NO. 41. — 1890.] REBELION DE CEYLAN. 



515 



a powerful fleet to chastise the tyrannical deeds of that 

 idolatrous heathen, and revenge the innocent blood of so 

 many righteous men. After destroying and sacking the 

 city and the capital of his kingdom, he carried away the 

 miraculous tooth which they venerated as belonging to the 

 Buddha ( del Budon ), but was commonly supposed (as we have 

 already said) to be that of a monkey. Don Constantino, 

 with Christian firmness worthy of eternal praise, had it 

 publicly burnt, and rejected with scorn a ransom of three 

 hundred thousand ducats offered him by the King of Pegu. 



He made peace with the tyrant, receiving as a hostage 

 for his safety the hereditary prince, whom he made a 

 vassal of the Crown. The life, however, of the Viceroy being 

 endangered by a conspiracy, he returned to Goa, leaving 

 the tyrant unpunished and free to continue with increasing 

 cruelty and hatred his persecution of the Portuguese and 

 Christians, until it pleased God again to come to the help of 

 His cause ; although it was not in this person's government, 

 but in those of his successors. 



The Viceroy Mathias de Alboquerque, in the year 1590, 

 sent against Jafanapatan Andre Hurtado de Mendoca, one 

 of the most distinguished and renowned Captains of the age, 

 who within five months defeated two armies, when both the 

 king and his heir were killed ; and after destroying a 

 powerful fleet of Malabar Corsairs who had assisted them, 

 he placed a new king on the throne, and made him a tribu- 

 tary vassal of Portugal. 



It was this king's son who reigned, in name more than in 

 deed : for a retainer, who was called Ghangili, making use of 

 his power as a favourite, gradually usurped the administration 

 of the kingdom in the name of his prince. He was both 

 violent and servile, as is usually the case when a prince gives 

 over his authority to a favourite through over-confidence and 

 trust. Whenever vassals become too powerful, it is always a 

 danger to the prince, disastrous to the State, and disgraceful 

 to his dignity. 



It happened at last that Ghangili put out his king's eyes — 



