[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy) › [The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster) › 22.5 # The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 22.5 The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 22.5 - **Language:** English ### [22.5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.1) October 19. — The Persian Ambassador Mahomett Roza Beag about noone came into the Towne with a great troup, which were Partly sent out by the king to meete him with 100 Eliphantes and musique, but no man of greater qualetye then the ordinary receiuer of all strangers. His owne trayne were about 50 horse, well fitted in Coates of Cloth of Gould, their bowes, quivers, and Targetes richly garnished, 40 shott, and some 200 ordinary Peons and attenders on bagage. He was carried to Rest in a roome within the kinges outward court till euening, when he came to the Darbar before the king, to which Ceremony I sent my Secretary to obserue the fashion. When hee approched, He made at the first rayle 3 Teselims and one Sizeda (which is Prostrating himselfe and knocking his head against the Ground) ; at the entrance in, the like ; and so presented the Shabas his lettre ; which the kinge took with a little motion of his body, asking only : How doth my brother? without title of Maiestie; and after some few woordes hee was Placed in the seauenth rannck against the rayle by the doore, below so many of the kinges seruantes on both sides, which in my Iudgment was a most inferiour Place for his masters Embassador, but that hee well deserued it for dooing that reuerence which his Predecessores refused, to the dishonor of his Prince and the Murmer of many of his Nation. ### [22.5.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.2) It is said hee had order from the Sophy to giue content, and therby it is gathered his message is for some ayde in mony agaynst the Turke, in which kind he often findes liberall succour, though it bee pretended hee Comes only to treat a peace for the Decanns, whose protection the Shabas taketh to hart, envyeing the encrease of this Empire. The King according to Custome gaue him a handsom turbant, a vest of gould, and a girdle, for which againe hee made 3 Tesselims and one Sizeda or ground curtesye. Hee brought for Presentes 3 tymes 9 horses of Persia and Arabia, this beeing a Ceremonius Number among them, 9 mules very fayre and lardg, 7 Camells laden with veluett, two Sutes of Europe Arras (which I suppose was Venetian hanginges of veluett with gould, and not Arras), two Chestes of Persian hanginges, on Cabinett rich, 40 Muskettes, 5 Clockes, one Camell laden with Persian Cloth of gould, 8 Carpettes of silke, 2 Rubyes ballast, 21 Cammelles of wyne of the Grape, 14 Camelles of distilld sweet waters, 7 of rose waters, 7 daggers sett with stones, 5 swoordes sett with stones, 7 Venetian looking glasses, but these soe faire, so rich that I was ashamed of the relation. These Presentes were not deliuered now, only a bill of them. His owne furniture was rich, leading nine spare horses trapped in Gould and siluer ; about his Turbant was wreathed a Chayne of Pearles, rubies, and Turqueses, and three Pipes of gould answerable for three spriges of feathers. ### [22.5.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.3) Yet I caused diligence \[diligent ?\] obseruance to be made of his reception and compared it with myne owne, and fynd he had in nothing more grace, in many thinges not so much ; in ranck far inferiour to that alowed mee, except only his meeting without the Towne, which by reason of my sicknes was omitted to be demanded. Neyther did the king receiue the Shabas his lettre with such respect as my Masters, whom hee called the King of England his brother, the Persian barely brother, without addition (which was an obseruation of the Iesuites, that vnderstood the language). October 20. — I receiued a lettre according to promise, written in the Princes name Commanding the Gouernor of Suratt and others to sitt with the Iudg of the Alfandica in our behalfe, repeating the Complaynt made by mee and by the Iudg against vs, and giuing order so to dispose of the busines that wee might receiue no more discontent, and in that matter full and effectuall ; but concerning the presents, which hee so much desiered to haue choyce in, only these woordes : and for all Presentes sett too your seale and send them to Court — without naming to which Court (which was now seperating) not \[nor ?\] to whom, but leauing it doubtfull. ### [22.5.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.4) I suspected it was not right, whervpon I sent back the lettre to the Secretary with answere that I doubted not his Highnes meaning was faire, according to the order of the king, but, to avoyd all occasion of euasion or error in those who sought all aduantage of Construction to wrong vs, I desiered him in few woordes to explayne it for future quiett, expressing the termes that the Presents are to be sent vnopened to the handes of the Ambassador at the Court. Hee vnderwrote the lettre, but with such Cunning that it might bee Construed both wayes like the ould Oracles : Concerning Presentes doe as they will, but lett the Prince loose nothing : if wrong bee offered, doe not suffer yt. Our sollicitor returned it : that it was very well and to my Content. Yet I misdoubted fraud, and sent for a translator, who found the sence so intricat and doubtfull I could scarse vnderstand the riddle. I only discouered the Cunning was to bring them into the Princes handes, as it were by error on the way, who would eyther carrie all to himselfe or send some part to the king in my Name. This abuse iustly enraged mee, both against some of our owne and my linguist that receiued it soe slightly without reading, and stirrd mee to putt it to triall ; whervpon I returned yt : that it was now more obscure then before and woorse for the correction ; that if this were all the fruictes of the kinges gracious grant, I should bee compelld to moue it anew. ### [22.5.