The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 26.1
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 26.1
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- English
26.1.1
From the Camp of the Great Mogol, Emperour of India. Nouember 30, 1616. If my last, sent your Honour by the way of Aleppo, bee miscarried, this present discourse wilbe vndependent and obscure, which causeth mee to send a transcript that you may Command from Sir Thomas Smyth. How farre that dessigne of bringing in the Spaniard by Sheirly had proceeded, and my poore opinion, that will enforme; with the present estate of the warrs ther in preparation. What hath succeeded, your Honour shall receiue: that Sheirley was stayed at Goa, by falling short eight dayes of his passadge this past yeare, where he was entertayned with Honor and mayntenance, which makes mee iudge his offers and negotiation is gratious. The Shabas yet so dependes on that hope that hee Continewes the prohibition of exportation of silkes by Turky. Some few dayes since, I receiued advise from Spahan that Sheirley hath written to the King, that with much joy and ready embracement hee hath soe farre proceeded with the Viceroy of Goa in a Conclusion of this league as his commission hath power, and that hee is ready to embarque for Spayne to accomplish yt fully: If it proceed and take effect, I can make it euident that it will reuiue and strengthen all the ruines and decayes of the Portugall in the Indies, and make all other wauering Princes accept them only. I will not presse the consequence, wher it wilbe soe fully vnderstood.
26.1.2
The Shabas is in the feild at Salmas, a villadge indiffeirent to the wayes of Tauris or Gordgestan, attending the Turkes Generall, who, with a monstruous army (if it bee not increased by fame) is encamped at Argerome, irresolute which of those two attempts hee shall beginn, beeing not aboue five dayes from the one, and ten from the other. But these great Armies will dissolue of themselues, and I am of opinion ther wilbe noe great effect of them, the wynter approaching; and that they will treate a Peace, which the Turke will neuer embrace but with the opening of the trade and liberty of ancient Commerce; which, though the Persian yeild vnto, yet if the Spaniard accept his offers, the liberty giuen the Turke wilbe vselesse, for that the silkes shall come downe to Ormus, But I hope your Honors will prevent yt. God hath prouided you leysure. The King of Persia lately enquired anew after the English, for hee is indifferent what Christian hath the trade, so that the Grand-Signior loose yt. But his first offer to the Spaniard will take his turne, and after wee may have the leauings. Wee haue sent to Jasques a ship from our Port of Suratt with Cloth and English goods, to make the first offer of a residence, and to gett a kind of a possession. For wher it was free to refuse or accept vs, it wilbe nowe an iniurie to turne vs out, beeing come vpon assurance of his lettre receiued by mee.
26.1.3
But though I did not Consent to the goeing of this ship, because I knew both the Port vnfitt, the goods vnuendible and preiudiciall to the great expectation and promises—which makes me feare the Sha-bas will despise vs, and judge vs by this beginning, and so with the more roundnes eyther conclude with the Spaniard or make Peace with the Turke (for his dessigne is eyther wholy to diuert the trade or nothing)—yet I will mend yt as well as I can, by the helpe of an Ambassador lately arriued at this Court; who, I suppose by his humilitye, is come to gett ayd of mony, in which kynd hee often fyndes liberall releefes, and this King of India may better spare then any Monarch of the East.
26.1.4
The aduantage to bee made of yt in England is (if I may giue my opinion) that when Sir Robert Sheirley shall arriue in Spayne and negotiat his employment, the Ambassador of his Maiestie resident may craue audience, and produce the lettres of the Persian granted to us, and vrdge our possesion of the Port; and therfore requier, in the name of his Maiesty, that in this new contract either the English may bee comprehended, or at least that nothing passe on the Part of the King of Spayne preiudiciall to the subiects of his Maiestie, nor contrary to the amety of the two nations. Which if the Spaniard shall enterprise, to the expulsion of us, it is in my opinion (the trade beeing in a free Kingdome granted vs) a Iust cause of such a breach as may produce lettres of mart and reprisall in all the Eastern Parts to right our selues. I will in the meane tyme amuse the Persian with as many doubts as I can infuse into him of the Spaniard, and hopes of vs.
