214 KANDY AND PEEADEXIA. [r.vKT VIT. 



demanded for it. And those who know the Peguaus, and the 

 devotion with which they regard this relic of the devil, affirmed 

 that the king would have given three or even four hundred 

 thousand cruzadoes to obtain possession of it. By advice of 

 jNIartin Alfonso, the king despatched ambassadors to accompany 

 him to the Viceroy on this affair, and empowered them to signify 

 his readiness to ratify any agreement to which they might assent 

 on his behalf. 



"Martin Alfonso, on reaching Goa, in April 1561, apprised 

 the Viceroy of the arrival of the envoys, who, after their recep- 

 tion, opened the business for which they were accredited, making 

 a request for the tooth on behalf of their sovereign ; offering in 

 return any terms that might be required, with a proposal for a 

 perpetual alliance with Portugal, and an undertaking to provi- 

 sion the fortress of Malacca at all times when called upon ; toge- 

 ther with many other conditions and promises. The Viceroy 

 promised an early reply, and, in the meantime, communicated 

 with his veteran captains and fidalgos, all of whom were in 

 favour of accepting an offer which would recruit the exhausted 

 treasury ; and so eager were they, that the question seemed to be 

 decided. 



" But the matter having reached the ear of the Archbishop, 

 Don Gfaspar, he repaired instantly to the Viceroy, and warned 

 him that he was not to permit this tooth to be ransomed for all 

 the treasures of the universe ; since it would be dishonouring to 

 the Lord, and would afford an opportunity to these idolaters to 

 pay to that bone the worship which belonged to God alone. The 

 Archbishop wrote memorials on the subject, and preached against 

 it from the pulpit, in the presence of the Viceroy and his court, 

 so that Don Constantino, who as a conscientious Catholic 

 feared God and obeyed the Church, hesitated to proceed with 

 the affair, or to take any step that was not unanimously 

 approved. He thereupon convened an assembly of the Arch- 

 bishop, the prelates, and heads of the religious orders, together 

 with the captains and senior fidalgos, and other officers of 

 the Government : he laid the matter before them, the large 

 offers of money that had been made for the tooth, and the 

 pressing wants of the service, all of which could be provided 

 for out of so great a ransom. After mature deliberation, a reso- 

 lution was come to that it was not competent to part with the 

 tooth, since its surrender would be an incitement to idolatry, 

 and an insult to the Almighty; crimes which could not be 

 contemplated, though the state, or even the world itself, might 



