The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 19.7
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 19.7
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19.7.1
August 16. — I sent to Asaph chan for my promised Articles. Hee swoore by his God I should receiue them that night or the Morrow. August 17. — I went to visitt the King, who, as soone as I came in, called to his woemen and reached out a picture of him selfe sett in gould hanging at a wire gould Chaine, with one pendant foule pearle, which hee deliuered to Asaph chan, warning him not to demand any reuerence of mee other then such as I would willingly giue, it beeing the Custome, when soever hee bestowes any thing, the receiuer kneeles downe and putts his head to the ground (which hath been exacted of the Embassadores of Persia). So Asaph Chan came to mee, and I offered to take it in my hand ; but hee made signe to putt of my hatt, and then putt it about my neck, leading mee right before the king. I vnderstood not his purpose, but doubted hee would require the Custome of the Country called Size-da ; but I was resolued rather to deliuer vp my present. Hee made signe to mee to giue the king thancks, which I did after my owne Custome. Wheratt some officers called me to Size-da, but the King answered no, no, in Persian. So with many gratious woordes sent mee, I returned to my place. You may now iudg the kings liberallitye. This guift was not woorth in all 30 li. ;
19.7.2
yet it was five tymes as good as any hee giues in that kynd, and held for an especiall fauour, for that all the great men that weare the kings Image (which none may doe but to whom it is giuen) receiue noe other then a meddall of gould as bigg as sixpence, with a little chayne of 4 inches to fasten it on their heads, which at their owne Chardg some sett with stones or garnishe with pendant Pearles. August 18. — I receiued a warrant from the Prince for 5,500 mamoodies, part of Zulpheckcarcons debt. August 19. — Gemal-din-vssin (who invited mee to Hauar Gemall), beeing newly made Gouernor of Syndu, came to mee to dinner, with two sonns and two other gentell men and about a hundred seruants. Hee eate some banqueting stuff made in my house by a moore Cooke, but would not tuch such meate as I had prouided of my owne fashion, though his appetite was very good; a kynd of superstition forbidding him. But hee desired mee that 4 or 5 dishes might bee sent to his house, such as hee would choose, beeing all backd meates which hee had neuer seene, and that hee would dine on them in priuatt; which was accordingly don. And soe, offering vs the Towne of Syndu and all other Curtesyes in his Power, hee made hast to fill his belly. I gaue him a small present according to Custome.
19.7.3
This day soddenly dyed, to my great greife and discomfort, my minister Master Hall, a man of a most gentle and mild Nature, religious and of vnspotted life. Hee had beene ill but 5 dayes, and that but easely. In the morning he had walked abroad, and lay downe in a Garden on the wett Earth, supposing him selfe in no danger. At noone hee eate with very good appetite. In two howers after he dyed. Thus it pleased God to lay a great affliction on mee and my famely for our sinnes, taking from vs the meanes of his blessed woord and Sacraments for our neglect of so heauenly benifitts, which was to mee (God knowes my hart) the heauiest punishment I did feele or feare in this Country. Godes will be done. My houshould was sickly, my Cooke new dead, and I had as little Ioy or consolation as I beleiue any euer had, noe Comfort, no conuersation, no such dispatch in my busines as might giue me Creditt or Content, no such entertaynment as my qualetye required nor which might haue appeasd and made other inconueniences tollerable, no hope of proffitt in myne owne estate. This was all that made mee liue: a resolution to performe with an honest hart all I had vndertaken, according to my power, comitting my selfe wholy to my Creator.
