Storia do Mogor 354.3
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 354.3
- Language
- English
354.3.1
At these words another friend of mine who was present, named Mirecautaula, came forward three paces, and making obeisance [110], said: 'If your Highness permits me to speak, I will inform him of what I know about Manucci.' The prince turned his eyes in his direction, and with a smiling face said he might speak. Mirecautaula then stated: 'Does your Highness know that Nawãb Mahãbat Khãn offered him through me three hundred rupees a month, with a palanquin, robes, and food, yet Manucci would not enter his service?' Having said this much, he bowed, and returned to his place. The prince asked him whether, if he were to offer me three hundred rupees a month, and create me a mansabdãr (noble) of the court, would I accept. Mirecautaula replied: 'Maybe he will agree, this being a royal establishment.' The prince ordered Qãzí Mīr to settle with me, and obtain my consent. This is the way they are accustomed to act in this court when they want to give a helping hand to anyone.
354.3.2
While this was in progress, I arrived at the house of my friend, Qãzí Mīr, not far from the court. He was not long in making his appearance. As he was coming in at the door I went to meet him, and paid him the usual compliments, but with a very long face, in spite of my now knowing all that had taken place. The moment he saw me he put his hands to his sides, halted, and showed all the signs of being quite worn out, telling me : 'To-day I laboured in a cause which very seldom is carried to success in the Mogul court : you are already made a servant of the prince Shãh 'Alam, and have [in] as pay three hundred rupees a month, and in addition you are a noble of the court.'
354.3.3
With a humble countenance, making an obeisance, I rendered him sincere asseverations of my gratitude. But Qãzí Mir, observing that I had not changed my expression one little bit, nor shown any sign of gladness, came to the conclusion that I was dissatisfied. Therefore, coming closer to me, he suggested that for the time being I ought to accept the pay that had been fixed. He could assure me it would very soon be increased, and this he repeated at least twice. Discovering by these remarks that he had not perceived that I was more than content, in order to let him see the truth, I drew back one pace, and lifting my head and my voice, I said : 'I accept with all goodwill the honour that, through your mediation, his Highness has done me, and I live in the hope of receiving through your protection still greater.' Thus did I reassure Qãzí Mir, and inform him that I was satisfied. Embracing me, he took me by the hand and led me into the house. We had dinner together, then he presented me with a horse (which I was much in want of) and a valuable set of robes ; thereupon I returned to my own house. As soon as I reached my house the princess sent me her usual gift of food, together with a thousand rupees, giving me to understand that this money should serve as a help for the expenses I might have to incur in connection with the ensuing march, which was to begin a few days afterwards.
354.3.4
The eunuch Nãzir Daulat sent a man to [112] call me, whereupon I paid him a visit and sat down in his presence. On seeing me, he shook his head and said : 'You are the man who had the royal gates opened at night at unsanctioned hours — a thing never allowed in the royal palace.' I replied that to have the royal gateway opened at that hour was due to the generosity of his Highness, who desired to favour a foreigner. This man (Daulat) was a great friend of mine, as I experienced on many necessary occasions, as will have been seen. In opposition to the habits of his class, he was of a good disposition, and very liberal. He had sixty horses in his stalls and sixty camels loaded with pieces of cloth and other valuables. His tent was like a general's, and in his suite were noble horsemen. He was much esteemed at the court because he behaved prudently ; his income was very large, owing to the offices he held ; and his words were listened to by the prince. I likewise give an account of the manner in which it is usual to bleed the princes, at what seasons it is done, and what happened to me on such occasions.
354.3.5
Ordinarily the princes and princesses have themselves bled twice in the month of March, and the interval between the two bleedings does not exceed twenty-four hours. The operation is begun half an hour before the setting of the sun. Three days afterwards they take a purge ; but if necessity demands a shorter interval [113] they do not wait the three days, but are governed by the requirements of the case. In the month of September the same procedure is repeated. The first time that Shãh 'Alam had blood let by me I was summoned to the Maal (mahal), which means palace, and went into the saral (same) — that is, seraglio. He showed me his arm, inquiring if his veins were visible, and asked if I should give him any pain when I drew the blood. When I heard this question, I took hold of his arm, and looking at it, said without a pause that the vein could be opened without the least difficulty, and he would be quite satisfied. I quickly tied his arm with a bandage of fine broad cloth without stretching the skin very much. As I took up my lancet to make the incision, he stopped me, and said I ought to stretch and rub the arm well, as other blood-letters did. I answered that his Highness need not be alarmed, that I knew what I was doing.
354.3.6
I took hold of the arm again, and at once made the incision, opening the vein without going so deep as other practitioners do, by which practice some days must be passed without being able to move the arm. What I noticed on this occasion was that the prince betrayed signs of fear, turning away his face until the blood had been taken. It is customary to keep ready for these [114] occasions a set of silver scales and weights; the basin for receiving the blood is also of silver. On the ground is spread a large sheet, in order not to dirty the carpets and floor-cloths; over the body of the prince is cast another sheet, somewhat smaller. All the princes are present at the operation, as also the principal eunuch and some under-eunuchs who act as attendants. It is the business of one of these to throw a little charcoal into the blood that is collected from the vein, also a little bit of iron, some small coin, and a few grains of raisins for the preservation of the blood. After all these ceremonies they buried the blood in the garden, also performing other customary superstitious observances. When the incision is made all those who are present make profound bows, adding the words: 'May the blood-letting be to your benefit.' The same ceremonial is followed in the case of a princess.
354.3.7
As soon as the surgeon has left the room alms are distributed. When I had finished the blood-letting the prince ordered them to give me four hundred rupees. At the time of my reaching the gate a eunuch handed me the said money on a salver, telling me it was proper for me to make a bow with my face turned towards the palace. I did so, according to the custom of this court.
354.3.8
When I gave an order to my servant to take charge of the said rupees [115], the insolent eunuch said to me: 'It seems to me you could never have had as much money in all your life.' At once I took the salver and emptied out on the ground all the money in it in the presence of the gate-keepers, telling them I made them a present of it. Then I turned to the eunuch: 'Do you not know that I am the son of the chief physician of the King of Spain, who is lord over half the world and owns the mines of silver? My father, being tired and in a hurry, on one occasion missed the vein; but, seeing that the king required to be bled, he made another stroke, and hit the right place. In spite of this my father was so sorrowful for the error he had committed that the consolation offered by the king had no effect upon him. Therefore, out of the love he bore him, and in the hope of restoring him to happiness, the king gave him a town as large as the town of Sihrind, together with a galleon laden with silver, which had just reached the port of Cadiz. Out of these revenues and moneys my father sends me twenty-four thousand rupees for my expenses, since the pay I receive from this court barely suffices for the expenditure in my kitchen.'