Trellado de huma carta que mandou hum homem de Mazcate que he na Arabia ao p. Mestre Gaspar. 1550, Setembro 8, [Mascate].
Transcription
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[Page 4] [Texto Principal] Trellado de hua carta q mandou hu homem de Meca q he na Arabia, ao p. Mestre Gaspar — Como padre virtuoso E q a estas partes da India foi enniado por graca de Ds para saluacão de nossas almas. E limpeza dellas lhe quero dar cota de minha determinacão E asi neste caso pedir lhe misericordia. Snor padre, ha seis anos q eu tinha, em deuacão meter me e s Paulo no mosteiro de Goa e sua religião. pasando T.R. por aqui me confessou Enò absolueo E isto por eu ter hua moca / agl auerá . uj anos q a tenho Enò me Efessad nè absolue Jasabera como minha alma pode estar E asi lembrandome da penitencia G.T.R. me deu pasando por aqui quando me confessou Enò absolueo Escuidà- do è minha morte, como morrè grandes Espeços, como esturaa o snor Ds comigo quando medeste mundo leyar, E asi cuidado hua manhã por q me isto dixe fez oq me mandou por espaço de duas horas Espaco cada dia. Sacabado isto me ponho em grollos Espeço a Ds mia q me mostre oq for mais seu fruico E q me aparte dos vicios deste mundo E mede reponso en parte onde fui peniten- cia de meus peccados. E fazendo isto cada dia como digo sempre me o snor Ds daria vontade q me metesse no collegio de S. Paulo. E sa Tam grandes os meus defeitos q nd gosto deste mundo ne me lembra dinheiro ne folgar soomel quando cuido q poderey al- cançar ser fruo de T.R. Elauar lhe os peces E seguirlo ate morte & os seus alforges as costas E morrer co elle abado nas grelhas por Juico de Ds. Quando visto cuido he omem f. tamagno q me parece q tenho todo mundo por meu E estundo eu recebo de me nd receberè no collegio de S. Paulo. p.a.T.R. efecua hua carta ao Rmo do collegio q me receba E aja por fruo da Sõta fec E asi hu escrito a my do quemisto y defas.
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[Page 1] [Texto Principal] F. j. se elle thorogar, elle o fará. Informes do q̃ passa. Eu estarey na casa hũ anno & day por diante, defeo fuir. V. R. por onde q̃r q̃ for. Eu sou homem de xxxv annos & nõ sou casado, nẽ tenho mortes de homens nẽ primos algũ. Tenho mil pardaus. E destes é de toda minha fazenda & soldo que tenho na matricula; ey de fayr tudo o q̃ V. R. mandar. Minha vontade he dada ao Collegio. V. R. o determine q̃ faga o q̃ he fruio de Ds. Eu ha x vij annos q̃ vim de Portugal. E sei muitas linguas: Arabio perfeito, Canarim & Guzarate & muita parte do Malabar. Sisto muy bem. Em que mais nõ seja, ao menos farey companhia aos aptos. Escreua sua lingua quando forem pollo mundo & fruios ey & ed tudo isto á graça do S̃o Espírito me ajudará. E as obras santas dos padres tambem me ajudarão. S. insinorado. Espero. V. R. da parte de Ds. & de Santa Mª. q̃ elle me ajude nesta romaria q̃ tanto defeio & q̃ alem dos grandes trabalhos q̃ elle tem em lavar nossas almas & fruição de Ds. tambem lume este por remedio & salvação de minha alma, & meliorar de peccado mortal. & q̃ escreua como digo ao R. P. M. do Collegio q̃ me aja por fruo da sancta fe, & nd preste para mais & para varrer a casa & fuir aos padres & amy escreua hũ escripto para saber o q̃ demy ey de fayr & ajustar minha fazenda & arancarme deste inferno. No mais soomete encomendeme á suas orações. Feito nest Marçal e a vij. de Setembr. 1580 annos. [Assinaturas] De seu fruo obediente J. Anzato.
Translation
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Transcript of a letter sent by a man from Mecca (in Arabia) to Father Master Gaspar —
As a virtuous priest, and one who was sent to these parts of India by the grace of God for the salvation and purification of our souls, I wish to inform you fully of my resolution and, in this matter, humbly implore your mercy.
