e Portuguese governor or
magistrates. Whether the power of Portugal were not yet sufficiently
established, or that interest was predominant over justice and religion,
this cruel usage deterred the new Christians fom professing Jesus Christ,
and was the reason, that, amongst the infidels, all thoughts of
conversion were laid aside.

But what yet appears more wonderful, the Portuguese themselves lived more
like idolaters than Christians. For, to speak somewhat more particularly
of their corrupt manners, according to the relation which was sent to
King John III. of Portugal from the Indies, by a man in power, and worthy
of belief; some few months before the arrival of Father Xavier, every man
kept as many mistresses as he pleased, and maintained them openly in his
own house, even in the quality of lawful wives. They bought women, or
took them away by force, either for their service, or to make money of
them. Their masters taxed them at a certain sum by the day, and, for
fault of payment, inflicted on them ail sorts of punishment; insomuch,
that those unhappy creatures, not being able sometimes to work out the
daily rate imposed on them, were forced upon the infamous traffic of
their bodies, and became public prostitutes, to content the avarice of
their masters.

Justice was sold at the tribunals, and the most enormous crimes escaped
from punishment, when the criminals had wherewithal to corrupt their
judges.

All methods for heaping up money were accounted lawful, how indirect
soever, and extortion was publicly protest. Murder was reckoned but a
venial trespass, and was boasted as a piece of bravery.

The Bishop of Goa, to little purpose, threatened them with the wrath of
heaven, and the thunder of excommunications. No dam was sufficient for
such a deluge; their hearts were hardened against spiritual threatening
and anathemas; or, to speak more properly, the deprivation of sacraments
was no punishment to such wicked wretches, who were glad to be rid of
them.

The use of confessions, and the communion, were in a manner abolished;
and if any one by chance was struck with a remorse of conscience, and
desired to reconcile himself to God, at the foot of a priest, he was
constrained to steal to his devotions by night, to avoid the scandal to
his neighbour.

So strange a depravation of manners proceeded from these causes. Its rise
was taken from the licence of arms, which permit, and almost authorize,
the greatest disorde