any encouragement for their industry,
having no Vend by Traffic and Commerce for what they have got.
PART II.
CHAP. I.
Of the present King of Cande.
[The Government of this Island.] Hitherto I have treated of the
Countrey, with the Provisions and Wealth of it: Our next Discourses
shall be of the Political Government there exercised. And here Order
will lead us to speak first of the King and Matters relating to him.
Antiently this Countrey consisted of Nine Kingdoms, all which had
their several Kings; but now by the vicissitude of Times and Things,
they are all reduced under one King, who is an absolute Tyrant, and
Rules the most arbitrarily of any King in the World. We will first
speak of him as to his Personal Capacity, and next as to his Political.
In his Personal Capacity, are to be considered his Birth and Parentage,
his Person, his Relations, his State, his Manners, his Pleasures and
Recreations, his Religion.
[The King's Lineage.] Radga-Singa is his Name, which signifies a
Lyon-King. He is not of the right Descent of the Royal-Blood. For the
former King deceased leaving his Queen a Widow, and two young Princes,
which he had issue by her. She was a Christian, having been baptized
by the Portuguez, and named Dona Catharina. She afterwards married to
the Chief Priest, whom in their Language they call Tirinanxy. And by
him had this Son, the present King. The Tirinanx his Father reigned
and ruled the Land during the minority of the young Princes: but
being aged, he divided the Countrey between the three Princes by Lot,
intending Conde Uda, which is the best part of the Land, for his
own Son, Radga-Singa. Which was obtained by this device. The names
of the three Kingdoms being written on three Papers, were put into
a Pot, and one was appointed, who knew the matter to take them out,
and deliver them one to each, beginning with the Eldest, craftily
delivering that which had Conde Uda written in it unto Radga-Singa;
and so it came to pass according to the old Kings determination. All
these three in the beginning of their Reigns joyned together against
the Portuguez, but soon after fell out among themselves, and this
King in the end prevailed, and got all the Countrey. Danna Polla
Rodgerah the youngest, King of Mautoly, being overthrown, fled down
to the Portuguez to Columba, who sent him to Goa, where he dyed. The
other named Comaure-Singa, King of Owvah, dyed in Cande.
[His Person, Meen a
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