they have been from all eternity, under the figure of a prince, of a merchant, of a scholar, of a soldier, and so many other various forms: on the contrary, they who, like thee, are so ignorant of their own affairs, as not to understand who, or what they have been formerly, during those infinite revolutions of ages, shew that their crimes have deserved death, as often as they have lost the remembrance of their Jives in every change." The Portuguese, from whose relation we have the knowledge of what is above written, and who was present at the dispute, as he himself informs us, in his book of Travels, gives us no account of the answers which were made by Xavier. "I have neither knowledge nor presumption enough," says he, "to relate those subtile and solid reasons, with which he confuted the mad imaginations of the Bonza." We only have learnt from this Portuguese, that Fucarandono was put to silence upon the point in question, and that, a little to save his reputation, he changed the subject, but to no purpose, for even there too he was confounded; for, forgetting those decencies which even nature prescribes to men, and common custom has taught us in civil conversation, he advanced infamous propositions, which cannot be related without offending modesty; and these he maintained with a strange impudence, against the reasons of the Father, though the king and the noble auditory thought the Christian arguments convincing. But the Bonza still flying out into passion, and continuing to rail and bawl aloud, as if he were rather in a bear-garden than at a solemn disputation, one of the lords there present said, smiling, to him, "If your business be fighting, why did not you go to the kingdom of Amanguchi, when they were in civil wars? there you might have found some one or other with whom you might have gone to hard-heads. What make you here, where all things are at quiet? But, if you came hither to dispute, why do you not carry on your argument with mildness and good manners, according to the copy which is set you by the European Bonza?" This sharp raillery had no effect upon Fucarandono: he replied to the lord with so much impudence and haughtiness, that the king, whose patience was tired with so much insolence, caused him to be put out of the hall, saying, "That his coat of a Bonza was the only protection of his life." The affront which Fucarandono had received, was interpreted by the Bonzas as an injury done to the gods, and as such they declared it to the people, saying, "That religion was profaned, and that the king, the court, and the whole nation, had incurred the wrath of heaven." Upon which pretence they shut up the temples, and would neither offer sacrifice nor accept of alms. The multitude, which had already been disposed to rise, began to get together, and had certainly taken arms, if the king, by good management, had not somewhat calmed their spirits.