The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16Dryden, John
History
The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16
Dryden, John
English literature
"You may judge, what manner of life Head here, by what I shall relate to
you. I am wholly ignorant of the language of the people, and they
understand as little of mine; and I have no interpreter. All I can
perform, is to baptize children, and serve the sick, an employment easily
understood, without the help of an interpreter, by only minding what they
want."
This was the preaching by which he declared Jesus Christ, and made the
Christian law appear amiable in that kingdom. For amongst those
barbarians, who reduce all humanity to the notion of not being inhuman,
and who acknowledge no other duties of charity, than forbearing to do
injuries, it was a thing of admiration, to see a stranger, who, without
any interest, made the sufferings of another man his own; and performed
all sorts of services to the poor, as if he had been their father, or
their slave. The name of the country is neither known, nor the fruits
which these works of charity produced. It is only certain, that the saint
continued not there any long time; and that a troublesome affair recalled
him to the coast of Fishery, when it was least in his intentions to
return.
The Badages, who are a great multitude of robbers, in the kingdom of
Bisnagar, idolaters, and enemies of the Christian name, naturally fierce,
always quarrelling amongst themselves, and at war with their neighbours,
after they had seized, by force of arms, on the kingdom of Pande, which
is betwixt Malabar and the coasts of Fishery, made an irruption into the
said coast, in the absence of Xavier. The Paravas were under a terrible
consternation at the sight of those robbers, whose very name was
formidable to them, not daring so much as to gather into a body, nor to
hazard the first brunt of war. They took flight, and abandoned their
country, without any other thought than of saving their lives. In order
to which, they threw themselves by heaps into their barks, some of them
escaping into little desart islands, others hiding amongst the rocks and
banks of sand, betwixt Cape Comorin, and the Isle of Ceylon. These were
the places of their retreat, together with their wives and children,
while the Badages overran the coast, and destroyed their country.
But what profits it to have escaped the sword, when, they must die of
hunger? Those miserable creatures, exposed to the burning heats of the
sun, wanted nourishment in their isles, and on their rocks, and numbers
of them daily perished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account