19.7.4
August 20. — I dispatched answer to Suratt with bills of 9,000 mamoodies of Zulpheckcarcons debt and a Copy of his agreement, to showe such as hee Charged with part of the Goodes, though hee now stood bound for all; with those I sent the Persians firmaen for Iasques and Copyes of all the proceedings therin, to bee ready att the arriuall of our fleete, if occasion required them, aduise about Barooch, the dutch, and all necessary busines. This day and the night past, fell a storme of rayne called the Oliphant vsuall at goeing out of the raynes, but for the greatnes very extraordinarye, wherby ther rann such streames into the Tanck, whose head is made of stone, in show extreamly strong, but the water was soe growne that it bracke over in one place and ther came an alarum and suddeyne feare that itt would giue way and drowne all that part of the Towne where I dwelt ; in soe much that the Prince and all his woemen forsooke their house ; my next neighbour carried away his wife and his goodes on his Eliphantes and Cammells to fly to the hillssyde. All men had their horses ready at their doores to saue their liues ;
19.7.5
so that wee were much frighted, and satt vp till midnight, for that wee had no helpe but to flye our selues and loose all our goodes, for it was reported that it would runne higher then the topp of my house by 3 foote and carry al away, beeing poore mudd buildings, 14 years past a terreble experience having showed the violence, the foote of the Tanck beeing leuell with our dwelling and the water extreame great and deepe, so that the topp was much higher then my house, which stood in the bottome in the Course of the water, euery ordinarie raine making such a Current at my doore that it runne not swifter in the Arches of London bridge and is for some howers impassible by horse or man. But God other wise disposed it in his Mercy. The king Caused a sluce to bee cutt in the night to ease the water another way. Yet the very rayne had washed downe a great part of the walls of my house, and soe weakened itt all by diuers breaches in, that I feared the fall more then the flood, and was soe moyled with durt and water that I could scarce lye drye or safe, soe that I must bee enforced to be at new chardge in reparation. Thus were wee every way afflicted — fires, smokes, floodes, stormes, heate, dust, flyes, and no temperate or quiett season. August 22. — I receiued from the Prince another warrant for 5,500 mamoodies formerly mentioned ; for that the first, it seemes, was not sufficient.
19.7.6
August 24. — I visited the king at the Durbarr and there demanded of Asaph chan the sealing of the Priuiledges long granted by the king and by him deferrd. I got his oathe to receiue them on the morninge. August 26. — I went to the Prince to know the resolution of the Hollanders receptions, wher I found it was resolued that, by reason of the expectation of the shipes from the redd sea, Content should bee giuen them in trade, but as yet no factorye nor house of residence granted, other then a warehouse for the landing of their goodes. August 27. — I went to Asaph chans, but he was among his woemen and came not that day abroad. I caused him to bee watched at night by Iaddowe, who tould him I had beene at his house and that if I receiued any more delayes I should bee enforced to Complayne. Hee excused him selfe with Complements enough that hee was very sorry, Commanding Iaddowe to lett him know ouernight whensoeuer I resolued to Com to him, and desiering him to satisfie me, for that on Sunday, when hee spake with his sister Normall, the seale should bee giuen. This day I receiued aduise from Suratt that noe end could bee made with the Customer for cloth rated, yet no desire to Complaine, for that the Gouernor had promised to Arbitrate the busines ;
19.7.7
and that a sayler of a frigott from Socatra reported that the English fleete was there ariued with 4 shippes and one Pinnase, the men sick and weake : That the Gouernor of Suratt offered the Hollander arriued at the Barr to buy all his goodes by the great and soe to dismisse him, which hee refused, requiring to bee receiued on all the same conditions and Priuiledges which the English enjoyed : To which was Answered that hee durst not Consent to that without warrant, the English havinge obteyned theire residence by sute : but to giue them Content they offered them a house to remayne in and to land their goodes, and leaue to trade vntill the Princes answere and resolution were knowne, on this Condition that, if his Highnes would not Consent, they should depart vpon the first warning, eyther in their owne shipp or, if shee wear gone, in the first Passadg to the Sowthward. The Conditions accepted, the Hollander came ouer the Barr at Swally and there Moored, resoluing to ride yt all weathers, and landed goodes daylie, pretending that hee would only this yeare buy Cloth and Comodityes for the sowthward, and be gonne with his shipp within 20 dayes, for that hee feared the Portugalles and had noe desier to bee found there by vs, but that if hee Could obteyne licence hee would leaue some Merchant in the Towne. With those lettres I receiued one from the Gouernor of Suratt, promising mee all frendship.