Storia do Mogor 60.6.4

60.6.4

Akbar had been anxious for a long time to satisfy two subjects of curiosity, which he kept in his heart. The first was to know what language a child would speak who had not the use of speech or any master to teach it. The second was to find the source of the famous river Ganges. For the first of these inquiries he ordered the erection of a house with many rooms at a distance of six leagues from the city of Agrah, and directed them to place in it twelve children, who should be retained there till the age of twelve years. An injunction was laid on everyone that, under pain of death, no one should speak a word to them or allow them to communicate with each other. This was done, because one set of men asserted that they would speak the natural language, that which was the language of our first parents. Others held that they would speak the Hebrew language; others that they would not speak anything but Chaldean; while the Hindu philosophers and mathematicians asserted that they must infallibly speak the Samscript (Sanskrit) language, which is their Latin. However, the twelve years having passed, they produced the twelve children before the king. Interpreters for the various languages were called in to help. Each one put questions to the children, and they answered just nothing at all. On the contrary, they were timid, frightened, and fearful, and such they continued to be for the rest of their lives.