_ 214 _ drum so that the mere sound of a drum would scare away his people’s enemies, when they came out to fight. So stands the statue of the great Afonso de Albuquerque to instil in men the same courage which his presence inspired when he was alive. His nephew placed it in a niche with its back at the back of the main chapel of the Cathedral (which made up one side wall of the fortress), opposite the main door. Matias de Albuquerque inscribed his uncle’s greatest achievements, and wrote that Afonso “welcomes you” to the Church, whether the King for love of the lord of men, or the men through love of the King [sic]. It was wonderful to see the crowd of people who came to view this statue from near and far: it was truly a great occasion which roused people to come from Arabia, Persia and Baghdad which the ancients called Babylon just to feast their eyes on the image of him whose great achievements amazed them. Matias de Albuquerque had two aims: one to honour his uncle with this act in his memory, the other to celebrate his good fortune in the writing his own words. He made his own reasons, seeing the changes wrought since the time of his uncle and decided that he was driven by love for the King and for men. Hatred of both had preceded because the misery of the world can never be known and when good
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