to persuade them never to make any more guns or artillery for the infidels, in contempt of God, and to the great detriment of our most holy faith.  At my words, tears fell from the eyes of Peter Anthony; but John Maria, who perhaps was not so anxious to return home, said it was all one to him whether he died in India or Italy, and that God only knew what was decreed for him.  Within two days after I returned to my companion, who had wondered what was become of me, fearing that I was either sick, or had died, or run away.  I told him that I had been all night in the temple, that he might not suspect my great intimacy with the Christians.

While I remained in the lodging of my companion, there came to him two Persian merchants from the city of Cananore, saying that they had bad news to tell him, as there had arrived twelve Portuguese ships, which they had actually seen.  Then asked he what manner of men were these Portuguese?  To this the Persians answered, that they were Christians, armed in cuirasses of bright iron, and had built an impregnable fortress at Cananore.  Then turning to me, my companion asked what kind of people these were.  To this I answered, that they were a nation of wicked people, entirely given up to robbery and piracy on the seas:  And I can truly say, that he was not so sorry for these news as I was rejoiced at their arrival.  After the rumour spread of the arrival of the Portuguese, I began to be in fear for myself, and to consider what was best to be done to ensure my safety; and considering that nothing could be easier among these ignorant people than to gain a reputation of holiness by hypocrisy, I used to lurk about the temple all day without meat, as all the people thought, but in the night I had my fill in the house of the two Milanese.  By this device, every one took me for a saint or holy person, so that in a few days I could go about all the city without being suspected.  To help me in this assumed character, a rich Mahometan merchant of Calicut happened to fall sick, having his belly so constipated that he could get no ease; and as he was a friend of my Persian companion, and the disease daily increased, he at last asked me if I had any skill in physic.  To this I answered, that my father was a physician, and that I had learnt many things from him.  He then took me along with him to see his friend the sick merchant, and being told that he was very sick at the head and stomach, and sore constipated, and having before learnt that he was a great eater and drinker, I felt his pulse, and said that he was filled with choler or black bile, owing to surfeiting, and that it was necessary he should have a glyster.  Then I made a glyster of eggs, salt, and sugar, together with butter and such herbs as I could think of upon a sudden; and in the space of a day and a night I gave him five such glysters, but all in vain, for his pains and sickness increased, and I began to repent me of my enterprise.  But it was now necessary to put a good face on the matter,