Vol. IX, No. 4.] . Earliest Jesuit Printing in India. 165 
[NV.8. 
Christians tried to obtain these printed books and prized them 
ighly.’’! 
MBALACATA.—Tamit, BapaGa anp “ poeogmret 
Printinc.—After this first step, it became easy to print other 
books which proved not less useful to the faithful ea! to the 
Missionaries. 
work which deserves a special mention is the ‘* Tamil 
Vocabulary with the meaning in Portuguese, composed by Fr. 
Anthony de Proenga of the Society of Jesus, a Missionary in 
Madura. Ambalacata, 1679.’’ The author, Fr. Proenca, was 
born at Ramella in 1625, entered the Society on July 13, 1643, 
went to the ee Mission in 1647, and died at Tociam on - 
gre ee * 
For composition of this great work, Fr. Proenca availed 
himself > ob abours of Fathers Ignatius Bruno, Robert de 
Nobili and Man Martins. His Vocabulario was furthe 
arranged by Fr. Balthasar da Cos 
The printer was a native Lata Aichamoni. Though 
the types engraved by Aichamoni were elegant, they got worn 
out by constant use and owing to the softness of their material, 
wood, as we have said.é 
Many are the writers who speak of the extraordinary 
merits of Fr. Robert de Nobili, whom we have just mentioned. 
his zeal and austerity making him adopt an extraordinary mode 
of life. 
had a great command of the teas languages most 
Pa in the country, Tamil, Badaga alabar. He 
wrote and published many books in them, chiefly during the 
last five years of his life, which he spent in retirement at Jaffna 
and Meliapur, dying at the latter place on January 16, 
We find that one of his works, the Candam or Christian 
Doctrine, in four volumes, was printed at T'ragambar [Tranque- 
bar].* 
3 Oriente conquistado, hs aL, es ~~ nal if, 
2 Fr. Franoo, S.J., . da vt piper '@ Evora, p- 661; 
Ib., Ann. glor., p. 738; Fr. grt ola Me enologio ig a 10; Fr. Gor- 
HERMY M e.— Assist. de Portug., t. I, Déc. 27; SoMMERVOGEL, 
Biblioth., = ae col. 1241. 
conquistado a Jesu Christo, pt. II, cong. I. 
div. It, n. "69; ny ‘PavLINUS a 8. Bartuot., Ind. Or. Christ., p. 182 ; 
, Examen hist.-critic Codicum ees dicor. ver Prop. Pade, Rome, 1792, 
p- 65; fomiustooni, , Biblioth-, cols. 1 
+ SOMMERVOGEL, "Biblioth., i: v, , eile "17705 1780; 1 pennies pp. 724; 
725; Fr. Pauxuinus a 8. BARTHOL. »P 
