The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 14.1
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 14.1
- Language
- English
14.1.1
(Add. MS. 6115, f. 91.) 4th March, 1615[-16]. Most Noble Prince, It seemes to mee that your Highnes is weary of the English at Suratt, or else you would not refuse to deliuer me a firmaen for their saftye and good vsage, but vpon dishonorable Conditions and such as I cannot answer. Therfore I desire your highnes to giue me a Playne answer, which I require in the Name of the King of England, beinge a Frend and Confederatt of your Most Royall father. For, if your Highnes be resolued that they shall haue noe better justice then they haue had, my Master is likewise resolued not to haue his subjects liue where they shalbe Iniured, but we will seeke some other residence, wher wee shalbe better wellcome. For the losses and Injuries suffered by your last Gouernor, your Princly woord is already past for satisfaction. In all which, without your Highnes ayde, I shalbe enforced to Complayne to the King, for which I am sorry. I hope you will excuse my bouldnes, because I doe performe but my dutie. And soe I Committ your highnes to God. The English Ambassador.
14.1.2
March 5. — Mochrebchan, gouernor in the kings absence, and Haja Nassan, with some others, came of their owne accord to visitt mee, having sent woord that they would dine with mee. I entertained them as I was able, to theyr Content, but kept as much State in myne owne house as was vsed towardes me by others; but wee exchanged many complements, Mochrebchan excusing himselfe of all thinges past, professing he knewe not the English, but that now he was theyr seruant. So wee parted very good frendes; and I gaue him at his goeing six glasses guilt. March 6. — The Prince sent his principall officer to Adsmere to giue me Content, fearing I would Complaine, which hee desiered mee to forbeare and that I should haue satisfaction in my desiers, Justice for what was passed, and amendes in the future. Soe hee propounded three other articles to me, leauing out that of the Portugall, and sent them in Persian desiring mee to signe those to his Master and I should haue the firmaen deliuered vpon receipt of yt. When I had gott them translated, though in substance there was nothing which I might not assent vnto, they beeing rather friuolous then dangerous for mee or materiall for the Prince, yet in the woording and forme ther was somthing I misliked, wherin they might if they had so much cunning by hard construction bynd mee to some inconvenience, and restraine the merchants of full liberty.
14.1.3
Therfore I drew them anew according to my owne mynd, altering those clauses and reseruing the substances, and, to avoyd more messages too and fro, I sealed them, and sent them with this answere, that the Articles propounded to mee were suspitiously expressed: that I only had made them playne and keept the substance; which I had there signed and sent, wherof if he would accept, I desired the firmaen, and that resolutely: I would loose no more tyme in treatyes nor firme any other. Both he and Asaph Chan read them, and answered they liked them well: that the Alterations were not prejudiciall to their meaning; and soe deliuered the firmaen, which that night I gott translated, that I might know what I had laboured for. This day I sent the secretary a present, but it is not his Custome to receiue any thing. March 7. — I found the firmaen very effectually reapeating my Complaynts, mentioning the Injuryes in particular, and Commanding all manner of redresse; but in the end a Conditionall clause poysoninge all the rest, that which I had so often refused, that the Portugalles should haue free liberty to Come to Suratt at his Pleasure, and that wee should not molest them, take their goodes nor persons, without any promise or intimation that they should not offend nor assayle vs. Now to grant them peace in a roade of another Prince wher they are equally licenced with vs may seeme reasonable;
14.1.4
but I knew the purpose of the Portugall and the Instrument of this deuice, and that the Prince was abused and sawe not the disadvantage. First, if they had liberty to trade, they would use yt only to hynder ours; secondly, they would lye with 100 frigatts, vnder colour of this Peace, and take the first advantage to fier or assault our fleete, which is not to be avoyded, if they obteyne this liberty to mingle amonge vs; lastly, though the Prince explaynd him selfe in woordes that he ment we should not molest them except they begann the quarrell and in our owne defence, yet when a mischeefe had beefallen vs too late, of whom should wee haue sought satisfaction? The Prince had not undertaken; the Viceroy had not signed any instrument of Peace; only an Italian poore Iesuite had enformed the Prince the Portugall would be quiett—a braue securitye. Besides the folly and dishonnor, to appeare so eager of a peace, as if wee feard them, as to take it on any weake base or rather on no conditions. These considerations enforced me to refuse and send it backe: desiering to haue that clause strooke out, or else the fraud was euident, and I would neuer accept of yt. A day was demanded to giue answer.
