1() History of Ceylon 
to pay due attention to these advantages ; and Ceylon, instead 
of being made the centre and guardian of the Portuguese pos- 
sessions in India, continued to be cultivated by them chiefly 
on account of its own natural productions. ^ 
The manner in which the Portuguese conducted the govern- 
ment of Ceylon looked as if it had been their intention to 
counteract, as much as lay in their power, the advantages con- 
ferred on it by nature. Instead of maintaining a friendly in- 
tercourse with the natives, and inducing them to assist in pro- 
moting the cultivation of the island, every species of insult and 
barbarity was practised towards them. Not only was any little 
wealth they possessed seized by the rapacious grasp of avarice: 
their manners and customs were trampled upon ; and their re- 
ligious opinions, which they could still less give up, were not 
only insulted, but even persecuted with the most wanton cruelty. 
The religious bigotry of the Portuguese completely triumphed 
over their real interests ; and to this cause in particular may be 
ascribed the universal hatred entertained against them, and the 
eagerness with which the native inhabitants of their conquered 
countries received and assisted their rivals. 
As nothing can be more contrary to the spirit of the Christian 
religion, than the attempt to impose it on mankind by force, 
so this method has been uniformly unsuccessful. The Cinglese 
looked with horror on strange gods, who seemed to delight in 
blood ; and chose rather to leave the sea-coasts to their enemies, 
and find refuge for themselves and their grotesque idols in the 
mountains of the interior. The Portuguese government was, 
however, still weak enough to yield to the arguments of the 
priests, who maintained that imposing the Christian religion by 
means of the inquisition was the only sure method of securing 
