1840.] 



Life and Writings of Father BescM. 



255 



absurdities of their religious practices. He is much extolled for the 

 triumphs he obtained in the confroversial disputes, which often occur 

 amongst the learned in India. He was very liberal in his donations to 

 the poor, and in the erection and repairs of churches. He was assi- 

 duous in instructing the youth in different languages and sc'ien(;es, and 

 in procuring for thera situations suitable to their capacity. The first 

 church he erected, was at Conangooppam Aryanoor, in the district of 

 Paroor,* which then belonged to Mootoosamy Cachirayen, a poligar 

 chieftain. After its completion, Father Beschi proceeded to Mylapoorj 

 and solicited the then bishop of that diocese, to procure for him, from 

 Manilla, an image of the blessed Virgin Mary, in the native dress, with 

 the child Jesus in her arms, according to a model he had drawn for 

 that purpose. The prelate complied with his request, and on its arri* 

 val, he performed a devotion of II days; and, on the I'Jih, placed the 

 image in the church which was dedicated to God in the name of the 

 Vii-gin, Mother of our blessed Redeem'?r. He founded another church 

 at Tirucavalur,t and dedicated it to the blessed Virgin under the title 

 of Mother of Refuge, It was erected on the land granted to the 

 Christian church, situated at Elacurichy, by Mazhavarayen. He com- 

 posed 15 poems in praise of the blessed Virgin Mary. 



* Virttachellum talook of South Arcot. 

 + Inscription engraved on the stone set on the bank of the tank behind the church at 

 Tivucavalur, in the talook of Arialoor, Trichinopoly collectorate. 



i£,t^iriE3s:uuLDL^Qjj-irujn- <U(^irS(^j[S}^&fi^(r-esir<sue0 /fl^Ja? snrsarQ jS 



U<Bree)eueOs[rm/D (? ^ /r ^ ^ (? so Q uitsssl-wit , 



Translation. 



Swasti Sri (may happiness and prosperity attend). In the year Ratchada following 

 the year 1657 of Salivahna (corresponding with A. D. 1734), on the 26th day of Adi- 

 .Srimadu, Rayamaniya Rajestri Rungajjpa Mazhavaiayer, whose soat of government is 

 ^xed in Ariyalur, has caused a stone to be engraved, and granted the whole oi the land 

 Situated within the limits, from the east of Ylran dewan road, to the west of Kovilur 

 toad, and from the south of the pond to the north of Periya Yeri, at Yela-Cnrichy Tiru- 

 Cavalur, for the use of the church of the God of all— to enjov as long as the sun and moon 

 endure, as well as the stone, the river Cauveri, grass and earth exist ; if any one act cen- 

 tral y to this charitj', may he incur the siu of killing a black cow oa the banks of the 

 Gauges. 



