Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.10.2

78.10.2

"When the medicine is the cause of the disease, what hope is there Of the cure of the disease, or of the recovery of the sick man?" And Hasan Khan, brother of Shahab Khan, who was at Kabul and one Sultan ‘Ali, a scribe who had fled from Hindustan and was waiting for something to turn up, joined with Faridun Khan in representing to the Mirza that it would be very easy to capture Lahor. Then, when he agreed to their rebellious proposals, they tried to induce him to seize the person of Khushkhabar Khan. But the Mirza through that generosity, which was inherent in his nature, sent privately for him, and dismissed him. But eventually this very year, when the Emperor was qamurgha-hunting in the neighbourhood of Lahor, Khushkhabar Khan was drowned in the river Rawy and a clever fellow extemporised this verse: — “Khushkhabar is bad news, for never was there In the world such an ugly fellow as he, He died in the water, although they say: And from the water all things live.” But Mirza Muhammad Hakim with rebellious intentions went into the neighbourhood of Behra, and set his hand (which was never ready for political affairs) to spoiling and plundering the district. Then, setting out for Lahor, he came by forced marches, and encamped in the garden of Mahdi Qasim Khan, which was situate outside the city on the banks of the river Rawi. And Fate in an impromptu of his, said: — Since at this point I leave you as you are, It hardly matters that we came so far.”