The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 20: The Copy of the conditions demanded by the Prince on my part, and therewith what I required of him to be expressed in his Firmaen, deliuered him as aforsaid.
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 20
- Language
- English
The Copy of the conditions demanded by the Prince on my part, and therewith what I required of him to be expressed in his Firmaen, deliuered him as aforsaid.
20.1
Most excellent Prince, Wheras your highnes doubts the good respect I and my nation bear your excellency, I humbly desire you to beleeue that I will doe all my endeauour to giue you Content and satisfaction, and your highnes may therto bee perswaded, because the cheefe Place of our residence and the Port of our shipes is in your highnes dominion and therfore it is most requisite by all meanes for our owne good to seek your fauour. For the tyme past, neyther the most famous King my lord and Master could know, nor the Merchannts in England, that your highnes was the lord of Suratt, it beeing newly giuen you ; and therefore I hope your highnes will not take any thing in ill part, assuring your excellency that his Maiestie the King of England will both send your highnes very acceptable presents and receiue very kyndly your good vsage of his subjects, beeing your frend and Confederate ; and I also his Ambassador will take care and endeauour to giue your highnes all due respect, and that whatsoeuer I can procure woorthy your seeing shalbe brought before your eyes and bee at your disposing. The Goodes comming in our fleetes are of three sorts.
20.2
One are presents sent by my lord and master to the Kings Maiestie, your Royall father, and to your highnesse, which I desire your highnes wilbe pleased to grant your firmaen that they may bee sealed only by your officers and soe deliuered to the English to bee sent vp to mee vnsearchd or without violence, beeing the presents of a king, that I may according to my duty present them to the King and your highnes. Other toyes are sent to mee to giue to our frendes heare, and for the Merchants to sell, all which if your highnes will alsoe giue your Command that they may be sealed and sent vp, I will truly bring them before your highnes that yow may take your choyce of what soeuer pleaseth you, and I will send my Command to search the shipes for all things that are rare to present them to you before any other shall see them. And wheras some thinges may bee the goodes of priuatt men, which I cannot take away, I will also Command that such bee brought before Abram chan, that hee may buy them for your highnes, desiering that hee may haue order to pay for them to the owners, who are to depart with the shipes. In all this I giue your highnes my woord I will performe it faythfully.
20.3
The last sort is Cloth, Quicksiluer, Marfill, and other marchandice, for which I desire your highnes Command that it may be landed and rated reasonably, and that it be not detayned in the Custome house to the great losse of the Merchantes, but satisfyeing your highnes customes may haue free liberty to sell and transport yt without trouble ; and that our people may not be misused but haue leaue to passe freely to their shipes and to buy fresh victualls without custome, wherin I desire your highnes will giue Command that the Country People may haue liberty to bring meate to sell at Swally, for that [after] a long voyadge there are many sick and weake. And lastly, that your highnes will giue Command to the Customer to pay for such goodes as hee hath agreed for the last yeare, wherin by his hard vsage the Merchantes haue susteyned great losse; and your highnes shall find both my selfe and all my Nation most ready to doe you all seruice. September 4. — I receiued my Articles back from Asaph chan, who tooke now att last many exceptions, and margined them with his Pen in most Insolent sort, scorning that any man should article att all; saying it was sufficient for mee to receiue a firmaen from the Prince, who was lord of Suratt, and for lycence to trade at any other Port, of Bengala or Syndu, it should neuer be granted; but in Conclusion pretended the length and forme to be such as would offend the king.
20.4
Some Articles hee consented too, and to them, beeing reducd to the forme of a firmaen, hee would procure yt sealed. Now is it easy to Judg what vexation it is to trafique with these faythlesse people: 7 Mounthes I had promise from weeke to weeke, from day to day, and no exception; but fynding I had so drawne them that I should nott much neede the Prince and if wee disliked wee might refuse his Gouerment, Hee vtterly renounced his woord in Chollar and rage. I durst not yet leaue him nor take notice of his falshood. He that first took him for our sollicitor engaged vs into this miserye, knowing him to be the protector of our enemyes and a slaue to bribes, which they multiply vpon him. But now I had a woolfe by the eares. I seemed only to apprehend his dislike of the lenght and Phrase, and sent him a lettre to enterprett mee, and a breefe of the substance of all required on their parts conteyned in generall woordes, touching only such particulars as hee liked, and left quite out all the Conditions demanded formerly by him of mee, desiering him to putt it in forme, and procure the seale, or to giue me leaue to receiue my owne deniall from the king, and soe to depart the Countrie. These I finished in Persian the same day and sent them to him. They are recorded in their order.