Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-03-16
O.ID'G0A2 THEFGOIDEN
ITS SITE IS NOW ONLY, A VAST AND
GRASSY TOMB.


In India n magnificent wilderness.
It's Masterpiece of Art the Tomb of
ST. francis Xavier.
1t was said that during the prosper
Gus times Of the Portuguese in India
you could not have seen piece of iron
in any merchants house, but all gold
and silver. They coined immense guam
titles OF thu precious metals and used
TO make pieces of workmanship in
them for expectation The very sol
diers enriched themselves by COM
merce.
But then at last came the inquisition,
which celebrated its terrible and deadly
rites with more fcrvor and yehemence
at Goa than in any other place Reli-
| gious persecution, pestilcnce and wars
with the Dutch disturbances arising
from an unsettled government and,
| above all. the slow hut sure workings
| Of the shortsishted police OF the Portu-
| guese in ,intermarrylng aud identifying
themselves with the Ilindoos OF tho
| lowest caste, made her fall as rapid as
| her rise was sudden and prodigious.
| In less than q century and a half aft.
ersDa Cana had landed ON the Indian
| shore the spieDdor OF Goa had departed
forever The inhabitants fed before
the deadly fever which soon fastened
upon the devoted precincts of the city,
and In 1853 the viceroy transferred his
Saadquarters from the ancient capital
to PariiDa, about eight miles distant
Soon afterward the religious orders
were expelled, leaving their magnih-
cent converts and churches all but ut.
terly deserted. and the inqujsitiou was
| suppressed sup0n the recommendation
ofsthe British government
The place is now grass grown will
deruess. But stju the firm and well
built causeways Of this olden city and
It's moldcring splendors arc reminiscent
Of echoiug pageants and the tramp Of
| armies which once sounded there As
we tread the ancient wharf, a long,
| broad road. lined with a double row Of
trees and faced with stone, Il more sug-
gestive scene Of desolatiou can hardly
be conceived. Everything around teens
" AL A44Nl0AtNAADAS tha1Af hl'fA- SAAS H-AE
Fustlings Of the trees and murmur OF
the waves sound like & dirge for the de-
parted graz 'eur Of n city.
Towering bovc "a mass Of ruins
solitary gateway TANKS the entrance
to the Strada Diretta, the Straight
street so called because almost all the
streets in old Goa are In ont in cur
vilinear farm. It was through this
portal surmounted by the figures Of
st. Catherine aud Nasco da CANA that
the newly appointed viceroys Of Goa
passed in triumphal procession to the
palace.
Beyond the gate a level road, once q
populous thoroCghfare, leads TO the
Terra di Sabalo a large square 'front.'
ing the Primacial, or Cathedral Of st.
Catherine. who became the patron
saint Of Goa when the place was cap
tured by Albuquerque on the day Of
her festival Groves Of c0coanat palms
and mango topcs now incumber the
ground once covered by troops Of horse
The wealth. the busy life and the lux
ury Of the old place are dead. Kites
and cobras infest the erumbllnE halls
which once res0uuded with the ban
quet and the dance. and naught but a
few old monks and nuns Seaps vigil
amid its desolatiou today.
But Goa possesses enc tcea ure OF
great interest. This is tie tomb OF
Francis Xavier, the treat Jesuit mis-
sionary TO the east. It is TO be found in
the Church of BoU Jesus 1t is a mas
terpiece OF art which is lost to all but
the casual Visitors TO old Goa. Some
have yeErurea to suggest that no other
mausCleum IN india or even In Asia ex.
eept the Tai AIEhGl can equal it. 1t IS
bull Of rich marble Of vdrlerated col
ors. The lowest stage is OF red and
purple Jasper and CarrTa alabaster
adorned with statuettes and cherubs
The middle stage is of green aud yellow
ia. per decorated with boauh u bronze
plates representing incidents in the life
Of the saint The highest OF the three
stages is surrounded by a lovely rail
ing Of red Jasper marked With white
spots. the ad0rnments being figures OF
angels. while ita middle portion is
gTaccd with columns elegantly carved.
whose iatcrp cuinS spaces are surmoHnt-
ed hy arches showing further incidents
In the life OF TIE saint. The friezes OF !
the four lateral columns are OF black
stone and the pllnths Of yellow jasper.
SurU ltiuE this last stage lies the
cOfb9 o,erlaid with silver. gorgeous /
receptacle enbellished with many ex-
quislte specimens Of relief work
Jumps Of silver depending around com
plete the udornmcnt Of the shrine. It
Is & worthy relic Of Goa's departed glo-
~.
The beE Of the Augustiniau convent
stil rings forth its yesper peal above
this cid city Of ghosts. and it is impos-
slbIe to forget the effect Of the deep,
mournful notes as they strike upon the
ear. Never was heard a more beautiful
or more sadly musical summons than
that which calls In vain from the tower
OF the AugusuaIaus TO the forsaken and |
solitary city
1t is all summed up iu the eloquent
apostrophe Of Sherer. "Gol the golden
exists M more; Goa, whore the aged
Da Cana y'csed his glorious life. Goa
where the immortal Camocns sang and
suffered { Is now but vast and
grassy tomb, AMI IL seems as II It's thin
End gloomy population of priests aud