_ 216 _ honour the memory of those who had given such lustre to their heirs. This was also one of Matias de Albuquerque’s fortunate moves, because thus he paid homage to the dead, encouraged those who were alive and pledged to future generations, who, on looking at his portrait, amongst the others, thanked him in the sight of all of them. Chapter: 14 Of the great zeal of Matias de Albuquerque in matters of religion, with the remarkable story of the conversion of Bifatima if Matias de Albuquerque put great effort into the repair of the fortresses, greater by far was his effort in matters of faith, religion and Christian piety. He was always most zealous in these matters, as much in ceremonies as in his habits and way of life. The King, Dom Sebastiao, in the letter to which we referred at the beginning, had long before attributed his success in war to these qualities. In addition to his natural bent and his prudent attention to duty, he also possessed another quality, that of always giving thanks for the benefits he enjoyed. Aristotle regards this as a powerful factor in making the fortunate and wealthy pious for the most part. This is the main reason why wealth and prosperity can be advantages, while poverty, as the opposite, is less sought after, for good is returned for good, and evil for evil, except where Divine Grace makes a soul rich in its disregard for such things.
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