26.1.5
In this Court, which is nowe in the feild towards the Conquest of Decan (with an effeminat army, fitter to bee a spoyle then a terror to enemyes) I shall so far effect my imployment as to confirme our trade and people on equall conditions to the Inhabitants and borne subjects, who suffer themselues abuses of Governors which can neuer be remedyed but by an whole Change of the Regiment and forme of dominion. For the Constancy I will no farther giue my woord then our owne prosperitye, and the others feare, and the Portugalls feeblenes shall confirme to vs. The trade is profitable and fit for England, but no way vnderstood by the Company how to effect it at best aduantage, and yett we haue done little but discouer errors. I haue no Power to meddle in that ; but if I were at home tenn dayes, I could doe them better seruice then here now in ten years. To proue and demonstrate euery particular and Circumstance were rather the subiect of a booke then of a lettre. But I will doe my part euery way, according to my abilitye and judgment, faythfully and honestly.
26.1.6
Besides (though they may thinck I speake for myne own ends), I assure your Honor it is not fitt to keepe an Ambassador in this Court. I haue shuffled better out and escaped and avoyded affronts and slauish Customes clearer then euer any did. I am allowed rancke aboue the Persian, but hee out-stripps mee in rewards ; his Master lyes neere vs. But his Maiestie commanded mee to doe nothing vnwoorthy the Honor of a Christian King, and noe reward can humble mee to any basenes. I see what the Persian does and suffers. I know one that might creepe and sue would effect more busines then I ; for euery little matter cannot trouble the King, and his great men are more Proud, and expect that from mee I cannot giue them. The King of Spayne Could neuer bee drawne to send any, and their experience hath taught them that, besides hee should not bee receiued in honor correspondent to his qualetye, they know an easyer way to effect their ends. I shall not returne a rich man, and then many will condemne mee for want of Prouidence or witt to get yt ; but they know not the Indies, nor mee ; it growes heere in as rough wayes as in Europe. I will trust to the Company, and to my meritt.
26.1.7
I could write your Honor many remarckable accidents in this Gouerment and Kingdome. All the Policye and wicked craft of the Diuill is not practised alone in Europe ; here is enough to bee learned, or to be despisd. But you haue not leysure to entertayne so forreyne discourses. That Part which may bee woorth knowing — as the Proceedings of the Iesuitts, the growth of their Church, the Commixture of this Kingdome with Europe by trades, and the allyes it embraces—if I fynd not leysure to putt them into methode, I will weary your Honor with them by a fire-syde, in broken Peices. The Portugall Pursues vs here with violent hatred; but God doth Chastise him, and his Pride sees it not. The Admirall Gallion bound for Goa, a vessell of fifteene hundred tunns, armed with sixe hundred men, falling among our fleete, a small ship haled her after the Curtesy of the sea, which shee requited with sylence, except of her Ordenance. The Commander of our fleete, Beniamin Joseph, came vp with her and demanded reason, but was returnd scorne; so that hee begann a fight, in which hee lost his life. A New Commission beeing opened, Humphry Pepwell succeded him, to his Place and resolution, with the losse of his eye and other hurts fought vntill the Gallion, having her Mast shott, ran ashoare on Comara, an Hand inhabited by Moores, in the latitude of 11 degrees, 51 minutes; wher the Generall, Don Emanuell de Meneses, with three hundred escaped, but fired the ship.
26.1.8
Shee was very rich, and the succor of India this yeare; her Companions were lost at sea, and on the 14 of October, there was noe newes of any of them, which were three ships. This is the greatest disaster and disgrace euer befell them, for they neuer mist their fleete in September, nor lost any such vessell as this, which was esteemed invincible; and without supplyes they perish vtterly. The Islanders rifled the Generall and all his followers, and they are since arriued at Goa naked and bare in the Gallion of Mosambique, which had likwise beene dangered by a Hollander, but the nearnes of the Port saued her. All these considered, mee thinckes the Heauenes Conspire the fall of the Portugall in this quarter, if his Maiestie would be pleased to bend only his Royall Countenance. But I shall (I hope) returne and not expect to see it effected in my tyme.