My Lord Father, it is six years since, out of devotion, I resolved to enter the Monastery of St Paul in Goa and embrace its religious life. When Your Reverence passed through here, you heard my confession and granted me absolution. Yet this was conditional: I had been keeping a young woman—she has been with me for approximately ten years—and I had neither confessed nor received absolution concerning this matter; hence I remain uncertain as to the state of my soul. Recalling this penance, and mindful of Your Reverence’s admonition during that earlier confession and absolution—that I should not neglect the hour of my death, that I shall die amid great anxieties, and that I know not how Our Lord God will judge me at the moment I depart this world—I accordingly undertook, each day for two hours, the discipline prescribed to me.
Upon completing this daily practice, I prostrate myself before God, beseeching Him to reveal to me what course most accords with His holy will, to detach me from the vices of this world, and to place me in a place of penitence for my sins. Having faithfully observed this discipline daily, as described, Our Lord God has continually inspired in me the desire to enter the College of St Paul. Yet my defects are so grave that I take no pleasure in the things of this world—neither money nor mirth—nor do I even recall them, so wholly am I fixed upon attaining the grace of Your Reverence: to lift up my sins before you, to follow you even unto death, bearing your alms-bags upon my back, and to die with you, stretched upon the gridiron, as judged by God.
When I contemplate this calling, I feel myself a man of such stature that the whole world seems mine; yet, when I reflect upon my unworthiness, I fear I shall not be received into the College of St Paul. Therefore, I beg Your Reverence most earnestly to write a letter to the Right Reverend Superior of the College, requesting that I be admitted and accepted as a novice (fruo) of the Holy Faith; and likewise to compose a formal letter of recommendation addressed to myself, to be presented to the College authorities.
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If Your Reverence should approve this petition, you will do so. A report on the matters herein set forth follows.
I shall remain at the College for one year and a day hence, unless compelled to depart. Your Reverence may direct me whithersoever you deem fit.
I am thirty-five years of age, unmarried, and have neither caused the death of any man nor am I related by blood to any such person (i.e., I bear no stain of homicide or kinship to homicide). I possess one thousand *pardaus*—this sum constitutes the entirety of my landed estate (*fazenda*) and military stipend (*soldo*) as recorded in the official register (*matrícula*). I undertake to carry out all that Your Reverence shall command. My will is already bequeathed to the College. May Your Reverence determine what is consonant with divine law and the spiritual good (*fruio de Ds.*) that is incumbent upon me.
I arrived from Portugal seven years ago. I am proficient in several languages: Arabic (to a high degree of fluency), Konkani (*Canarim*), Gujarati (*Guzarate*), and a considerable portion of Malayalam (*Malabar*). I am also well versed in theology (*Sisto muy bem*). Should no other role be assigned me, I shall at least serve as companion to those deemed suitable (*aptos*).
When Your Reverence writes in your native tongue—as you journey through the world—I shall respond accordingly; and I affirm all the foregoing under the grace of the Holy Spirit, who will assist me herein. Likewise, the holy writings and spiritual exercises of the Fathers shall aid me.
Humbly insinuated,
Your obedient servant,
J. Anzato
I entreat Your Reverence, on behalf of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary, to intercede for me in this pilgrimage (*romaria*) which I so earnestly desire—and which, beyond the great labours incumbent upon Him in cleansing our souls and granting us the beatific vision (*fruição de Ds.*), He has likewise kindled as a means of remedy and salvation for my own soul, and of deliverance from mortal sin.
I further beg Your Reverence to write to the Reverend Father Master (*R. P. M.*) of the College, requesting that he receive me as a *fruo* (i.e., a lay associate or affiliated penitent) of the Holy Faith—and that he deem me fit for whatever service may be required, even to the extent of sweeping the College’s premises or running errands for the Fathers. Moreover, please ask him to dispatch a written instruction outlining what further steps I must take, so that my temporal affairs may be duly settled (*ajustar minha fazenda*) and I may extricate myself from this infernal state (*arancarme deste inferno*).
In all else, I commend myself most humbly to your prayers.
Composed in Margão (*Marçal*), on the seventh day of September, 1580.
[Signatures]
Your obedient *fruo*,
J. Anzato