NO. 41.— 1890.] RBBELION DE CBYLAN. 



509 



On this occasion a company of lascarins came in with the 

 head of the renegade Barreto, and asked the General for the 

 reward he had offered for his death — a death which was one 

 of the greatest good fortunes that happened during his 

 government. But he was not pleased by the manner it was 

 brought about ; for they had taken out of his hands the chas- 

 tisement of so many evil deeds of one who had made treason so 

 disastrous and miserable to his own friends — a great example 

 to vassals of princes not to rebel for the sake of their own 

 fortunes, nor to leave the true faith, and trust only in human 

 force. For even in the midst of prosperity and power judg- 

 ment comes, when Divine justice, angry at the sight of so 

 much wickedness, for the justification of its own attributes 

 and interest, if in its mercy it pardons offences, is also severe 

 in punishing crime. 



This apostate had all the perverse qualities which serve 

 to nurse rebellion ; for he neither kept his word nor faith, and 

 was only faithful as long as it served himself. He was not 

 wanting in perseverance, cunning, and deceit to gather a 

 following, and to get a name ; and as long as he obtained his 

 ends with the natives, his very name was a hindrance to the 

 Portuguese progress, and placed their dominion over the 

 Island in jeopardy. For whilst he followed Madune and 

 belonged to his adversaries, he made use of him as a tool ; 

 but when from a rebel he tried to make himself a tyrant 

 the Zingalas (perhaps seeing that he was aiming at their 

 empire) preferred a native prince in their hatred to the 

 Portuguese, whose dominion they loathed as much for its 

 being Catholic as for its being foreign. 



After the last defeat at Sofragan, which we have just 

 related, he (Barreto) began to understand how far more im- 

 portant success was than numbers to princes (there still being 

 enough left to Madune), and felt his disgrace so much that 

 he damped all the hopes of his followers. Lamed and 

 badly wounded, -Barreto seeing the defeat of Madune deserted 

 him, and sought safety within the solitudes of the mountains ; 



even then he did not better himself, for adversity tracked 



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