Storia do Mogor 353.2.3

353.2.3

The surgeon's wife pressed the king for an order to have her elder son returned to her; his name was João. The surgeon was at once summoned to the court, and he was ordered straight to prison, without knowing what was going on at his house. The miserable man received first a thorough beating, to see if he would state where his son was; but he was never able to say anything, the truth being that he did not know. Finally, he was liberated, and his pay reduced by two rupees a day, one being applied to his wife's and one to his son's support. Afterwards the king ordered Maria de Ataides to return to her home at Lãhor. She started, taking with her the little Ignatio and all the wealth found in the surgeon's house. These events [79] happened in 1666. Some years afterwards — that is, in 1669 — I left Goa, and transferred myself to the city of Lãhor, where I practised as a medical man, as already stated in my Second Part, and made the acquaintance of Maria de Ataides. The afflicted surgeon made great efforts to recover his little son, but never succeeded. The child's detainers were too strongly protected. Maria de Ataides taught him in the Mahomedan way, and he learnt to read the Quran. The Maria de Ataides in question had an ancient eunuch in her service who directed her household. He was a very avaricious man, and advised his mistress to kill her niece and take possession of her property. The lady, without further consideration, accepted the proposal and gave her niece poison.