In furthest Ind : $b The narrative of Mr Edward Carlyon of the honourable East India Company's service — John Shaqi
In furthest Ind : $b The narrative of Mr Edward Carlyon of the honourable East India Company's serviceGrier, Sydney C.
General
In furthest Ind : $b The narrative of Mr Edward Carlyon of the honourable East India Company's service
Grier, Sydney C.
British -- India -- Fiction; East India Company -- Fiction; India -- Fiction
Now you will wonder how in all this time I escaped the Inquisition,
without (as some have falsely said) I conformed myself to their
customs for fear. But the manner of my safety was this. I followed out
the counsel given me by Mr Martin, and avoided all processions and
church shows. I had much desired to have seen an High Mass in the
great church of the Dominicans or Black Friars, the which is all
gilded within, and in the sacristan[59] treasures of untold value,
but I refrained, and forced myself only to visit it one morning with
Peter. Likewise, I was very firm to refrain from argument, and indeed
my companions, that were for the most part young gentlemen of good
blood and breeding, did never attempt to force it upon me. And with
regard to the punctilio of the Portugals, I saw much reason to marvel
thereat, seeing that they will walk abroad in the streets bareheaded
under _umbrelloes_, for to avoid the necessity of uncovering the one
to the other; but I was so happy as never to infringe it. And of
adventures among the ladies had I none, seeing that they are kept very
recluse, and I had neither inclination nor opportunity to make close
acquaintance with ’em. But it is necessary to state this, since it
hath been alleged otherwise concerning me. Thus all went well, until
one day Dom Lewis came earlier than usual to visit upon me, and
carried me with him to his house, that was very fine and splendid, for
to see his cousin newly arrived from the Moxambique.
And this cousin of his (that was also nephew to the Viceroy) I found a
pretty boy enough, Dom Francis de Lessa by name. (Now this name,
Francis, is very common in Goa, after their great saint, Franciscus
Xeverius,[60] that lies buried in the fair church of _Bon Jesu_.) And
this young gentleman, Dom Francis, had been bred up in one of their
colleges by the Jesuits, or Paulistins,[61] as they call them here,
from their monastery of St Paul’s; and with him was his governor,[62]
that the Viceroy, with the advice of the _padrees_, had appointed over
him. This was a Paulistin called Father Sebastian, a person of a most
gentle and courteous aspect, and so well versed in all matters of
polite learning that to talk with him was a pleasure. Yet, to my
misfortune, there awoke in me, while in his company, as it were a
certain fervour and heat of opposition, so that I did find myself
perpetually at an issue with him, to my no small concern, be the
matter of our discourse what it might. Now on this day it seemed good
to us to walk through the city and show to Dom Francis what was worthy
to be seen therein, and so the time passed pleasantly away. But in
returning from Old Goa, a part of the town that is now decayed, but
wherein many respectable persons do dwell agreeably enough, we stopped
on a bridge for to look at the boats on the river, and I chanced to
say that ’twas a pity the Portugals should waste so much time a-racing
one another on the water in _baloons_ to the spoiling of their
business.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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