LETTER FROM THOMAS STEVENS a.d. 



1579- 



their last letters, they have even now layed the founda- 

 tion of their first building, and have also written that 

 they are like to live much more peaceably and con- 

 veniently for the propagating of Christian religion. 

 These be the first beginnings of Christianity in China, 

 where, even as in other places of the Christian Com- 

 mon-wealth, the seed is to be sowen with great labour 

 and teares, that acceptable fruits may be reaped with 

 gladnesse. 



Leo. It is even as you have sayd (Michael) and 

 nowe for this your pleasant and eloquent discourse we 

 do acknowledge our selves much bounden unto you. 



A Letter written from Goa, the principall City [II. ii. 99.] 

 of all the East Indies, by one Thomas 

 Stevens an English man, and sent to his 

 father, M. Thomas Stevens: Anno 1579. 



Fter most humble commendations : These 

 shall be to crave your dayly blessing, 

 with lik;e commendations unto my 

 mother ; and withall, to certifie you of 

 my being : according to your will and 

 my duety. I wrote unto you taking my 

 journey from Italy to Portugall, which 

 letters I thinke are come to your hands, so that pre- 

 suming thereupon, I thinke I have the lesse need at 

 this time to tell you the cause of my departing, which 

 neverthelesse in one word I may conclude, if I do 

 but name obedience. I came to Lisbon toward the end 

 of March, eight dayes before the departure of the 

 shippes, so late that if they had not bene stayed about 

 some weighty matters, they had bene long gone before 

 our comming : insomuch that there were others ordained 

 to goe in our places, that the kings provision and 

 ours also might not be in vaine. Neverthelesse our 

 sudden comming tooke place, and the fourth of Aprill 

 five ships departed for Goa, wherein besides shipmen 



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