ms a mere adoption of the rumours of the
Italians; as Newbery distinctly complains of the want of cash, by which
he might have made very profitable purchases in Aleppo, Bagdat, and
Basora.--E.]

[Footnote 440: The captain of the castle of Ormus is named Don Mathias
de Albuquerque by Fitch.--E.]

Upon their arrival at Goa, they were cast into prison, and were in the
first place examined whether or not they were good Christians. As they
could only speak very bad Portuguese, while two of them spoke good
Dutch, having resided several years in the low countries, a Dutch Jesuit
who was born at Bruges in Flanders, and had resided thirty years in
India, was sent to them, to undermine and examine them; in which they
behaved so well, that they were holden and esteemed for good and
Catholic Christians; yet were they still suspected, as being strangers
and Englishmen. The Jesuits told them that they would be sent prisoners
into Portugal, and advised them to leave off their trade in merchandise,
and to become Jesuits; promising in return to defend them from all their
troubles. The cause of thus earnestly persuading them was this: The
Dutch Jesuit had been secretly informed that they had great sums of
money, and sought to get that for the order; as the first vow and
promise made on becoming a Jesuit is, to procure and advance the welfare
of the order by every possible means. Although the Englishmen refused
this, saying that they were quite unfit for such matters, yet one of
them, a painter, who came with the other three to see the country and
seek his fortune, and was not sent by the English merchants, partly
through fear, and partly from want of means to relieve himself from
prison, promised to become a Jesuit. And although the fathers knew that
he was not one of those who had the treasure, yet, because he was a
painter, of whom there are few in India, and that they had great need of
one to paint their church, which would cost them great charges to bring
from Portugal, they were very glad of him, and hoped in time to get all
the rest, with all their money, into their fellowship.

To conclude, they made this painter a Jesuit, and he continued some time
in their college, where they gave him plenty of work to perform, and
entertained him with all the favour and friendship they could devise,
all to win the rest to become their prey. But the other three remained
in prison in great fear, because they did not understand any who came to