The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c24.184

v1.c24.184

His splendid work and the encouraging results he and his companions obtained, reached the ears of Philip III of Spain, then also sovereign of Portugal. This pious monarch, whose zeal for the propagation of the Christian faith is well known, wrote to them an encouraging letter, the original of which we could not anywhere trace. But the Archives of the Portuguese Government at Pangim still preserve a copy of the reply of the Viceroy to his sovereign. Dom Jeronymo d' Azevedo wrote in 1613 to this effect: "The letter Your Majesty sent will be given to those (Jesuits) of Madure whom I thanked on your Majestey's behalf for their good conduct in propagating Christianity. They are religious who well deserve it, because they do their work with the utmost care and assiduity" ¹.