_ 213 _ Most Holy Father may God multiply from day to day His magnificence over the Holy faith and Your Holiness’ splendour, in exaltation of the Christian religion. He looks down from Heaven in His immense love, He visits and perfects His vineyard, which His glad right hand has deemed worthy to be planted by us in the East, bestowing upon us one possession after another; His repeated abundance we have frequently declared, as Your Holiness and all the faithful have frequently heard. Holy Father, our fleet has just returned from India and other Eastern lands, laden with merchandise, that fleet which, as we have already informed you, was in the year it was sent driven hither and thither by contrary winds and was unable to reach India. Yet divine mercy so governed its, laborious navigation that even its errors were in the end not devoid of success. Just so does merciful God not often grant what we seek, in order that He may grant better things thus perhaps having greater regard for our efforts, so that, as we hope, our assault on the Saracens in the Arabian and Persian Gulfs may be easier. For although from the beginning of the voyage the commander of our fleet was impeded [by the winds], he invaded, stormed and burned several rich Saracen towns in that part of Ethiopia which lies next to the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy