to pay due attention to these-advantages; and-Ceylon, instead
of-being made tHe centte" and guardian ó f if® Phttu^nese $pS$f
sessions!in' India/ficontinued to ’be' cultivated by • them 'chiefly
orb account of its ?®wn hatufalipioó
The manner’ indwhidh t t® ’hPo0tógnèSfeiE»n(fcëted>the 'gövërj^
in en t: óf Ceylon f U)oked ! ?as if it ■ ihad-:beete thtefemtentiori;1 tó
pounteract, as mU'ch‘Iasolay in-th eb ip ower/th et advantages tepn-1
fgtrecbon maintaining a fedÖIÈylliid
fercaurse » with the hativ&s/darid indüiaftö 1 thehXMf&assist - imprb»
moting the cultivation of th e island; every species of insult and
barbarity- was practised towards 'thena, Not only was i any little
wealth they- possessed/seized by the 'rapacious' grasp óf' avarice:
their manners and customs were trampled upon; and their religious
opinions,> which they could still less? give upy-*: were not
only imutted,;bntj eveffl-petsefcutèd with tHetnaoshtfranton’r(^taéliyt
Thé religious Bigotry of the Portuguese : éètnpïèfeelyo trim^HM
Over - their malintbrests ; and to This Cause fin
ascribed the universal hatred entertained against them, and the
eagerness:with which’ the native inhabitants of their conquered
countries' -received and assistèd their rivals.?
As nothing can ber moiré; contrary ho the; spintëèfibhe ’(BhfiMiÈta
td ig io n ,/th a n 'th e aftempt: to impose; it lön mankind
so’ this method has been uniformly'/UmMeessfub , s -The ;(3iiagl,ese
looked with horror on strange gods,' ? who seemed to- delight in
blood ; and chose rather to leave'the sea-coasts to their enemies,
and find refuge for- themselves and- their grotesque idols in the
mountains' -of the interior. The Portuguese government was,
however, still weak enough to yield to the arguments of the
priests, who maintained that imposing the' Christian religion by
means of the inquisition was the only sure method of securing
tlxeif dominion. These tyrannical invaders therefore pursuedj
the Cinglese to their forests and fastnesses; .and th e i latter/ ; inf
their turn, made frequent incursions on the sea-coasts; a and)
©fgefri 'destroyed' flh& Mbhest plantations oft the Portugiiesea^ ^Thisi
desultory 1 Warfare coi|t&ftuediMf®r almost; a dfentuiy with mn®hl
broods'beU^Mjdi no reUl-Ud^Unta^dfepeitlter party. The.internal:
gd^dlnnfent'©fs’^the snafexe^at that^ftaei?. indeed;. enabled thei
Bortugfie^e^-tb' -aclqllifeKconsidex’"ableggnces&ifons- of -territory- Thei
Jtfrisdidti'o’f# of the interior «jwass parcelled -.out. amojig^a j variety
of^petty|:ptifipe8,;:e'^pdfif.wnoms wfe thej|Sovhreign of? hisv particu-o
ftribett;tfr..sepa^ate^v^lte4a(li^fft wa§> tb^''ppbp®p& the Portu^
aijiimosities -befe>fe^Hi*th^s%t princes, and -"to
p$e,f<Kp¥fhHiiM making;.,a :cpmfeon;'^useafqr- -the* dehverajrccei. o f
fSe^f ieottfitry. d uwheri' any open qafS^rrel j-fekbkp i®nt.-befcwqgoi
IhhHslUndel'sl tMpir European - neighbours ; were jeuer kreadyr lot
lend- theife; aSSistknce-^O «neither ;of- the* parties.iwha/gdesiredj it.,
That'vprih©e ^hopbl-idifed . their- ailiati^, was- of mouEsprhuefcessl-i;
fSeydihd' always^tte-pfudeiice to. i^ehthei^/℘ gdaftd
rosity re'watdfed-, -by taking1*' possession of the territories; jiff ,^fcLet
vanquished prince. By. these arts they gradually extended their/
dbnte&bh#‘farther* int<pthe.f interior'-Q'f the island'; and Iwhesbfbr
they1 beG&me ’ filhsters, their? avaricte* and bigotiy pi omptgdt them!
to:-perpefihte rilbfi' crdbltaes, t-lib!
naihe of ^European hateful tb the ears-of Cinglese. im
fruitless Struggles 1 against - the? regular discipline and concerted -
plans of the Portuguese, a powerful' assistance was,goffered ;thrin,r.
# iid h sp^ondsed-to* pn|i;ch bspeCdylend to their;icmiste^eBio - WjSf
sooner had the Dutch succeeded . in throwing- off * the ( Spdhish?
yoke** tllfin? their ‘bbmmetfbial and* enteiprisibg \spirit? led them
! I D 7 '