ABSTRACT
In spite of all the abuse which has been heaped upon him, it is clear that Minas was a brave man and a good soldier. During the years of his captivity the iron must have entered deeply into his soul, and his sufferings no doubt added to his hot and violent temper. He worked hard for his country, but his frugality and temperance did not endear him to the rank and fite of his soldiers. The priests declared that he had turned Muslim when a prisoner, and that this was the cause of his violent outbursts of temper, and his ferocious disposition. But in truth he was no lover of Islam, and whenever possible he fought against it with his sword; he hated the Romish Faith because the Portuguese who professed it had joined themselves to rebels and the enemies of his country. According to Bruce (Travels, 11. p. 398) a letter to Minas from Pope Paul III is extant in which His Holiness calls him “ beloved son in Christ,” and “ the most holy of priests.”
