FATHER A. MONSERRATE’S MONGOLICAE LEGATIONS COMMENTARIES. 641 
from his ministers, [9j marvelled at the measure and highly commended the 
probity of the Fathers, as also the holiness of the Christian law, since it would 
not allow in its followers any disloyalty or injustice even towards foreigners and 
enemies. Later, he summoned to his Court from Satagan in Bengala, where he was 
Vicar, Egidio Anes Pereira ; but, as he was a man of more virtue than knowledge, 
and the King cared only for curious questions and subtleties, he succeeded indeed in 
giving him a good opinion of the innocence of life of a Christian, wherefore the King 
cherished him and royally rewarded him with honours and gifts ; but he would not 
humour the King in what he desired above all, getting him to fight and dispute with 
the enemies of the Christian faith, who, though at loggerheads among themselves for 
all the rest, were agreed and unanimous on the one point of attacking it. 
Accordingly, and at Pereira’s prudent advice, Achabar sent Ebadola, one of the 
nobles of his Court, and an escort of honour, together with an Armenian Christian named 
Domenico Perez, as interpreter, bearing letters for the Archbishop, the Viceroy 
and the Fathers of Goa. Solemn and long were the demonstrations of honour and 
welcome with which the Ambassador of so great a King, [ 10 ] come on so worthy a 
mission, was received in September 1579. I n fact, the same celebrations were 
accorded him which were customary on the arrival of Viceroys newly come from 
Europe to take up the government of India. Not less — considering their zeal for 
the honour of God and for the propagation of the Faith — was the spiritual consolation 
all felt, particularly the Fathers. It was but fit, since they had for many years 
made every endeavour, though always in vain, to bear the name of Christ into Mogor ; 
and now, suddenly and against all expectation, they saw the King himself open the 
gates to them, and not only invite them, but request them to enter. All congratu- 
lated the Fathers, and manifested in words and deeds their unfeigned joy. Some 
augured , others promised that their going would result, to the honour of the Church 
and the advantage of Portugal, in the conversion of a king and his kingdom. For, 
as happens on such occasions, people speculated openly and sanguinely on how King 
Achabar was bidding fair to become a Christian ere long. Letters from there and 
ocular testimony corroborated the view that the only trace of Maomettanism 
in him was that he was circumcised and wore to some extent the Maomet- 
tan dress; [ 11 ] but, he did not observe a whit its ceremonies and rites; nay, he 
detested it as a sect of vile animals, not of reasonable beings, and spoke of it with 
contempt all the evil he could. In the Alcoran, which is Maomet’s gospel, he believed 
no more than in the dreams of a fool or the fables of a romancer. As a proof of it, 
they said that, when there was question of taking a wife, he chose a Gentoo rather than 
a Saracen. He fasted rigorously every Friday, a feastday according to Moorish ritual 
and sacred as Sunday is with us, and on those days he would send to a few Christians 
then with him at P'atipur the food of his own table. On hearing of a Christian who had 
denied the faith and donned the turban, he had him brought before him, and rebuk- 
ing him bitterly for his impiety, he said, “ And what miracles have you seen 
Maomet perform, that you should forsake your law for his?” And as the apostate 
excused his action, saying that he had been driven to it merely to escape the 
