_ 187 _ Many people have become Christians and do so every day. Among these, I baptized the niece of the Sharif of Mecca, King of Arabia and relative of Mohammed, who was married to an important Persian noble, the ambassador of Shah Tahmasp. This gentleman appealed for justice to the Emperor of Persia, claiming that we had forcibly abducted his wife to make her a Christian. You will find a more detailed account in the copy of the letter attached to this one, which Enrique de Macedo, who was sent to the court of Shah Tahmasp in the name of Our Lord, the King, wrote to me. When he examined the complaint of this women’s husband, he became enraged and arrested Enrique de Macedo. He ordered the latter to write to the captain, Don Alvaro, to return the woman, who was already a Christian, to him so as to make her a Moor again. If we did not do so, he would immediately wage war through his captains. As a result of this, we all met in council. I asserted, nolite dare sanctum carnibus nec tradetis bestiis animas confitentium Deo(A). [Do not give what is holy to dogs nor surrender to beasts’ souls dedicated to God]. And so, it was decided that she should not be handed over under any circumstances. (A) C.f. Mathew 7,6 and Psalms 73, 19.
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