Storia do Mogor 338.17
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 338.17
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338.17.1
Seeing this surprising novelty, the Chinese asked the Portuguese what personage this was who had newly arrived. With all the signs of dread they said he was the son of a very great man. For his father held the office of farrier for the horses of His Lusitanian Majesty, whom God preserve. Thereby they insinuated that the King of Portugal was greater than the Emperor of China. The governor of the place, who was unfavourable to these people, wrote the whole story in detail to the court. Remembering the care that he had always bestowed on them, and fearing they might raise an insurrection in his country, the emperor ordered them all to be put to the edge of the sword, not sparing one of them. The order was forthwith carried out : three thousand human beings were beheaded, and the town was ruined. From this anecdote will appear their (the Portuguese) pride and their unreasonable conduct.
338.17.2
For years past many friars and priests have claimed, as they still claim, the charge of the Church in Madras, wishing to expel from it the French Capuchins. Among these assailants the principal is His Lordship the Bishop, Dom Gaspar Affonço. He made considerable efforts to exclude them after the departure of the Lord Patriarch for Manila, which took place on July 11 of the afore-cited year [1704]. He sent an excommunication against the said fathers at the time when the said Dominican father excommunicated the brothers of the confraternity in Madras. Thence arose great confusion in many thousand souls deprived of sacraments for a period of twelve months. The said friars, finding themselves always persecuted and unjustly injured, made violent [194] efforts several times to abandon the mission and return to Europe, and live there in their own convents. But the governor and the rest of the council of the said town of Madras would never consent to give them their dismissal. The English said the Capuchins were the founders of the Church, that they were of benefit to the Catholic population among their subjects, and if they quitted their post consent would never be given to admit the fathers of any other order. Such were the instructions they had received from Europe. If they went away the church would be demolished, and warehouses built upon the site (as I have myself heard the governor say many times). If this happened the congregation would be destroyed.
338.17.3
At this time there arrived a letter from the Lord Archbishop, Primate of Goa, wherein he held for null and void the acts of the said Lord Patriarch. This will have been gathered from the letter, a copy of which has already been given (IV. 182, 183). Upon seeing this letter the Lord Bishop sent men to remove the documents of excommunication that had been affixed on the doors of the cathedral church, and the population, hearing of the letter aforesaid, were joyful and consoled, and began to frequent the church with great eagerness. Only a few days afterwards, although they had seen the letter of the Lord Primate, the Bishop once more caused to be fixed up the very document that he had withdrawn. But no one paid any heed, holding so many changes to be unjust, and attendance at church went on as before. The Reverend Father Dom Guilhermo della Valle, Theatine, with his two companions — who were, like him, pretended travellers — saw that his hidden efforts with the Abate di San Giorgio and the Lord Patriarch, as well as with the Lord Bishop, made in reliance on several friends and devout persons, had not succeeded as he had hoped. Thereupon, out of his own absolute power, he excommunicated afresh the Madras fathers at the church of São Domingo [in San Thomé]. He fixed up this decree on the inside of the door of that church, without any recourse to the Lord Bishop, thus declaring himself to be a head of the Church.
338.17.4
This is how Dom Guilhermo repaid the Madras fathers for having taken him into their convent for three and a half years. They had treated him with every courtesy and respect, and allowed him to want for nothing. The whole population was by this time disabused through seeing so many changes. They recognised the ill-will of the other priests against these virtuous and innocent [Capuchin] fathers; they remembered what had been done to Father Friar Ephraim of Nevers, as already seen in his narrative (IV. 125-147). At this time there started from Madras for Pondicherry a Capuchin missionary who had arrived not long before from Surat [195]. His name was Friar Euzebio of Bourges, and he wished to travel to France by the first opportunity arising. On his arrival the Jesuits made inquiries, and learnt this fact. Father Dolu and the others, to prevent his journey, spread a story throughout the town, going from house to house and notifying to all men the arrival of such-and-such a person, who had been excommunicated. Whoever spoke to him would inevitably incur the same penalty. Father Euzebio went out to pay some visits, but noticed that all people fled from him, shutting their doors and avoiding any speech with him. The humiliated priest was forced to withdraw, and return to [Madras] whence he had come.
338.17.5
Further, I will say that the Jesuits in Pondicherry also for years claimed the church there. But they employed other arts; as the proverb says, they 'drew out the sardine by the cat's paw.' They had recourse to the Lord Patriarch in the end, and many times applied humbly and with presents to the lords of that territory [the French] to be given possession. But as the said gentlemen much distrusted those reverend fathers, they sent them about their business, saying, 'From the Jesuits libera nos, Domine!' I will relate two trivial instances that happened at the College of these same Jesuits at Pondicherry, when the Lord Patriarch was actually living in it. The governor, Monsieur Martin, sent him a leg of veal. On its being brought to him, he ordered his cook to roast half and prepare another dish with the rest. While the cook was at this work there entered to him in his kitchen Brother Rupia, who was astonished at the spectacle. Seizing the spit and the pot containing the stew, he carried them off with violence out of the house to a marsh close by and threw them into it, saying in a passion, for the benefit of the Hindus and the new Christians, that 'the Jesuit fathers were not pariahs and low caste; they did not eat cow's flesh' [196]. Thus the meat did not appear at his Excellency's luncheon, and on his asking the reason for there being no veal, they told him the facts. He concealed his feelings, and said not one word.
338.17.6
The second affair is as follows : The Jesuits introduced a fresh ceremonial, taken from the Hindus, which up to this time had not been performed. It prevails among a race of Hindus called Genovar (? Shãnãr). Its signification is the first creation of human kind ; but they carry it out with other details, both men and women, though human modesty constrains me not to explain minutely these enormities. These reverend fathers are accustomed to begin the saying of Mass one hour before daybreak, and continue until ten o'clock. Within these hours all the Europeans and topazes, with their families, attend and hear Mass. But one Mass, which is postponed until eleven o'clock, is celebrated on account of the native Christian converts. It happened that three soldiers who had been detained on duty came to this last Mass. They were met by the Reverend Father Tropen, who, with honied words, sent them away, telling them that the Mass and sermon were postponed until midday, and they would not be able to get to their midday meal [if they waited]. On hearing these words they made a motion as if to go out, and the father retired into the sacristy.
338.17.7
Those three worshippers turned and re-entered the church. They saw the said father had come to the foot of the high altar in surplice and stole, and bearing a maniple on his arm. There he lay on the ground at full length on his side, with his feet stretched out towards the congregation. All those present were already standing, men and women ; then, advancing one by one, before reaching the father they fell on their knees and made obeisance, inclining the head three times. The fourth time, bending still lower, they kissed the great finger of the father with much reverence. This ended, he made them a short speech, standing, in the Tamil language, which none but the Malabāris (natives) present could understand [197]. Finally he put on his vestments and said Mass.
338.17.8
As the soldiers referred to had never seen such a ceremonial in the Roman Church, they were visited with scruples, and went to inform the Father Friar Spirito, Capuchin, chaplain of the Fort church. They gave him a minute description of all that had taken place. The father took the soldiers as witnesses before some of the principal officials of the Compagnie Royale, so that they might learn the truth and write to France an account of the thing. The officials answered him that they were traders, that they had to conduct the business of the Compagnie Royale, that they had no desire to mix themselves up in the Jesuits' affairs. If they were to write such things, orders would come from France expelling them from the service, they would lose their credit, and be persecuted for the rest of their lives.