Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 58

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
.
[MABOR, 1999
SIR WILLIAM NORRIS AND THE JESUITS.
BY HARIHAR DAS, B.LITT. (Oxon.), F.R.Hist.s. SIR WILLIAM NORRIS, while at Masulipatam, received various visitors from time to time, some of whom came to pay him their respects and to offer him assistance in preparing for his journey to the Mughal Court; others to discuss matters of commercial interest concerning the Company ; while others again came to spy out his movements and intentions. Whatever might have been the object of these visitors, the Ambassador on his part showed courtesy and consideration to all. Besides Indian visitors there were representatives of other nationalities, who also came to visit him and from whom he never failed to derive some information. Towards the end of November, 1699, Sir William recorded in his Journal an interesting account of a visit from "a poore portugeeze padre as he would be thought but I thinke has more of yo merchant y yo priest in him comes now then to dinner not knowinge where to be better provided he has been a greate traveller over India and enquiringe into y concerns att Goa w is ye finest settlement in India and belongs wholly to y portugeezes: he told me ye Jesuitts had five convents there and ther incomes soe large by begginge and merchandizinge ye it exeded y Revenues of y* K. of Portugall in India. Amongst severall other orders settled there he informed me of one that was wholly new havinge never heard of such an one in Europe viz., De Sancta providentia founded by Cajetan y Jesuite and it is essentiall to their order to depend every day upon providence for their daily breade takinge no thoughts for it att all and wholy against their constitution to have a days provision before hand : it is a plentifull place where they are, soe I suppose want for nothinge."
On the 10th January 1700, Sir William entered in his Journal that " 2 Jesuitts, one who had been resident in Suratt for 8 years y other lately come from Europe sent to desire leave to come and niake me a visitt woh I granted and they docordingly came. I industriously led them into discourse of what heathens had been lately converted to y Christain Religion to avoide all discourse of other matters. They tell of multitudes converted on y other end of y Malabar Coast but wherever I goe I find very few converted on ye spott where I am. I told them I had seen St. Xavier's Tombl in one of yo Jesuitts chappell att Goa who imediately asked whether they shewd me his Body and havinge told ym No, They began to tell me yt it was brought over from China uncorrupted and remained soe yett and particularly y his ffeet were as white and fresh as when alive and his visage little alterd. In Discourse of y many converts he had made in China they attested w greate confidence yt he had ye power given him of workinge miracles and y he had raisd 3 from y Deade."
Again on January 17 of the same year he wrote : "2 french ffranciscan fryers came to make me a visitt on[e] of ym had been in y country for 17 yeares had travell over most parts and had been once att y* Mogulls Camp and Informed me y he was att least 93 yeares old woh older by 6 yeares then I had heard, yet accquainted me likewise that he had recevd Inteligence y Sultan Eekbar had left, Persia and was come in disguise into India in order to make his pretentions to y crown att his fathers death and ye he was now att Amadavad y Chife city of Guzoratt we would all declare for him as likewise would y Rasbootes (Rajpûts] of whose caste his mother was. The good ffather seemd to be a very mortifyd and Religious man and I really believe was soe: I likd his Company ye better for his speakinge yo best and most inteligible Latin of any I had mett wib yett: att his goeing away I ordered him 20 Rupees."
While Sir William Norris was at the Emperor's Camp he made the following entry in his Journal on the 21st December 1701 :-"Directed Mr. Mills likewise to write a letter by
1 Dr. Fryer and the Neapolitan traveller Gemelli Careri also visited the tomb of St. Francis Xavier during their visit to India, See p. 150 of Fryer's 4ccount, etc. : and also p. 251 of 4 Voyage Round the World,