Everyopinionisofforceenoughtocauseitselftobeespousedattheexpenseoflife。ThefirstarticleofthatvaliantoaththatGreecetookandobservedintheMedianwar，wasthateveryoneshouldsoonerexchangelifefordeath，thantheirownlawsforthoseofPersia。WhataworldofpeopledoweseeinthewarsbetwixttheTurksandtheGreeks，ratherembraceacrueldeaththanuncircumcisethemselvestoadmitofbaptism？
Anexampleofwhichnosortofreligionisincapable。
ThekingsofCastilehavingbanishedtheJewsoutoftheirdominions，John，KingofPortugal，inconsiderationofeightcrownsahead，soldthemaretreatintohisforacertainlimitedtime，uponconditionthatthetimefixedcomingtoexpiretheyshouldbegone，andhetofurnishthemwithshippingtotransportthemintoAfrica。Thedaycomes，whichoncelapsedtheyweregiventounderstandthatsuchaswereafterwardfoundinthekingdomshouldremainslaves;vesselswereveryslenderlyprovided;andthosewhoembarkedinthemwererudelyandvillainouslyusedbythepassengers，who，besidesotherindignities，keptthemcruisinguponthesea，onewhileforwardsandanotherbackwards，tilltheyhadspentalltheirprovisions，andwereconstrainedtobuyofthematsodeararateandsolongwithal，thattheysetthemnotonshoretilltheywereallstrippedtotheveryshirts。Thenewsofthisinhumanusagebeingbroughttothosewhoremainedbehind，thegreaterpartofthemresolveduponslaveryandsomemadeashowofchangingreligion。
Emmanuel，thesuccessorofJohn，beingcometothecrown，firstsetthematliberty，andafterwardsalteringhismind，orderedthemtodeparthiscountry，assigningthreeportsfortheirpassage。Hehoped，saysBishopOsorius，nocontemptibleLatinhistorianoftheselatertimes，thatthefavourofthelibertyhehadgiventhemhavingfailedofconvertingthemtoChristianity，yetthedifficultyofcommittingthemselvestothemercyofthemarinersandofabandoningacountrytheywerenowhabituatedtoandweregrownveryrichin，togoandexposethemselvesinstrangeandunknownregions，wouldcertainlydoit。Butfindinghimselfdeceivedinhisexpectation，andthattheywereallresolveduponthevoyage，hecutofftwoofthethreeportshehadpromisedthem，totheendthatthelengthandincommodityofthepassagemightreducesome，orthathemighthaveopportunity，bycrowdingthemallintooneplace，themoreconvenientlytoexecutewhathehaddesigned，whichwastoforceallthechildrenunderfourteenyearsofagefromthearmsoftheirfathersandmothers，totransportthemfromtheirsightandconversation，intoaplacewheretheymightbeinstructedandbroughtupinourreligion。Hesaysthatthisproducedamosthorridspectaclethenaturalaffectionbetwixttheparentsandtheirchildren，andmoreovertheirzealtotheirancientbelief，contendingagainstthisviolentdecree，fathersandmotherswerecommonlyseenmakingthemselvesaway，andbyayetmuchmorerigorousexample，precipitatingoutofloveandcompassiontheiryoungchildrenintowellsandpits，toavoidtheseverityofthislaw。Astotheremainderofthem，thetimethathadbeenprefixedbeingexpired，forwantofmeanstotransportthemtheyagainreturnedintoslavery。
SomealsoturnedChristians，uponwhosefaith，asalsothatoftheirposterity，eventothisday，whichisahundredyearssince，fewPortuguesecanyetrely;thoughcustomandlengthoftimearemuchmorepowerfulcounsellorsinsuchchangesthanallotherconstraintswhatever。