Storia do Mogor 63.1.4

63.1.4

Not a day passed without his giving audience, as he did near the middle of the day for about two hours or more, so as to incommode the people about his court. He ate and drank in front of them all, giving portions to those who seemed to him the most bigoted, with a view to make them break the fast. They ate for fear of an order being given to throw them to the lions. These beasts were kept in his presence, and were used to put to death whomsoever he pleased. Besides this, he had a small tray in which there were some very sharp lancets. When any soldier came into his presence with a courageous look or with his turban cocked, he called him near, and with one of the said lancets pierced his nose. If the soldier showed that it hurt him, he ordered the man to be ejected from the court with cuffs and buffeting, saying that a soldier who was afraid of such a little piece of iron as that would never in war-time endure lance-thrusts and sword-cuts. On the contrary, if the soldier made believe to meet the lancet without fear, he would double the man's pay, and his estimation rose at court. The king would say such men deserved the name of soldiers — they were veritable men of war. It happened that a soldier killed a tiger, and making the skin into a coat, came to court with great pride. On seeing him, Jahangir fired his gun at him, and the bullet went through the man's leg, so that he fell where he stood. The king said : ' If I had not killed that tiger my lion would have got enraged.'