to Father Xavier, was
the king of Trichenamalo, who is one of the sovereigns of Ceylon This
king, while he was yet an infant, was set upon the throne, and afterwards
dispossessed by an usurper, when he was but eight years old. The tyrant,
not content to have taken the crown from him, would also have murdered
him, but was prevented by a prince of the blood-royal, who carried him
out of his reach, being accompanied by forty lords of the loyal party,
and sought sanctuary for him on the coasts of Fishery. The Paravas
received him with all the charitable compassion which was due to his
illustrious birth, to the tenderness of his years, and to his
misfortunes; they also promised his attendants to serve him what was in
their power; but, at the same time, advised them, to procure him a
more durable and more glorious crown; and withal informed them of what
they had been taught, concerning the adoption of the sons of God, the
kingdom of heaven, and inheritance of the saints. Whether those
considerations prevailed upon the prince of the blood-royal, or that the
spirit of God wrought powerfully on his heart, lie consented to what the
Paravas desired, and put himself into the hands of Father Henriquez to be
instructed. The rest of the lords followed his example, and were all
baptised together with the king, who seemed at his baptism to have an
understanding much above his years. The rulers of the Christians on the
fishing coast having afterwards made up an army, supplied with what
ammunitions of war, and other provisions which the country could furnish,
passed over into the Isle of Ceylon, under the conduct of the prince and
the forty lords; but the usurper was so well established in his
possession, that the Paravas were forced to retire with speed into their
own country. As for the young king, he was brought to Goa; and the
Portuguese, who took the conduct of him into their hands, put him into
the college of St Paul, where he was virtuously educated by the Fathers
of the Society. Xavier praised Almighty God to see the great men of the
earth subjected to the empire of Jesus Christ, by the ministry of the
children of Ignatius; and rejoiced with his brethren so much the more,
because the bishop of Goa, Don Juan de Albuquerque, was so well satisfied
of their conduct.

This wise and holy prelate communicated to the Father a letter, which he
had written on that subject during his absence to the general of the
Society. The letter was in