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.5) The Secretarye replyed he durst not transgresse his order, but desired mee to meete him in the Morning at the Princes. October 21. — I went to the Prince and opened my desire to haue that Clause expounded, at which his Highnes stucke a little and I perceiued the Purpose to be as hollow as I imagined. Hee demanded then how hee should haue his Presents or see such toyes as came vp, and mooued mee to goe with him. I replyed I could not doe soe vntill I had deliuered my Masters Message and tokens to the King, but, that finished, I would my selfe attend his Highnes with his Presentes, and all such raretyes as came to my handes should bee sent after him. Hee pressd mee to passe my woord, and so I obteyned order for the firmaen to my Content. His Highnes, looking on a Whyte feather in my hatt, demanded if I would giue it him. I replyed I would not offer that I had worne, but, if he Pleasd to Command it, that or anything in my Power was to serue him and I was highly honored in his acceptance. Hee asked if I had any more. I answered : three or fower of other Coulors. He replyed if I would giue them all, for that hee was to show his horses and seruantes to the king within two dayes and that hee wanted some, beeing very rare in these Parts. I promised to bring all I had on the Morow, that his Highnes might take his Pleasure. ### [22.5.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.6) Abdala chan, in a Galant Equipage both of his Person and attendantes in apparell strange and antique, but in these partes a la soldado. Presented the Prince with a white horse, the saddle and furniture of gould enameld, a beast of delicate shape, life, and Couradge ; who returned him a swoord Playne with a belt of leather. Ther were brought before him many others, the hiltes of siluer. Chapes sett with small stones, and targettes couered with gould velvetts, some Paynted and bossed with gould and silver, which hee gaue to his seruantes against this muster, many saddles and furniture of gould, rich sett with stones, of his owne were showed for spare horses, his bootes embrodered, & all other ingredientes of brauery. I confesse the expence is woonderfull, and the riches dayly scene invaluable. This night Passd it is reported 6 of the Princes seruantes came to Murther Sultan Cursoronne, but were refused the key by the Porter ; that the Queene mother is gone to the king with an ouerture of all the Practice. The truth is vncertayne and it is dangerous to aske. At euening I went to the Durbar to visitt the king, wher I mett the Persian Embassador with the first muster of his Presentes. Hee appeared rather a Iester or Iugler then a Person of any grauety, running vp and downe, and acting all his woordes like a mimick Player. Now indeed the Atashckannoe was become a right stage. ### [22.5.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.7) Hee deliuered the Presentes with his owne handes, which the king \[with\] smiles and Cherfull Countenance and many woordes of Contentment receiued. His toong was a great aduantage to deliuer his owne busines, which hee did with so much flattery and obsequiousnes that it Pleased as much as his guift : euer calling his Maiestie King and Commander of the world, forgetting his owne M^ter had a share in yt ; and on euery little occasion of good acceptation hee made his Tezelims. When all was deliuered for that day hee prostrated himselfe on the ground, and knocked with his head as if hee would enter in. The guiftes were : a fayre quiver for bow and arrowes, delicatly embrothered ; all sorts of Europian fruictes artificiall in dishes ; many other foulding Purses and knackes of leather, wrought with needlewoork in coloured silkes ; shooes embrodered and stichd ; Great Glasses inlayd in frames ; one square Peice of Veluett embrodered high with gould in Panes, betweene which were Italian Pictures wrought in the stuff, which hee sayd was the king and queene of Venice (which, as I suppose, was the hanginges called Arras) of these six were giuen, one only showed ; many other tricanado of small valew ; after, the 3 Nines of horses and Mules, which were faire ones; the horses eyther had lost their flesh or bewty, for except one or two I Judged them vnfitt for to be sent or taken by Princes. ### [22.5.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5.8) So he returned with many antique trickes to his Place, far inferior to that allowed mee, which was alone and aboue all subjectes (which at first Asaph chan would haue Putt mee by, but I maynteyned it as my due). This is but the first act of his Presenting. The Play will not bee finished in ten dayes. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.22.5) · Pramāṇa