No. 60. — 1908.] couto : history of ceylon. 



233 



to him words of much honour, paying him great compliments, 

 and then he sent to summon Fernao Caldeira, the ringleader of 

 the conspiracy ; and going aside with him, he warned him of 

 the plan that he had arranged, and regarding this he gave him 

 a short discourse, in it reminding him of the duty he had of 

 offering and giving his life in defence of the Catholic faith, 

 since he was an old Christian, nurtured and sustained with the 

 milk of the Catholic Church, duty to which was the greatest of 

 all ; and that it was usual in tyrants to make great promises in 

 order to carry out their intents, and that after attaining their 

 aims they punished and killed the very ones who had betrayed 

 strongholds to them ; that he would badly keep his word to 

 men of a different law who had no knowledge of God nor 

 professed truth ; that he trusted in his good blood that the 

 worm of conscience must have caused him great repugnance 

 to carrying out such an exorbitant act of desperation ; that 

 God was great towards the tiniest little worms of the earth, 

 how much more towards one who had suffered so many 

 troubles to confess his most holy name ; and he repeated to 

 him almost the same words that the father Frey Simao de 

 Nazareth had spoken to Carvalho : and so many things did he 

 say to him of this nature, that Caldeira threw himself at his 

 feet with great demonstrations of repentance ; and the captain 

 raising him up embraced him, and consoled him, promising him 

 on his word, that if he escaped thence he would strive to make 

 him honoured: and they continued such friends, that the 

 captain always endeavoured to keep him near to himself ; 

 and in order not to cause a stir about that affair, he did not 

 choose to speak further to the other soldiers of Caldeira' s 

 faction , but rather made as though he knew nothing of it. And 

 because there was no money in the fortress, he called the 

 captain of the inhames, who was a friend of all the soldiers, 

 and gave him a silver sword of his, and a dagger, and 

 sword-belts, that he might melt it into larins, there being 

 there craftsmen of that calling, and give the greater part 

 to Fernao Caldeira, and divide the rest amongst the other 

 soldiers ; but nevertheless he ordered strict watch and ward 

 to be kept in the passes, secretly, so that they should 

 not think that he continued to suspect them, so as not to 

 create in them distrust, nor was there amongst them any 

 further disturbance. 



Jorge de Mello the Fist, who was in Manar as captain 1 , 

 learning of the strait in which those of Cotta were, persuaded 

 the king of Candea, who was already a Christian, and was also 



1 Cf. supra, p. 205, note 2 , and p. 219, note 2 . 



