| Ao
qual chamaram brasil por ser vermelho & ter semelhança de brasa,
& daqui ficou terra com este nome Brasil. Mas pera que nesta parte
magoemos ao Demonio, que tan to trabalhou & trabalha por extinguir
a memoria da Sancta Cruz, & desterrala dos coracóes dos homés
(me diante a qual fomos redemidos & liurados do poder de sua tyrannia)
tornemoslhe a restituir seu nome, & chamemoslhe prouincia de Sancta
Cruz como em principio (que assi o amoesta tambem aquelle illustre &
famolo escritor João de Barros na sua primeira Década, tratando
deste mesmo descobrimento). Porque na ver dade mais he destimar & milhor
soa nos ouuidos da gé te Cristão o nome de hum pao em que
se obrou o my fterio de nossa redempcam, que o doutro que nam ser ue de
mais que de tingir panos ou cousas semelhantes.
We call it brazil because the wood is red and resembles hot coals, and thus got the name of Brazil. But in order that in this respect we may vex the Devil who has laboured so hard and is still labouring to efface the memory of the Holy Cross and to exile it from the hearts of men (the Cross by means of which we were redeemed and delivered from the power of his tyranny), let us restore the name and call it "Province of Santa Cruz," as in the beginning. (That illustrious and famous writer, João de Barros, in his First Decade, dealing with this discovery, shows that it was first so called). For in truth it is more estimable, and sounds better to our ears as Christian folk, to hear the name of the rood upon which the mystery of our Redemption took place, than of the tree which serves for no other uses than the dyeing of cloth, or similar purposes. |
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| Pero
de Magalhães
The
Histories of Brazil
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