The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c31.134

v1.c31.134

It seems, indeed, that Fr. Ricio spoke Telugu to perfection; a Jesuit letter of the year 1606 says that he was a good Telugu scholar³. Nevertheless he did not venture to learn Sanskrit because of his age, as Fr. Laerzio wrote in 1604⁴. In the same letter we read that Fr. Coutinho had begun to learn Telugu. In another letter Fr. Ricio himself informs us that Coutinho is making progress in the study of Telugu⁵. He finally became master of it, as is evident from his protractedly sojourn at the court where he had to transact business for the King.