14.1.5
March 8.—I sent for a resolution, and receiued yt: that that clause must remayne or I should not haue none. I gaue order. Suspecting the tricke, to redemand the articles signed by mee; but could not gett them, nor was the matter great, but for forme sake, and alsoe to pronounce as well my resolution, that I mente neuer to seeke farther after yt, neuer to accept yt, or any other, on ill Conditions: that I knew my way to seeke assured remedye: that I was sorry I had so long forborne yt. March 9. — The King being returnd, the Preparation for the Norose made all men soe busy that I had no oportunyte to doe myne, but purposed to prepare the King by Visitations and presents to heare my demandes with the first oportunitye. But I had no enterpreter, The brokar not daring to speake any thing that would displease Asaph Chan, nor would hee in any thing deliuer mee truly to the King. Soe I sought out a third [second?], an Italian Jeweller, a protestant, that vseth much liberty with his toung, and in whom the King takes often delight to heare him rayle at the Jesuites and theyr factions; who vndertook to say all I would deliuer him. March 10. — This day arriued our Cloth and goodes to Adsmere, having beene long on the way, to the great preiudice in the sale. March 11. — The Noros begann in the Eueninge. It is a custome of solemnizing the new yeare, yet the Ceremonye beginnes the first New moone after it, which this yeare fell togeither.
14.1.6
It is kept in Imitation of the Persians feast and signifyes in that language nine dayes, for that anciently it endurd no longer, but now it is doubled. The manner is: ther is erected a Throne fower foote from the ground, in the Durbar Court, from the back wherof to the place wher the King comes out, a square of 56 Paces long and 43 broad was rayled in, and couered ouer with faire Semianes or Canopyes of cloth of gould, silke, or veluett, Ioyned together and susteyned with Canes so couered. At the vpper end were sett out the pictures of the King of England, the Queene, my lady Elizabeth, the Countesse[s] of Sommersett and Salisbury, and of a Cittizens wife of London ; below them another of Sir Thomas Smyth, gouernor of the East India company. Vnder foote it is layd with good Persian Carpetts of great lardgnes. Into which place come all the men of qualetye to attend the King, except some fewe that are within a little rayle right before the Throne to receiue his Commandes. Within this square there were sett out for showe many little howses (one of siluer) and some other Curiosityes of Price. The Prince Sultan Coronne had at the lefte syde a Pauilion, the supporters wherof were Couered with Siluer (as were some of those also neare the Kings throne). The forme therof was Square ; the matter wood, inlayd with mother of pearle, borne vp with fower pillars and Couered with Cloth of gould about the edge.
14.1.7
Ouerhead, like a valence, was a nett fringe of good pearle, vpon which hung downe Pomegranetts, apples, peares, and such fruicts of gould, but hollow. Within yt the king sate on Cushions very rich in Pearles and Jewells. Round about the Court before the Throne the Principall men had erected tents, which encompassed the Court, and lined them with veluett, damask and taffety ordinaryly, some few with Cloth of gould, wherin they retyred and sett to show all theyr wealth; for anciently the kings were vsed to goe to euery tent and there take what pleased them, but now it is Changed, the King sitting to receiue what new years guifts are brought to him. He comes abroad at the vsuall hower of the Durbar and retyres with the same. Here are offered to him, by all sorts, great guiftes, though not equall to report, yet incredible enough; and at the end of this feast the King, in recompence of the presents receiued, aduanceth some and addeth to theyr entertaynment some horse at his pleasure.