friar who was with me the night before in the presence of Prester John,
came with a rich tent, already half worn, saying that the Prester sent
it for us to say mass, and that it should be pitched at once, because
the next day was the great feast of the archangel Raphael, and that we
should say mass on this feast, and likewise every day, and pray to God
for him. This tent was of brocade and Mekkah velvet, lined inside with
fine stuffs of Chaul; so that the tent would have been a splendid one
if it had been new, and it was still good. They said that four years
ago the Prester had taken it in the camp of the King of Adel, who is
the Moorish King, lord of Zeila and Barbara; and so the Prester sent to
say that we should bless the tent before saying mass in it, lest there
should have been any sin of Moors in it. It was at once pitched that
night, and in the morning we said mass in it; there came to it as many
Franks as had been at the court these forty years, and also some men of
the country.
CAP. LXXIX.--_How the Prester sent to call the ambassador, and
of the questions he put to him, and how he sent to beg for the
swords which he had, and some pantaloons, and how they were
sent._
On Thursday, the 8th day of November, Prester John sent to call us,
and we went at once. The ambassador decided on ordering the chests and
loads of pepper to be sent which he had already promised him. When
we arrived at the entrance of the first enclosure, they detained us
with cold inquiries, and all about the negroes who were prisoners
on account of the robbery done to the ambassador: and such was the
discussion and inquiry that they bade us let go the negroes without
any conclusion or remedy for the theft: and finally he ordered three
hundred loaves, and thirty jars of wine, and certain dishes of meat
from his table to be given us, and so we returned to our tent. They
sent another time to call us, and after we had gone, we were a long
time engaged with questions, among which was whether the ambassador
came by order of the King of Portugal, or of his captain-major, and
whether, when the captain-major had come to Masuwa, he had killed all
the Moors, or whether any of them had already returned there: and
why we did not travel from the sea to Damute, which was nearer; and,
why, if we were servants of the King, we did not wear crosses on our
shoulder, that is on the skin, for it is the custom of all the servants
of the Prester to have a cross on the right shoulder, both the great
lords and small people: and after that, that we should give him the
pepper which we had for our provisions for the road. The ambassador
replied that we should eat much gold and silver and stuffs, all of
which we had brought from the King of Portugal; and so he replied to
each of the questions as was fitting; and, moreover, he requested him
to give him leave and dismissal for our journey. Upon this there came
a reply, that we were not to fear, that we should soon have leave to
depart. The ambassador answered: What fear could we have, being in the
presence of his highness and in his court, kingdoms and lordships, and
all of us Christians. With this we were sent to our lodging.
On the Friday next following Prester John sent the swords which he
had got. The ambassador sent to tell him that if they seemed good to
him he should take them, and the ambassador would take it as a favour
that he should make use of them. An answer was sent that if he took
them, the King of Portugal would say that he took from his people
the swords which they stood in need of. Again the ambassador sent to
tell him to be pleased to take them, and that they had many in the
fortresses in India belonging to the King, and in his factories, and
that the King would be glad that His Highness should use the arms of
his vassals. While this message was going, they came on the part of
Prester John to beg for some pantaloons, and the ambassador sent him
some of his own and others of Lopo da Gama, and sent him word that the
pantaloons and clothes and swords, and other pieces which he had seen,
and knew were in the possession of the ambassador and his companions,
were all at his service, and he would do him a favour in sending for
all that seemed good to him, because if he made use of his things the
captain-major and King of Portugal would give the ambassador and his
companions recompenses for this. This day he made many inquiries which
were replied to, which are not written to avoid prolixity.
CAP. LXXX.--_How Prester John sent certain horses to the
ambassador for them to skirmish, and how they did it, and of a
chalice which the Prester sent him, and of questions which were
put, and of the robbery in the tent._
On Tuesday, the 12th[162] of November, Prester John sent five very big
and beautiful horses to our tent, desiring the ambassador to ride with
four others on those horses, and come and skirmish before his tent.
