It was
situated on the north coast, opposite the Mogors, with whom the
Portuguese carry on war. [60] It was very well built of stone, with
seven good monasteries of various orders; but its great strength
was not sufficient to defend it from the powerful hand of God, who
chose to raze it to the ground. To accomplish this, He employed all
four of the elements: the water, which fell in a great deluge from
the heavens; the air, which broke loose in the most horrible and
furious winds ever known; the earth, which trembled terribly; and
fire, which, wishing to serve its Creator in no uncertain manner,
shot out its tremendous bolts into the air and discharged them over
the miserable city. With such powerful enemies all the buildings
fell down--not one stone remaining upon another--except a chapel of
our Lady of Health [_Nuestra Senora de la Salud_], and part of the
convent of St. Francis, where some people took refuge. There were
lost, in the river more than sixty vessels loaded with provisions,
bound for Goa; and two others from Ormuz, one coming and the other
going. This destruction took place on the seventeenth of May, 1618. The
reason for it only God, with His unbounded wisdom, knows. All that we
here can understand is that the sins of the city provoked His wrath,
and that for two years past interdictions and censures upon it have
been continuous. Even the day before this disaster occurred, God took
from it (as He did another [?]) Father Rodrigo, of the Society, who
was one of His zealous servants, and transported him to another and
a better life.
Pages:
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198