The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c24.24

v1.c24.24

The pious nephew, moved perhaps by the example of his uncle, in order to avoid any probability of his elevation to high eccleciastical dignity, joined the Society of Jesus in 1597 at Nocera, in the 19th year of his age. The famous historian of the Society, Fr. Nicolao Orlandini, was his novice master². Four years later, though not yet a priest, he requested his superiors to send him to the missions of India³. In 1604 his wishes were fulfilled. He reached Goa in September, 1605, and was despatched shortly after to the College of Cochin, where he finished his studies in Theology⁴. One of his letters to the General, written at Cochin, shows both the state of the missions of southern India on those days, and his enthusiasm to undertake missionary life in the interior of the peninsula. It runs as follows: "It is but too true that till now our Fathers have hardly tried to get into touch with the people of the interior. With the exception of a few towns owned by the Portuguese and a few stretches on both coasts depending on them, where they had minor settlements, all that immense land of India, where the power of the King of Portugal never possessed any sort of influence, and where consequently one cannot expect any help from that power for the promotion of the missions, continues to grovel in the darkness of idolatry. Thus the way to the conversion of India is closed; and of our best missionaries all are content to employ themselves in the Colleges of Cochin and in the four residences we have along the coast, and close their eyes to the innumerable multitude of souls living in those wide-spread lands of India. Only a few try to penetrate into the interior"⁵.