to get Food and Rayment.  Yet in this I must a little vindicate them; [The People discouraged from Industry by the Tyranny they are under.] For what indeed should they do with more than Food and Rayment, seeing as their Estates encrease, so do their Taxes also?  And altho the People be generally covetous, spending but little, scraping together what they can, yet such is the Government they are under, that they are afraid to be known to have any thing, lest it be taken away from them.  Neither have they any encouragement for their industry, having no Vend by Traffic and Commerce for what they have got.

PART II.

CHAP.  I.

Of the present King of Cande.

[The Government of this Island.] Hitherto I have treated of the Countrey, with the Provisions and Wealth of it:  Our next Discourses shall be of the Political Government there exercised.  And here Order will lead us to speak first of the King and Matters relating to him.

Antiently this Countrey consisted of Nine Kingdoms, all which had their several Kings; but now by the vicissitude of Times and Things, they are all reduced under one King, who is an absolute Tyrant, and Rules the most arbitrarily of any King in the World.  We will first speak of him as to his Personal Capacity, and next as to his Political.

In his Personal Capacity, are to be considered his Birth and Parentage, his Person, his Relations, his State, his Manners, his Pleasures and Recreations, his Religion.

[The King’s Lineage.] Radga-Singa is his Name, which signifies a Lyon-King.  He is not of the right Descent of the Royal-Blood.  For the former King deceased leaving his Queen a Widow, and two young Princes, which he had issue by her.  She was a Christian, having been baptized by the Portuguez, and named Dona Catharina.  She afterwards married to the Chief Priest, whom in their Language they call Tirinanxy.  And by him had this Son, the present King.  The Tirinanx his Father reigned and ruled the Land during the minority of the young Princes:  but being aged, he divided the Countrey between the three Princes by Lot, intending Conde Uda, which is the best part of the Land, for his own Son, Radga-Singa.  Which was obtained by this device.  The names of the three Kingdoms being written on three Papers, were put into a Pot, and one was appointed, who knew the matter to take them out, and deliver them one to each, beginning with the Eldest, craftily delivering that which had Conde Uda written in it unto Radga-Singa; and so it came to pass according to the old Kings determination.  All these three in the beginning of their Reigns joyned together against the Portuguez, but soon after fell out among themselves, and this King in the end prevailed, and got all the Countrey.  Danna Polla Rodgerah the youngest, King of Mautoly, being overthrown, fled down to the Portuguez to Columba, who sent him to Goa, where he dyed.  The other named Comaure-Singa, King of Owvah, dyed in Cande.