212 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (OBYLON). 



[Vol. XX. 



returned from Jafanapatao ; and that king 1 , learning that he 

 had carried off that tooth which all that heathenry held in 

 such reverence, sent to summon Martim Afonso, and begged 

 him that as he was going to India he would get the viceroy to 

 give him that tooth, and he would give him all that he might 

 ask for it. And men who were acquainted with Pegu, and 

 knew the great veneration in which they there held that relic 

 of the devil, asserted that he would give for it three or four 

 hundred thousand cruzados. And by the advice of Martim 

 Afonso he appointed some ambassadors to go in his company 

 to the viceroy about that business, and gave them powers 

 to settle with him whatever he might wish, and he would fulfil 

 all that they agreed to. 



Martim Afonso having arrived at Goa this past April 2 , the 

 viceroy ordered the ambassadors to be well received and 

 entertained, and afterwards heard them regarding that business 

 on which their king had sent them, and they presented their 

 credentials, begging him on behalf of that king for that tooth ; 

 and said that, besides giving him for it all that he might wish, 

 he would remain in perpetual friendship with the state, and 

 would take upon himself the obligation of furnishing the 

 fortress of Malaca with provisions at all times that it had need 

 of them, with many other compliments and promises. The 

 viceroy told them that he would reply to them soon. And on 

 discussing these matters with some old captains and fidalgos, 

 they were all of opinion that he ought to accept such a large offer 

 as that which they had made him, because by this means he 

 would help the state, which was in debt and in want ; and so 

 much did they say about this, that they considered him as 

 good as persuaded. 



As soon as these things came to the ears of the archbishop 

 Dom Gaspar 3 he at once hurried to the viceroy and told him 

 that that tooth could not be ransomed for all the treasure in 

 the world, because it was contrary to the honour of God our 

 Lord, and would give occasion to those heathen to idolatrize 

 it, and to give to that little bone what was due to God alone. 

 And regarding this he gave him many admonitions, and even 

 preached about it from the pulpit in the presence of the viceroy 

 and the whole court ; and as Dom Constantino was a very 



1 Bureng Naung (see Phayre's History of Burma 117-8). The 

 Burmese annals appear to be silent on the subject of the mission to 

 Ceylon for the tooth relic. 



2 April 1561. 



3 D. Gaspar de Leao Pereira, first archbishop of Goa, who arrived 

 in India at the end of 1560 (see supra, p. 201, note l p and c/. p. 179, 

 note 5 ). 



