Storia do Mogor 338.12.8

338.12.8

Vexed and cast down at the great inhumanity they found in the Reverend Father Friar Diogo do Sacramento, they sought out the Most Illustrious the Lord Bishop, and, dissolving into tears, they prostrated themselves at his lordship's feet, and supplicated his compassion on their misery and his aid in the difficulty overwhelming them ; for they knew not what fresh steps to take, nor had they anyone else they could have recourse to. Beholding this, the Lord Bishop was moved to pity, and asked them if they had instigated the Lord Governor of Madras to take away the key, so that the plate might not be delivered. All asseverated that this was not the case, and they spoke with such force that the Lord Bishop acquired the clear conviction that they were innocent in the case. He accorded them his blessing and sent them home, saying three times, as reported by several brothers, that none of them was under ban any longer. Happy in an extreme degree, the poor things rose from the ground ; but as this verbal order would not be enough to satisfy the common crowd, they asked the Lord Bishop to be pleased to give them a writing, so as to convince the populace who were treating them as excommunicated persons. His lordship directed them to draw up a petition, and send it to him in the morning. The brothers did so, and left it in the secretary's office to be dealt with as promised by his lordship. This done, they went home.