King's
own Palace. They had Cloths also distributed to them another time.

So that these men had the advantage of us. For we neither had Mats
nor Cloths, nor had the honour of being ever brought into the King's
Presence.

[They hoped to obtain Liberty, but were mistaken.] This civil Reception
upon their first coming up into the City, put these Persia Merchant-men
in hope, that the King would give them their Liberty. There was at
that time an old Portugueze Father, Padre Vergonse by name, Living
in the City. With him they discoursed concerning the probability of
their Liberty, and that the favours the King had shewn them seemed
to be good signs of it: but he told them the plain truth, that it
was not customary there to release white Men. For saying which,
they railed at him, calling him Popish Dog, and Jesuitical Rogue,
supposing he spoke as he wished it might be. But afterward to their
grief they found it to be true as he told them.

[A ridiculous action of these Men.] Their entertainment was
excellently good according to the poor condition of the Countrey, but
they thought it otherwise, very mean and not according to the King's
order. Therefore that the King might be informed how they were abused,
each man took the Limb of an Hen in his hand, and marched rank and
file in order thro the Streets with it in their hands to the Court,
as a sign to the great Men whereby they might see, how illy they were
served; thinking hereby the King might come to hear of their misusage,
and so they might have order to be fed better afterwards. But this
proved Sport to the Noblemen who well knew the fare of the Countrey,
laughing at their ignorance, to complain where they had so little
cause. And indeed afterwards they themselves laughed at this action
of theirs, and were half ashamed of it, when they came to a better
understanding of the Nature of the Countreys Diet.

[They had a mind to Beef, and how they got it.] Yet notwithstanding
being not used to such short Commons of Flesh, tho they had Rice in
abundance, and having no Money to buy more, they had a desire to kill
some Cows, that they might eat their Bellies full of Beef, but made
it somewhat a point of Conscience, whether it might be lawful or not,
to take them without leave. Upon which they apply themselves to the old
Father abovesaid, desiring him to solve this Case of Conscience. Who
was very ready to give them a Dispensation. And told them, That
forasmuch as the Chingula