Page:History of Bengali Literature in the Nineteenth Century.djvu/100

 76 BENGALI LITERATURE Besides these two original works, a third is also said to be associated with the name of Manoel. The existence of this book was first made known by Father Thirso Lopes of Valladolid, Spain, in his note contributed to Father Hosten’s paper in the Benga/ 217 Past and Present (vol. ix. pt. i, p. 41). Tho note runs thus: “A Catechism of the Christian Doctrine in the form of a dialogue. It was printed in 8vo. at Lisbon in 1743 by Francisco da Silva. The contents are: A discussion about the Law between a Christian Catholic Roman, anda Bramene or Master of the Gentoos. It shows in the Bengalla tongue the falsity of the Gentoo sect and the infallible truth of our holy Roman Catholic faith, in which alone is the way of salvation and the knowledge of God’s true Law. Composed by the son of the King of Busna, Don Antonio, ' that great Christian Catechist, who converted so many Gentoos, it was translated into Portuguese by Father Frey Manoel da Assumpc¢ad, a native of the city of Evora, and a member of the Indian Congregation of the Hermits of St. Augustine, actually Rector of the Bengalla Mission, his object being to facilitate to the Missionaries their dis- cussions in the said tongue with the Bramenes and Gentoos. It is a dialogue between the Roman Catholie and the Gentoo Bramene. Written in two columns, Bengala and Portuguese.” 1 Hosten, in the Bengal Past and Present, loc. cit., gives an account of this semi-legendary figure from O Chronista de Tissuary, vol. ii. 1867, pp. 57-58. In the year 1663, ason of the King of Busna was taken prisoner by the Mogdés and led to Arracadé, when one of the Fathers, Manoel do Rozario, ransomed himand converted him to Roman Catholic Christianity. After his conversion, he was called Don Antonio de Rozario, after St. Anthony who is said to have appeared to him in a dream.