448 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XL 



robbery, violence, and vice to which they are inclined, and 

 which so often become the common pest of their kingdom 

 and their princes ; and also of our armies, broken up rather 

 than conquered through our over-confidence and their 

 wicked treachery, our patience in allowing them to go 

 unpunished, and by our vain notions and false hopes. 



With all this the General Constantino de Sa did not fail 

 to punish such excesses, our arms being the means by which 

 he overcame them by such famous victories and brought 

 to such a happy end the work of conquest that his very name 

 became the terror of those warlike races, which at the 

 commencement, owing to the small numbers of his forces, 

 was scoffed at and scorned by them. If fortune had not 

 got tired of favouring him, and Heaven by its hidden and 

 secret judgments to mortals had not permitted his destruc- 

 tion, by means so contrary to human reason and by more 

 considerate foresight, I am certain that the Portuguese 

 monarchy would have added this time to its glorious titles 

 the absolute empire of the Island of Ceylan, and the arms of 

 Portugal would have triumphed over that barbarism when 

 most aided and assisted by foreign support, through the power 

 and reputation of the most valiant nation in the East, and at 

 a time when the Portuguese had fallen into disrepute, 

 and were on the downward slope of their decline. 



Although it was enough to brand the idolaters with the 

 name of cowards, the conspiracy by which they prepared 

 the ruin and brought about the death of our General, ren- 

 dered glorious in so many ways, might justly be considered 

 a triumph, not only for his descendants, to whom the greater 

 share of glory falls, but to the whole Portuguese nation, an 

 honour to his country and the glory of our times which the 

 ancients may have envied us, and posterity who vie with 

 them in pride make a boast of his virtues, and know that the 

 lack of them in these days is not owing to want of subjects ; 

 these would be more than sufficient no doubt if there were 

 rewards to encourage them, as have happened in past cen- 

 turies, when monarchs, by showing their esteem, taking 



