The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c29.7

v1.c29.7

2. In the course of the first audience given by Venkata to Frs. de Sa and Ricio, the sovereign asked them about the King of Portugal. They happened to have with them several small portraits of Dom Sebastiao and his predecessors and showed them to the King. Venkata was amazed at seeing them. He scrutinised them carefully and passed them on for examination to the attendant nobles. They too were astonished at the perfection of these European paintings. Then Venkata inquired of his visitors whether there was at St. Thome a good painter. The Fathers replied that there was indeed one; and as a proof of their statement, offered to the sovereign another painting recently done at St. Thome. It represented the Gospel parable of the rich Epulon and the beggar Lazarus. Venkata asked for the explanation of this subject, which was courteously given in Telugu by Fr. Ricio. His explanation, according to du Jarric, resolved itself into a sermon on hell; Ricio was prepared with the subject-matter before leaving St. Thome; but now he was so carried away with his declamation that his pronunciation was often faulty, and occasionally made the nobles laugh ¹.