It was already nightfall, and the ambassador, as it seemed, was not
much pleased, because it was not after his fashion; and our people
clung together, because at one time they said do this, and at another
do that: and having finished we went to our tent, and the Prester
sent us three jars of wine. On the next day the Prester sent to the
ambassador a chalice of silver gilt, strong and well made after our
fashion, both the foot and the vase. On the foot it had the twelve
Apostles, and round the vase an inscription in well-made Latin letters
which said: _Hic est calix novi testamenti_: and a message to say
he sent it for us to drink to him. This chalice had not got a patena,
nor did they understand the inscription; and the fashion of the chalice
was not like theirs, because their chalices are of very wide cups,
little less than a porringer, of considerable depth, and they take the
sacrament from it with a spoon. This day the Prester sent to ask many
questions, and to say many things, among which was, How long was it
since we had taken Zeila; that he wished to go there by land, and that
his people would meet with and see the people of the King of Portugal,
but that we should know that for two days’ journey there was no water,
and what remedy was there for this. To this we answered that we had
come from Portugal five or six months without taking water, because
there was nowhere to get it, and that notwithstanding this it came in
abundance, and so it could be carried for these two days on camels, as
there were many in the country. On the following day, which was the
14th of the said month, the Prester sent two pieces of little value,
namely, a small reading-desk of gilt wood for the altar of our church,
and a pitcher made of wood for washing our hands or pouring water on
them. This day he sent to tell us to send him the names of all of us
in writing, and they were taken at once. He again sent to ask what
was the meaning of Rodrigo, and what Lima meant, and so on of all the
other names and surnames; we explained it all to him in writing. When
it was near dawn of the next day another robbery was committed in the
tent of the ambassador like the former one. While he was lying in the
tent, six or seven men took from Jorge d’Abreu’s pillow a cloak which
had cost him forty cruzados, and besides two bales of cotton stuffs of
our property: and no measures were taken as to this. They say that it
is true that there is here a captain of thieves, and that this man has
the charge of pitching the tents of Prester John, and that he and his
men do not receive anything for their labour, except what they steal.
This day Prester John sent a saddle all worked with blood-stones.[163]
This, besides, being very heavy, was very badly made, and already used:
he said he gave it for riding upon: then there came a question asking
what thing of this country the King of Portugal would be most pleased
with, if he would be pleased with eunuchs, or with something else. The
ambassador sent to say that Kings and great lords esteemed more the
things which other Kings sent them, than the value of them.
CAP. LXXXI.--_How the Prester sent to show a horse to the
ambassador, and how he ordered the great men of his Court to
come and hear our mass, and how the Prester sent to call me, and
what he asked me._
In the morning of the following day, which was the 15th of the said
month, Prester John sent a caparisoned horse to show the ambassador:
the caparison was of plates, and he asked whether there were such arms
in Portugal. An answer was sent him that the King of Portugal had sent
to him by Duarte Galvan, an infinite number of arms, amongst which were
caparisons for horses all of steel, and these were in India, and that
the King would send him as many as he pleased.
The next Saturday following Prester John ordered the lords and grandees
of his Court to come and hear our mass, and likewise on the following
Sunday, when there were many more than on the Saturday, who were
present at the mass and baptism which we performed: and according to
what appeared to us from their demeanour, and what was told us by the
Franks that we found in the country, and also the interpreters who
attended us, they were astonished and very much praised our services,
saying that they found fault with one thing only, that was that we did
not give the Communion to all that were at mass, and also to those that
we baptised. They had their answer, which was that we did not give the
Communion except on certain festivals in the year, and to those who
had confessed their sins; and those who had been baptized, although at
that moment they were pure, were ignorant,[164] and did not understand
with what reverence and veneration they ought to receive the body of
the Lord; and those who received this Sacrament had to be of full age,
and that their ignorance did not suffice. They replied that this was a
good reason, but that their usage was that as many priests and deacons,
and also other lay people as were in the church, all were communicants,
also every child that they baptize, whether big or small, at once
receives the Communion. And since those who said this were great lords,
and church people, I answered them that their custom did not seem to
me good, because among the many who were at church at mass there might
be mortal sins in one or in some of them, and that our Lord Jesus
Christ[165] said that whoever received His body unworthily received
the condemnation of his soul: and as to the newly baptized, our Lord
Himself said that he who believed and was baptized shall be saved,
and he who does not believe shall be condemned; so the ignorant, and
those who were not brought up or indoctrinated in the faith, would have
little belief, and those of tender age, their ignorance would suffice
for them. On that account it seemed to me bad to give the Communion to
such, so long as they were not brought up in, nor indoctrinated in the
faith, nor had the age and capacity for holding and believing so deep
a mystery. All those who were there present praised this, and said that
the Prester would rejoice to hear it.
On Monday, the 18th of the said month, the Prester sent to call me to
ask many questions, and I answered him as God assisted me, to some of
them, I do not know, and to some of them, it is thus. The first was,
How many prophets prophesied the coming of Christ? I answered him that
in my judgment all spoke of it, that is of His coming, and some of the
Incarnation, others of the Life, others of the Passion and Death, and
others of the Resurrection, so that all redounds of Christ. He bade
them ask me how many prophets there were? I replied that I did not
know. Upon this came the question: How many books each prophet had
made? I replied that it seemed to me each prophet had made one book in
chapters, because we did not read book the first, second, or third, of
Jeremiah nor of Daniel, nor of the other prophets, but so many hundred
verses of each book. They asked me how many books St. Paul wrote? I
said that he wrote after the manner of the prophets, and it appeared
to me to be one book only, and that he made it in chapters, because
he wrote to many parts, as to the Romans, and to those of Corinth,
those of Ephesus, to the Hebrews, and to other nations, and that he
would capitulate it all in one book. They asked me how many books the
Evangelists made? I answered them likewise, and that I had never read
more than one beginning to the book of each Evangelist, and that it
did not say book the first or second, and that there could not be more
than one book in chapters, except St. John who wrote the Apocalipsis;
this would make two books. Then there came another question asking me
to say all the books of the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists of
the Old and New Testaments, how many books were there in all? I had
already heard that among all there would be eighty-one books, and for
what I had heard, I answered that there were eighty-one, but that with
regard to this answer and the other answers, I did not affirm anything
positively, because for six years I had been navigating, and I had not
books with me, and the memory would break down. The answer came that I
had a good memory, and that my replies were the truth, although I had
given them as opinions.
