Storia do Mogor 47.2
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 47.2
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47.2.1
I noted that the throne on which the king, Shahjahan, was seated stood in front of and near to the palace of the women, so that as soon as he came out of its door he reached the throne. It is like a table, adorned with all sorts of precious stones and flowers in enamel and gold. There are three cushions, a large one, five spans in diameter, and circular, which serves as a support to the back, and two other square ones, one on each side, also a most lovely mattress. For in Turkey, and throughout the whole of Hindustan, they do not sit upon chairs, but upon carpets or mattresses, with their legs crossed. Around the throne, at the distance of one pace, are railings of gold of the height of one cubit, within which no one enters except the king's sons. Before they enter they come and, facing the king, go through their obeisance, then enter the palace and come out by the same door from which the king issued. Arriving there, they again make obeisance, and upon a sign from the king they take their seat in the same enclosure, but at the foot of and on one side of the throne. Thereupon the pages appear with the umbrella, parasol, betel, spittoon, sword, and fly-brusher. Below the throne, several feet lower than it, a space is left, sufficient for the secretary (? wazir) and the greatest officials of the court. This space is surrounded by a silver railing.
47.2.2
Near it stand 'grusberdares' (gurz-bardar)—that is to say, the bearers of golden maces, whose duty it is to carry orders from the court to princes of the blood royal. After a descent of a few more steps there is another space of greater size, where are the captains and other officials, also the 'grusberdares' (gurz-bardárs) with silver maces, who convey the orders of the court to the governors, generals, and other princes. These are placed with their backs to a railing of wood painted vermilion, which surrounds the space. The hall in which stood the royal seat is adorned with twenty highly-decorated pillars, which support the roof. This roof stretches far enough to cover the spaces enclosed within the silver railing, and is hidden half-way by an awning of brocade. Further, a canopy over the king's throne is upheld by four golden pillars.
47.2.3
Outside the wooden railing is a great square, where, close to the railing, stand nine horses on one side and nine on the other, all saddled and equipped. Near to the pillars are brought certain elephants on every day that the king gives audience, and there they make their obeisance, as I shall describe when I speak of the elephants (ii. 5). Behind the horses already spoken of were four handsomely-adorned elephants, and in the square a considerable number of soldiers stand on guard. At the end was a great hall, where were stationed the players on instruments, and these, upon the king's appearing to give audience, played very loudly, to give notice that the king was already in the audience hall. The silence preserved was astonishing, and the order devoid of confusion. For this purpose there are officials, whose business it is to see that the people are placed in proper order. Some of these officials held gold sticks in their hand, and these came within the silver railing. The others carried silver sticks, and they took great heed that throughout the court nothing was done which could displease the king. After I had received my permission to go, I left in the company of the two courtiers, and returned to the same. There I showed them where I had put up, and the room in which was the property. Thereupon they broke the seals and brought out all the things and carried them away.
47.2.4
The next day, about nine o'clock in the morning, there came two servants of the secretary (wazīr) to fetch me. They took me to his palace, where I found him seated in the same hall where I had spoken to him the day before. As I came in I observed that the ambassador's property was lying there. I made the usual obeisances to the secretary (wazīr). Then, with a pleasant look on his face, he asked me if I identified the two thieves, pointing with his hand to one corner of the hall. Noticing this, I turned my face that way and saw the two English impostors, loaded with iron, fetters on their feet and shackles on their necks, and very much ashamed, being afraid they would be decapitated. Turning again to the secretary, I craved leave to speak to them, and going near to them, I said: 'It would have been more honest to let me have the little that was mine, but then you wanted to acquire more than was yours; you suffer through your excess of greed, and in your desire to embrace all, you are left with nothing. You laughed, you scoffed, and had no tenderness for me, and now I sorrow for love of you, and feel compassion for the miserable condition in which I see you. You may make certain that I shall not fail to deal towards you with more charity and consideration than you showed to me on the road from Hodal.'
47.2.5
Returning to the secretary (wazīr), he told me to look at the things and inform him whether any article was missing, for the prisoners would have to pay for anything deficient. I examined the property in his presence, and ascertained that it was complete. Since my things had been separated and were kept apart, I prayed him as a favour to issue orders that they should be returned to me. In addition, most of the ambassador's goods belonged to an English trader, named Mestre Jonh (Mr. Young), dwelling in Surat, from whom the ambassador had obtained them, promising to repay him afterwards. The secretary (wazīr) told me to sit down beside his son who was in front of him ; he said he would give me many things, and making me great promises, said to me, that if I consented to remain in his house he would treat me like a son. In case I did not agree, he did not mean to give me anything. My answer was that I could not live in his house, that I cared very little about the loss of my own things, but should grieve a very great deal if he did not give to Mestre Jonh (Mr. Young) those that were his.
47.2.6
Upon this the secretary (wazīr) asked me minutely which were the ambassador's and which Mestre Jonh's (Mr. Young's) things. I pointed them all out in detail, one of the secretary's clerks taking the whole down in writing. I told him that besides these goods Mestre Jonh (Mr. Young) had lent the ambassador the sum of four thousand patacas [about £800] and an Arab horse (already in the secretary's (wazīr's) possession). Finally, I begged [52] leave to return to my abode, and he, in sending me off, directed me to return in two days to speak to him in the same place. Accordingly this I did, and he said to me then that he had spoken to the king, who ordered that the property should be sent to the Governor of Surat for the purpose of being made over to Mestre Jonh (Mr. Young), with the exception of the Arab horse, which the king kept for himself, giving an order to pay to the said Jonh (Young) one thousand patacas, the price at which it had been valued. He took nothing else but the litter which was destined for him. After this I made a fresh application to the secretary (wazīr) that he would order my property to be given to me ; but his answer was that the whole must go to Surat and be made over to Mestre Jonh (Mr. Young), who, if he liked, might give them to me. Thus he was unable to dispose in any way of this property. But if I consented to live with him, he would give me a great deal more, and repeated that he would cherish me as his son, and many other promises.
47.2.7
For all these words and the kindness he had displayed I gave him thanks over and over again; but as for living with him, that could never be. It was not right for me to do so, being a Christian. The secretary (wazir) cut short my speech, and, losing his temper, said angrily: 'You do not know that you are the king's slave.' Hearing these words, I rose to my feet, and answered that Europeans were not, and never would be, slaves of anyone; and in great haste I left the hall, resolved to give my life rather than live in his house. Coming out at the door, I vaulted lightly on to my horse, and took my way somewhat hurriedly, dreading lest the secretary (wazir) might send some one after me to attack me. Then my groom warned me that two foot soldiers were hurrying after us, trying to overtake us. Then I turned my horse round, and, putting my hand on my cutlass, set off to face them. I asked what they wanted. They made me a bow, and answered that the secretary (wazir) sent me ten gold rupees for the purchase of betel. I took them and went on my way. I was determined to return to Surat that I might find myself among Europeans.
47.2.8
At this time I met Clodio Malier, who carried me off to his house, and there I told him of my resolve. He did not approve. Then by his arguments he succeeded in persuading me. Having got as far as the court, what was the good of leaving it again without first seeing what there was there, so that I might report on the riches and greatness of the kings of the Mogul, exceeding the riches of other kings, as may be seen in the course of this my book? As I was a youth, carried away by curiosity, but still more by the friendship shown to me by Clodio, and reflecting that I had already in him one friend who could do me some good in this kingdom, and be of help to me in some affair, I determined to remain where I was [53].