The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c24.94

v1.c24.94

De Nobili’s purpose was successfully attained. Fr. B. Coutinho, in a letter of 1608, speaks “ of the great fruit obtained in Madura by Fr. Roberto, and of the great edification he gives by devoting himself to the service of God in a sort of disguise ” 2. And Mgr. Ros is still more explicit in the following passage of the letter quoted above: “ He (de Nobili) has attracted the hearts of haughty Brahmans, in such a way that not only do they come to see him, and hear from his lips the word of God with incredible admiration, but they go so far,—a wonder which no one could have expected,—as to kiss the ground he has trodden on and to embrace the faith that he preaches. Acknowledging their errors, they openly declare: ‘Never has a man spoken as he does’ ” 3.