Storia do Mogor 157: The Europeans persecute Me.

157

This persecution was bad enough, but without a doubt the Christians persecuted me worse than the Mahomedans. It arose from their envy at seeing me with name and fame, whereas at the place where I had settled down I had done no harm to any one of them. God alone knows how many times they tried to murder me, and they sent men to steal my books, on which I relied. Finding their projects had no success, they made up their minds to do openly what they had failed to do in hiding. To this end they sent four Europeans of various nations to murder me. Two came into the house as friends and began to talk to me ; another who was to do the deed stood in the doorway, shouting hoarsely a thousand abusive terms at my servants ; and the last sat on his horse with his pistols ready, to back up what was going on at the door. Hearing this row I came out, begging the disturber to hold his tongue ; he might come in if he wanted to, but if he did not come in let him go his way. When he heard this he fired his pistol, which was already at full-cock, when one of my servants, grappling with him, took the pistol from his hand. He drew his sword to defend himself from the servants, who had begun settling his business for him with thick sticks, applying them without remorse to him and his servants until they fled. Then I recognised that it was planned treachery, and ordered one [165] of my servants with a drawn bow to see that the one on horseback should not move his hand in the direction of his pistols; if he moved, an arrow was at once to be let fly at him. Thus terrorized, he was afraid to stir or to assist his companion, who was getting his beating. I told the others with their bows and arrows to watch without a word over the two men in the house. Meanwhile I ordered a good thrashing to be given to the insolent fellow. While drawing his sword to defend himself from the servants he cut his hand, and one of my servants seized him round the body so violently that he was brought to the ground. But he would not let his sword be taken away; I therefore ordered them to give it him well until he let go the sword. Seeing that still he clung to it, one of the men planted one foot on his chest, and so crushed it that he had to give up the sword. Thereupon I told them to bind him and carry him to the magistrate. But the man on horseback dismounted and earnestly begged me not to pass this affront upon a white man. His petition was his undoing. I told him to fall at his protector's feet. He declined, but my servants by thumps and holding his neck got him to his knees. Then I left all the four and rode off at once to Fida,e Khan, who at the time this happened was in Lahor. He recognised that I had good reason for anything I had done, and sent men to escort my assailants to the other side of the river Chinab, and on the road he who was the leader died. I will state here that my enemies seized this occasion at the time the Europeans of the army were on their way to the attack on the Pathans, since, being war-time, no one would be able to know afterwards who had made the attempt. But God, who seemed to cherish a special desire for my protection, would not permit my death at the hands of those who had wished to do so on the quiet, by entering my house in the guise of friends. They did not succeed in this or other treacheries; but my enemies managed to give me poison, from which I escaped, although I felt its effects for some years [166].