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different order: the church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, is a 
fine structure, the high altar richly ornamented, and the chapel 
containing the monument of St. Xavier uncommonly splendid; 
the tomb, enclosed by glass to prevent damage, is only opened 
on particular occasions: we were admitted within the sacred 
enclosure, to examine the bassi-relievi, which in different compart- 
ments contain the life and miracles of the saint: the whole is 
composed of the choicest marble, sculptured by European artists: 
the superb shrine and silver ornaments were presented by a queen 
of Portugal. 
I shall not detail the extraordinary legends which the priests 
gave us of their favourite saint, nor describe the more substantial 
entertainment they produced in the refectory. On leaving their 
convivial circle we visited several monkish convents, and the onty 
nunnery then existing in the city; where, as usual, we saw many 
objects to pity, few to envy: on this subject I shall not enlarge, nor 
on that of the inquisition, the next public structure that we viewed: 
the cruelties inflicted on the native converts at Goa, especially 
among the wealthy Hindoos, made me shudder on entering the 
exterior courts of this iniquitous tribunal, which were all we were 
permitted to see: its history in Spain and Portugal is well known: 
the inquisitors at Goa have not been more merciful: how has 
misguided zeal tarnished a religion founded in loving-kindness and 
tender mercy! how have the judges of the inquisition departed 
from the benevolent spirit of its founder! what must the surround- 
ing Hindoos, educated in the mild tenets of Bramah, think of the 
fsres, the racks, and instruments of torture, used in that merciless 
prison? its cruel tyrants, clothed in the vestments of sanctity, but 
