Storia do Mogor 353.4.7

353.4.7

The Jesuits at Pondicherry do not give over the performance of their extravagant comedies, one of which they produced the other day. In it they represented a knight of good family who had married a rich and noble lady. By gambling and other dissipation he came in a few years to the end of his wealth, and fell into extreme poverty. Oppressed by his needs, and finding no one would lend him any money, he had recourse to the Devil. Satan lent him the money on condition that, should he not find the wherewithal to satisfy the debt, he must make over his wife in payment. The term fixed having passed, the Devil appeared to demand his money ; but the knight, having nothing from which to pay the debt, contended for a long time with his creditor. Finally he agreed to produce his wife at a place appointed by the Devil. In order not to break his word the husband enticed his wife away from the house on a pretext of taking a walk in some gardens. On the way they passed close to a church, when the wife craved leave from her husband to enter and offer a prayer to Our Lady the Virgin Mary, for whom she felt great veneration.