2270. Robert Southey to [William Wilberforce], 19 June 1813 ⁠* 

Keswick. June 19. 1813.

Sir

Your letter of May 28^th lay at the booksellers till it could be inclosed in a parcel, & has only this day reached me. [1] 

The fact [2]  respecting Alboquerque [3]  is related by his son Bras d’Alboquerque [4] . in his Commentaries. Part 2. Chap^t. 20. P 116 of the last edition (1774). [5]  After stating that it was the custom to make a widow burn herself, or in case of her refusal, condemn her to prostitute herself for the advantage of the pagoda of which she was a parishioner, as he calls it, he adds “e como Afonso Dalboquerque tomou o Reyno de Goa, naõ consentio que dali por diante se queimasse mais nenhuma mulher; e posto que mudar costume seja parelha de morte, todavia ellas folgaram com a vida, e diziam grandes bens delle, por lhes mandar que se naõ queimassem.” – when Af. D’Alboquerque took the kingdom of Goa he would not permit that any woman from thenceforward should burn herself; and altho to change their customs is equal to death, nevertheless they rejoiced in life, & said great good of it him, because he commanded that they should not burn themselves.” This is as nearly as may be a literal translation. I may add in proof of the veneration in which this great man was held by the natives, that long after his death when a Moor or Hindoo had received xxx wrong, & could obtain no redress from the Governor the aggrieved person would go to Goa, to Alboquerques tomb & make an offering of oil for the lamp which burned before it, & call upon him for justice.

Having been for many years employed upon the history of Portugal, [6]  its conquests & colonies, the knowledge which I had thus gained of the history of Hindostan enabled <me> to see that there was as much ignorance as irreligion in the arguments of the opponents of the Missionaries. When Joam de Barros [7]  <wrote> (a man who for the extent of his researches is worthy to be ranked with Herodotus [8] ) a fourth part of the population of Malabar consisted of native Moors; & the reason which he assigns for their rapid increase, is, that they had obtained privileges from the King & put themselves upon a level with the high casts, – “for which cause many of the natives became xxxxxx <embraced their faith.>“ He says in another place that the natives esteemed it a great honour when the Moors took their daughters to wife. [9] 

Without dreaming that the British empire in Asia can be permanent I earnestly wish, for the sake of Asia, that it may be preserved as long as possible & that it may leave as much <as> possible behind it; – that our faith, & language, & social institutions may survive us, it is our duty to use every allowable means for weaning the natives from their own false-religion, because that system xxxxxx is equally injurious to their morals & their temporal happiness, – it oppresses with them with burthensome & bloody ceremonies, making one portion of the community wicked & the other miserable. Xx xxxxxxxxx xx xxxx xxxxx which xxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxx religion xxxx I express myself here in terms which no man can contradict, let his opinions concerning Christianity be what they may; – for in fact all arguments against attempting to spread the Gospel have their root in unbelief, or in indifference. It is our interest, because every native Christian has a common interest with the British Government, & xx becomes a faithful subject to it, & xxxx xx Native Churches therefore are the strongest forts which we can erect.

The foundation <work> has been laid <begun> at Serampore. Carey is our Xavier, & his work will last longer than that of this <the> great Jesuit, because it is built upon a surer foundation. [10]  But tho without Missionaries Government could do nothing, I fear that our Missionaries without Government cannot do much; for while the English in India pay no regard to their own religion, the natives will necessarily despise it. A Church Establishment is the first thing needful, – schools the second in which we should take as much pains for teaching xxxxxxx <communicating> our own language – as are (most properly) bestowed in acquiring those of the country. Lastly the converts, wherever it is possible, should be employed both by the State & by individuals, in preference to other persons. It matters little in a political view for what motives the father may be baptized; – tho it be for the grossest self-interest, your work is done if you get his children to school & to church.

Hasty as this letter is I must not conclude without saying how much it gratifies me to know that Mr Wilberforce has been pleased with any thing which I may have written. – Hitherto I have had much to learn, – much also to unlearn, & xxxx greatly xxxxx xxx deficit as a man xxxx can & at this moment my deficiencies appear far greater to me than they can possibly do to my worst enemies, – for they can only compare me with themselves, while I measure the thing I am by the standard of that which I ought to be. Should it please God to continue to me the blessings & faculties which I now enjoy, I have great plans to execute, & good hope that I shall leave behind me works which may be useful to posterity, & worthy of remembrance. But the work is xxxxxx long & the day is shortening before me. I have a deep & ever-present sense of the uncertainty <of> life, & that feeling becomes almost painful when I consider what there is yet for me to do.

It is my pride to reckon among my friends, two of the greatest benefactors of the human race, – Clarkson & Dr Bell. Henceforth I shall count it among the honours which have fallen to my lot that I may of addressing Mr Wilberforce, & subscribing myself

with the greatest esteem & respect

his faithful servant

Robert Southey.