The Book of Akbar 250.1

250.1

a neck-charm of grace and favour. After various high-thoughted counsels this was written, “O evil brother and beloved war-seeker, refrain from courses which are productive of conflict and cause the affliction and destruction of countless men. Have compassion on the men of the city and of the army. To-day they are all killed; to-morrow is the judgment. Verse. The blood of that race is on thy neck, The hand of that crowd upon thy skirt, ’Twere far better to think on peace And bring to pass the ways of gentleness. He sent this auspicious rescript along with Nasib Rammal. As the Mirza, being drunk with folly, had turned away from fortune and put dominion behind his back, the sage advices were of no avail. In reply to that roll of grace and preamble of knowledge, he uttered the following verse — Verse. Who’d to his bosom strain dominion’s bride Must kiss the gleaming falchion’s lip. Nasib Rammal conveyed to the royal hearing the account of the Mirza’s recalcitrance and an order was given for strengthening the batteries. Meanwhile, Mirzas Sulaiman and Ibrahim arrived with all their forces and were made partakers of royal favours. Chakar Khan, son of Wais Qibchaq also arrived with the men of Kulab and formed a supplement to the army of fortune. During this period of one month of the siege the gates of victory opened more and more for the imperialists, while the knot of affairs grew tighter for M. Kamran, and he became more and more straitened.