Storia do Mogor 353.2
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 353.2
- Language
- English
353.2.1
The surgeon, too, was anxious to take his departure for Europe, and bought some diamonds. At that time the king ordered him to undertake the treatment of an officer called Fazulacam (Faizullah Khãn), one of Begam Sahib's guard, who lived in a province six days' journey from court. Before he started he got hold of an ancient matron to direct his household, and she consented that while he was absent she would give his wife a poison that he had prepared for the purpose. He rewarded her with a little money, and held out hopes that on his return he would again reward her. The good old woman, knowing the estimable conduct of this most upright wife, took compassion on her, and revealed what was going on by showing her the money and the paper holding the poison. The wife reflected on the bad conduct of her husband. For instance, he allowed her to go only once a year to church, and disliked her meeting her brothers and relations. She therefore wrote to one of her aunts, who lived in the city of Lãhor, whose name was Maria de Ataides, the renegade wife of 'Ali Mardãn Khãn, of whom I have spoken several times (I. 124, III. 228). In her letter she stated all that had happened.
353.2.2
On hearing from her niece, Maria de Ataides started from Lãhor, and soon reached the court. She presented herself before the king, and told him the whole story, adding that her niece was desirous of becoming a Mahomedan [78]. At once the king gave an order to send soldiers to the surgeon's house and bring back his wife and sons to the palace, using force if necessary. This order was executed with all speed. The lady, appropriating all that was most valuable, took her little son of eight, named Ignatio, and removed to her aunt's dwelling. The elder son of the lady, at the time she left her home, had gone on a visit to some of his relations. When they heard rumours of what was going on in her house they concealed him, and thus, at the age of thirteen, he was sent away to live at Daman.
353.2.3
The surgeon's wife pressed the king for an order to have her elder son returned to her; his name was João. The surgeon was at once summoned to the court, and he was ordered straight to prison, without knowing what was going on at his house. The miserable man received first a thorough beating, to see if he would state where his son was; but he was never able to say anything, the truth being that he did not know. Finally, he was liberated, and his pay reduced by two rupees a day, one being applied to his wife's and one to his son's support. Afterwards the king ordered Maria de Ataides to return to her home at Lãhor. She started, taking with her the little Ignatio and all the wealth found in the surgeon's house. These events [79] happened in 1666. Some years afterwards — that is, in 1669 — I left Goa, and transferred myself to the city of Lãhor, where I practised as a medical man, as already stated in my Second Part, and made the acquaintance of Maria de Ataides. The afflicted surgeon made great efforts to recover his little son, but never succeeded. The child's detainers were too strongly protected. Maria de Ataides taught him in the Mahomedan way, and he learnt to read the Quran. The Maria de Ataides in question had an ancient eunuch in her service who directed her household. He was a very avaricious man, and advised his mistress to kill her niece and take possession of her property. The lady, without further consideration, accepted the proposal and gave her niece poison.
353.2.4
While the niece was in the throes of death, an old woman-servant of hers came secretly to call me in. I started in all haste, but did not arrive in time to be of any use to her, the whole of her body having already become black. Therefore, when I had enjoined her to ask God's forgiveness, she called upon the name of Jesus as well as she could, and shortly afterwards expired. When the surgeon heard of his wife's death he was quite happy, and over and over again asked the king for leave to return to his own country, but all in vain. Once more he wrote a letter to Maria de Ataides, in which he said she ought to send back his son at once. If she did not, he had decided to make the boy over to Begam Sãhib, who [80] would send men to seize him.
353.2.5
Maria de Ataides was annoyed at this threat, and was, in addition, afraid of some censure against her being issued by the court. Thus she had the boy circumcised at once, and continued his training in Mahomedan tenets. Whenever I had the opportunity I never omitted to console the boy, to teach him, and hold out hopes that his father would still be of some benefit to him. Seeing that the youth received consolation from, and believed in, my words, and being also anxious to deliver him from Mahomedanism, I took the liberty of saying to him that if he wanted to leave that house and go to his father, I would help him and provide the necessary expenses. I knew that his father was waiting for him, and meant to marry him to the daughter of the officer in command of the fortress of Daman, who was providing her with a dowry of twenty thousand rupees.
353.2.6
To these overtures the youth replied that he would carry out all my orders. At once and in secret I found four guardians who could represent the youth before the courts, if upon obtaining his liberty he should endeavour to recover part of what belonged to his mother. The youth left the house secretly and joined these guardians, who were in waiting. They took him without delay to the qāzī's court, a man who was my friend, and to whom I had [81], in addition, recommended this client's interests in the shape of some presents I had given him. The guardians' action was such that the boy Ignatio was restored to liberty, and recovered something, though nothing of consequence, out of what had belonged to his mother. This small effort cost me two thousand rupees, which equal one thousand patacas. I reported to his father, then at the court in Dihli, what had been managed, at the same time advising him that as soon as his son arrived he should send him into Portuguese territory, so as to be protected from Mahomedan outrage.
353.2.7
When Ignatio reached the paternal dwelling he was very pleased, but, finding that his father was not sending him away from Mahomedan territory, as I had suggested, he said to him: 'My father, why do you keep me in the house, and do not at once send me into Portuguese territory? Do you not see that one of these days the Mahomedans will come to steal me?' The ignorant father answered that he kept him in his house to revenge himself on Maria de Ataides, and to be able to recover the plunder that his wife had robbed him of. What an impossibility! Thus my counsels were of no use to him, nor did in aught avail the words and repeated insistence of his son. We shall see what things came to pass. After twelve days the men of Maria de Ataides went to Dihlí, and asserting that the youth was in his father's house, they went before the king and recounted to him the above circumstances. Forthwith the king ordered soldiers to be sent to seize the youth and bring him to the Presence. As soon as the king saw him he appointed him one of his pages, with charge of carrying his sword during audience, being a well-formed and graceful youth. Then after some years he was appointed captain of artillery, and at the present time he is married and has sons and daughters.
353.2.8
Let us now turn to the case of his brother, João, who, already having reached a young man's estate, went to live in Portuguese territory. There he married a Portuguese lady, giving himself out as a Portuguese of good birth, and adopting the name of Don João Jaques de Menezes. In this he was aided by the Jesuits, who were his father's friends; but his father supplied him with the necessary expenses. This wife of his was of noble blood, and her name was Donna Roza de Castro. I know not how, but her parents found out that he was in no way of Portuguese blood, as he had declared. They therefore set on foot a conspiracy to murder him. This plot did not remain concealed from João; he therefore decided on flight to Masulipatam. There he married again the Portuguese widow of a very rich English captain who had a little son. They transferred themselves to Bengal and led an extravagant life, and in a few years all the money was at an end. He led his wife and his stepson a very unhappy life, and the latter in desperation went to his stepfather when he was asleep and shot him through the head by several balls from an arquebus.