The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c24.169

v1.c24.169

Shortly before, de Nobili had sent two of his new Christians to Cochin and Angamale, where they received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the hands of Mgr. Ros ⁴. The presence of those new Christians excited great enthusiasm among the Jesuits at Cochin; many offered themselves to the Provincial to share in the fatigues of de Nobili ⁵. Fr. Laerzio selected for this task Fr. Manoel Leytao, a Portuguese, who was then Master of Novices at Cochin ¹. He left this town on the 15th of August, 1609, in the garb of a *sannyasi*, and reached Madura on the 26th of the same month ². From there he wrote an interesting letter to Fr. Laerzio, of which the following lines are an extract: "After some time spent in holy conversation", says he, "Fr. Roberto told me it was meal-time. His disciples came to prepare the table. It was soon ready: a plantain leaf placed on the floor served as table, table cloth, dish and plates. I sat down close to the leaf, on which a Brahman placed the food. I began to eat; but in spite of my great hunger, I felt such abhorrence for this new kind of food, and also perhaps for the new way of taking it—with the fingers—that I had to force myself to swallow the morsels. This abhorrence lasted for several days. I begin however to get a little used to it; for every feeling must give way to the love of God, and to the desire I have to serve Him in this land" ³.