CAP. LXXXII.--_How the Ambassador was summoned, and how he
presented the letters which he had brought to Prester John, and
of his age and state_.
On Tuesday we were all summoned, that is to say, the ambassador and
those who were with him; we went and remained before the first gate
or entrance a good three hours, it was very cold and quite night. We
entered through the enclosures as before on two occasions that we
entered them. There were many more people assembled than on any of the
other times, and many with arms, and more lighted candles before the
doors; and they did not detain us there long, but soon bade us enter
with the ambassador, nine Portuguese, beyond the curtains. Beyond these
curtains we found others of still richer texture, and they bade us pass
these also. Having passed these last we found a large and rich dais
of very splendid carpets. In front of this dais were other curtains
of much greater splendour, and whilst we were stopping before them
they opened them in two parts, for they were drawn together, and there
we saw Prester John sitting on a platform of six steps very richly
adorned. He had on his head a high crown of gold and silver, that is
to say, one piece of gold and another of silver placed vertically, and
a silver cross in his hand; there was a piece of blue tafetan before
his face which covered his mouth and beard, and from time to time
they lowered it and the whole of his face appeared, and again they
raised it. At his right hand he had a page with a flat silver cross in
his hand, with figures pierced in it with a graving tool: from where
we stood it was not possible to make out these figures on the cross,
but I saw it later, and saw the figures. The Prester was dressed in
a rich robe of brocade, and silk shirt of wide sleeves which looked
like a pelisse. From his knees downwards he had a rich cloth well
spread out like a bishop’s apron, and he was sitting as they paint
God the Father on the wall. Besides the page with the cross, there
stood on each side of him another, each with a drawn sword in his
hand. In age, complexion, and stature, he is a young man, not very
dark. His complexion might be chestnut or bay,[166] not very dark in
colour, he is an elegant man of middling stature, they said that he
was twenty-three years of age, and he looks like that, his face is
round, the eyes large, the nose high in the middle, and his beard is
beginning to grow. In his presence and state he fully looks like the
great lord that he is. We were about the space of two lances distant
from him. Messages came and went all through the Cabeata. On each side
of the platform were four pages richly dressed, each with lighted
candles in their hands. When the questions and answers were ended, the
ambassador gave to the Cabeata the letters and instructions of the
captain-major put into their language and characters; and he gave them
to the Prester, who read them very speedily, and said as he read them:
If these letters are from the captain-major, how do they speak for the
King of Portugal? The ambassador gave him for answer: How could the
captain-major write without speaking for the King his sovereign, whose
captain-major he was in the Indies. Here the questions ceased, and he
again said, that, besides giving many thanks to God for this favour
which had been granted to him in seeing those whom his predecessors
had not seen, neither he had imagined that he should see, his wishes
were that he should rejoice if the King of Portugal would order forts
to be built in Masua and Suaquem, because he was afraid that the Turks
our adversaries would make themselves strong in the said places; for
if such should be the case they would rout him, and us Portuguese,
and that for those said places he would give all the stores and men
and provisions that might be necessary: but it appeared to him that
it would be better to take Zeila, because it was better supplied with
provisions, and by taking that city everything would be secure, because
supplies went thence to Aden, and to Jiddah and Mekkah and all Arabia,
as far as Tor and Cairo. There was a reply to this, saying that there
was no obstacle[167] to taking Zeila nor all the other towns, because
where the power of the King of Portugal reached, the towns became
unpeopled, and they did not wait even for the shadow of the ships; and
also that Zeila was outside of the strait, and Masua and Suaquem were
within the strait; and when a fortress was constructed in each of these
towns, from thence they might conquer Jiddah and Mekkah, and all the
other places as far as Cairo, and the navigation would be defended from
the Rumys and Turks who are in Zebid. This seemed good to the Prester,
and he again said that he would give the provisions and all that was
necessary for this expenditure and fleet. The ambassador said that His
Highness should name where and through whom they should have these
provisions. The Prester replied that he would give orders to those who
were to provide them, and should afterwards remain as captain in the
fortress wherever it was built. The ambassador said that a fortress
could not remain without a captain, and that if His Highness thought it
would be for his service, that he would ask the captain-major to leave
him here to be captain. And so we took leave with good words, and we
went away contented, and chiefly with the sight of him.
CAP. LXXXIII.--_How I was summoned, and of the questions which
they put to me respecting the lives of St. Jerome, St. Dominick,
and St. Francis._