Storia do Mogor 9.1.5

9.1.5

In order to show himself grateful for so many favours, he forwarded his history to France in 1700 by one of his faithful friends, a person of consideration, loved and esteemed by all in India. This person on his arrival in France was the object of much honour from the French monarch. But having been sent by his king to the West Indies, he was unable to procure the printing of the three volumes on the Mogul Empire. He was obliged to leave them behind him, and another with sixty-four (fifty-six) portraits. The friend gave these (? the three volumes) for inspection as a curiosity to the Jesuit Father Catrou, a young man of great astuteness, to whom the Jesuits had already written from India requesting him to secure the work if he could, which he thus succeeded in doing. Catrou forwarded to Manucci the preface of the book it was his intention to print. 'I saw that he meant to make the work one to his own glory, and mix me up with the fables told by other authors, thereby usurping the result of my labours and fatigues during so many years, and of such great expenditure, while he would have all the coin and the honour. I therefore requested him to return the work to me. But fearing from what I know of him that this will be of no effect, I have in order to get it back appointed as my attorney the Reverend Father F. Eusebius, of Bourges, a Capuchin and French missionary in this land of India, who is now departing for Europe.'