not allowed to conclude his great
career without suffering a deep humiliation. On the way a native
brigantine was captured, which contained letters directed to
Albuquerque. In spite of his health he insisted on these letters
being read to him at once. In them appeared the news that Lopo Soares
de Albergaria had just reached India, with a {139} commission to
succeed him as Governor. This news wounded Albuquerque to the heart.
'He lifted up his hands and gave thanks unto Our Lord and
cried:--"In bad repute with men because of the King, and in bad
repute with the King because of the men, it were well that I were
gone."'[8]
[Footnote 8: Albuquerque's _Commentaries_, vol. iv. p. 195.]
This harsh measure of supersession had undoubtedly been suggested to
King Emmanuel by the personal enemies whom the Governor had made
through his imperious temper; and it is not without significance that
among the captains who accompanied Soares de Albergaria were two of
Albuquerque's declared enemies, Francisco de Tavora and Diogo Mendes
de Vasconcellos. The jealous disposition of the King had been freely
worked on, and the argument that Albuquerque wished to make himself
an independent prince or duke at Goa had had its effect. On receiving
the tidings of his disgrace Albuquerque added a codicil to his will,
directing that his bones should be carried to Portugal, and he wrote
the following proud and touching letter to King Emmanuel, the
sovereign he had served so well.
'Sire, I am not writing to Your Highness with my own hand, because,
when I do so, I tremble very greatly, which is a warning of my
approaching death. I leave a son, Sire, to perpetuate my memory, to
whom I bequeath all my property, which is little enough, but I
bequeath him also the obligation, due to me for all my services,
which is very great. The affairs of India speak for me and for
themselves [_lit._ for it]. I {140} leave India, with its principal
heads fallen, in your power, without its promising any other
trouble, except the locking close of the gate of the Straits
[_i.e._ of the Red Sea]; that is what Your Highness ordered me to
do. I give you as my constant counsel, Sire, for the security of
India, to continue drawing your expenses from it [_i.e._ to make
the administration pay for itself]. I beg Your Highness in reward
to remember all this, and to make my son a nobleman and to give him
full satisfaction for my services.
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