74 ORIGIN AND DECLINE OF THE 



respectable man, called Tueodorus, who had visited 

 the tomb of St. Thomas in India. In the ninth cen- 

 tury, SiGHELM bishop of Shirebuni was sent there 

 also by Alfred, in consequence of a vow. Now, 

 these two clergymen were too orthodox to worship 

 the tombs and relics of an heretic, a Nestorian of the 

 name of Thomas, as has been supposed by many ; and 

 they were too near the time, in which he lived, to have 

 been imposed upon. The two Muselmans, who 

 visited that place soon after Sighelm, mention the 

 church of Thomas, on the Coast of Coromandel, as 

 well as Marco Polo about the year 1202, long be- 

 fore the Portugueze had found their way to India. 

 M. Polo says, that Christians and Muselmans were 

 very numerous in the Peninsula. 



The place where he suffered martyrdom, that is to 

 say, the country about Madras, was seldom visited 

 by merchants, as there was no trade. His body, 

 or tomb at least, was in a small city of that coun- 

 try, and the native Muselmans, and Christians, held 

 it in great veneration. Pilgrims, from distant coun- 

 tries, came to visit this holy place ; and the earth 

 impregnated with his blood, was given in some beve- 

 rage, to sick and infirm people ; and miracles were 

 often performed there. In speaking of Aden in 

 Arabia, he informs us, that " St. Thomas was said 

 to have preached there, before he went to Maabar m 

 India, where he suffered for Christ, and there reposes 

 to this day his most holy body. In that country 

 (Maabar) the Christians are good soldiers, and re- 

 markable for their honesty." 



The inhabitants say, that the holy Apostle was a 

 great prophet, and they call him Avabii a, which in 

 their language signifies a holy and pious man. As 



