on her knees and began to pray. While thus occupied she felt a pebble fall in her presence ; then she continued her prayer. In a short while another fell. When a few minutes had gone by, another stone came down. Lifting her head, she looked to the ceiling of the room, where there appeared a man clothed in black, who asked her three times in haste wherefore she had summoned him.
265.28.6
Anna Vas replied that she wanted to know from him what he had done with the deceased, Francisco de Souza. His answer was that she might spare herself the trouble of praying for his soul, since he was in Hell ; and at that moment the figure disappeared. Next morning she told the deceased's relations what she had heard, and they gave up praying for him. When I heard this story from the old woman, I gave her a good scolding, telling her it was a sin, prohibited by the church, and that she must not renew such practices. She answered in her simplicity that she thought she was doing a good work, but, listening to my advice, told me she would never again engage in such acts. Something the same happened with a rich woman of Madras who had a married daughter. When the daughter was with child, the mother wanted to know whether it would be an easy delivery or not. To this intent she sent to a similar old woman to get her to pray. The woman placed herself for prayer near the door to the street at nine o'clock at night. This she did on two nights. The third night while praying she heard a voice say: 'We shall die and leave no remembrance.' On hearing this much, the old woman was disconsolate, and said nothing to the widow, so as not to lose the payment promised to her. She produced other reasons to pacify her, and the old woman, to maintain her own credit, went about saying what would happen to the pregnant woman. The latter died in child-bed.
265.28.7
In Madras was a woman married to a merchant who was away from home. Being delayed in his voyage, and no news coming of him, she wanted to know about him, so she went to one of these old women directing her to pray, and ask that in a dream she might see what had become of her husband. While asleep she saw the ship wrecked, when several died of drowning, including the husband. The news was disclosed to the wife, who mourned and was unable to keep the secret (ordinarily there are few secrets kept by women). She communicated it to her neighbours, and thus the story passed through the whole town. At length it came to the ears of the Father Vicar, who made [254] efforts to abolish such an abuse by preaching and admonishment. None the less did the practice persist, and faith was still placed in the old women, the advice of the priests being disregarded.