342 



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



Epistola Emanuelis R. ad Julium P. s. a. [sine anno] sed 1507-9. — The 

 epistle at the end of this volume, from Emanuel King of Portugal to 

 Pope J ulius 2d, 1507 , is a very curious and rare document. Francesco [sic] 

 d' Almeida was the first Portuguese Viceroy in India where he continued 

 from 1505 to 1509 when he was succeeded by the famous Albuquerque. — 

 Laurentius [sic] Almeida son to Francesco first landed in Ceylon in 

 1505, and in this Epistle a curious account is given of his reception by 

 the King of Ceylon — this is followed by an account of a great naval 

 engagement with the fleet of the King of Calicut, which was defeated by 

 Laur : Almeida who is said in the epistle to have also discovered a great 



island in 1 506 (probably Madagascar). — The Epistola Emanuelis 



is evidently printed by Minutianus probably between 1507 and 1509, 

 which latter is the date of the accompanying oration." The " accom- 

 panying oration " is one of the pamphlets bound up with this letter, 

 and bears the title : Oratio Jacobi Antiquarii pro populo Mediol. ; 

 while the imprint is : " Impressum Mediolani per Alexandrum minuti- 

 anum die xxviii. Junii. Mcccccix. cura & impensa Franchini 

 Gaffurii laudensis cum priuilegio." Why the mere coincidence that 

 the epistle happens to be bound up with the oration should have led 

 the great bibliophilist to such a strange conclusion as that expressed 

 at the end of his note I cannot understand, nor do I see anything to 

 warrant his statement. Nor does the epistle, as he states, credit 

 D. Lourenco de Almeida with the discovery of a great island in 1506 ; 

 the island referred to (doubtless Madagascar, though the location given 

 in the letter better suits Socotra) was " discovered " by " another fleet," 

 that of Tristao da Cunha, as the king distinctly says. In the following 

 notes I have given some variant readings, chiefly those of G. 6953. 1. 



2 The version in Corpo Dipl. Port, has " Caprobanam." 



3 G. 6953. 1. and C. 32, f. 14. have " Zoylam " ; G. 6953. 2. and 

 G. 6952. 3. have " Toilo " ; Corp. Dipl. Port, has "Zoilon"; and 

 Bibl. Harl. 3462 has " Ceyloni." 



4 InG. 6953. 1. << gentis." 



5 G. 6953. 1. " acceptaverit." 



6 G. 6953. 1. omits. 



7 G. 6953. 1. adds " remur." 



8 G. 6953. 1. " extructum." 



9 G. 6953. 1. inserts " ilia." 



10 G. 6953. 1. " interdum incensis." 



11 G. 6953. 1. inserts " et." 



12 G. 6953. 1. omits. 



13 G. 6953. 1. has " argentea candelabra candelis desuper positis 

 pariter incensis." 



14 G. 6953. 1. " complebant." 



15 G. 6953. 1. inserts " aderat." 



16 G. 6953. 1. " quo." 



17 G. 6953. 1. << Ubi." 



18 G. 6953. 1. " suscepit." 



19 G. 6953. 1. " audivit." 



20 G. 6953. 1. " respondit." 

 81 G. 6953. 1. " pacificando." 



22 G. 6953. 1. " pollicebatur." 



23 G. 6953. 1. " ita." 



24 G. 6953. 1. - id." 



25 G. 6953. 1. " Taprobane insule." 



26 Cf. Barros II. iv. iii. The king was staying in Abrantes, 

 because of the prevalence of plague in the capital (see Com. of Af. 

 Dalb. i. 20) 



