THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. '133 



With the firft part of thefe difpatches, it is plain, Mat- 

 thew, as an envoy, might have pafTed unmolefled ; he had 

 only to give to the fecret wifhes of the emprefs, with which 

 he was charged, what kind of mercantile colour he pleafed. 

 But the lafl part of the letter brought home to him a charge 

 of the deepeft dye, both of facrilege and high-treafon, that 

 he meditated againfl the Ottoman empire, whofe Raya* he 

 was ; and, there can be no doubt, had thefe letters been in- 

 tercepted and read, Matthew's embafTy and life would have 

 ended together under fome exquifite fpecies of torture. This, 

 indeed, he feems to have apprehended ; as, after his arrival' 

 in India, he conflantly refufed to mew his difpatches, even 

 to the Portuguefe viceroy himfelf, from whom, in the in- 

 ftant, he had received very lingular favour and protection. 



The king, when of age, never could be brought to ac- 

 knowledge this embafTy by Matthew ; but, as we mall fee, 

 did conflantly deny it. If we believe the Portuguefe, the 

 defpair of the emprefs was fo great, that fhe offered one- 

 third of the kingdom to the king of Portugal if he relieved" 

 her. Nothing of this kind appears in the letters ; but, if 

 this offer was part of Matthew's private difpatches, we may; 

 fee a reafon why David did not wifh to own the commiffion 

 and offer as his, s 



Matthew had a fare paffage to Dabul in India, but here 

 his misfortunes began. The governor, taking him for a 

 fpy, confined him in clofe prifon. But Albuquerque, then 

 viceroy of India, refiding at Goa, who had himfelf a defign 



4 upon 



* Is-a fubjeft paying Capitation.. 



