_ 176 _ For the love of Christ I beseech Your Reverence to consider sending someone else to take my place (in Goa), and to give me permission to sacrifice myself with a companion of mine and spend the rest of my days in that land where, because of the obduracy of the people, there is so much worthy material for the many labours that will be performed there. Their whole lifestyle is extreme and in penitence they lack the highest inner form of divine grace. Oh, how many uncivilized nations there are bordering these same Kingdoms. In them are to be found one-eyed people, some with tails and other who communicate with hisses. As a rule, all eat raw neat with ox dung and live like animals.(A) The words of God will make a great impression on them. After losing hope of going to Japan and China, I have great faith in the Lord that He will work a lot in these parts, with Your Reverence considering that it is in God's interests and of benefit to our neighbour and to my salvation. The land is not disposed to accept Patriarch, because he ought still to be provided by Antioch. It may be that, with a Father and a Brother, the land can be prepared, so that in a short time they may agree to receive a Patriarch. (A) Barzeu shows himself excessively credulous in these matters.
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