The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 28.2
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 28.2
- Language
- English
28.2.1
March 3. — Wee came to Mandoa, into which the King entred in state. But no man was suffered to goe in before hee was set, by the aduice of his Astrologers; so that wee all sate without, attending a good houre. March 6. — I came into Mandoa, hauing sent before and found a faire Court well walled, and in that a good Church, one great Tombe. It was taken vp by one of the Kings Seruants, but I got possession and kept it, being the best within all the wall, but two mile from the Kings house, yet so sufficient that a little charge would make it defensible against raines, and saue one thousand Rupias; and for Aire very pleasant vpon the edge of the hill.
28.2.2
March 11.—At night I went toward the Court, but the King, vpon newes of a Lion that had killed some Horses, was gone to hunt; so that I had leisure to seeke some water. For we were brought to a hill with a multitude of people (so great is the foresight, and so good the Policie) where was no water, that men and Cattle were like to perish. That little that was in Pooles some great men possessed, and kept by force. I could get none; the poore forsooke the Citie, and by Proclamation many were commanded away, all Horses and Cattel forbid, and so those who were now in hope to rest were forced to seeke new Dwellings, who departed some two, three and foure Course off, to the extreame trouble of all men, and the terrible rising of prouisions. I knew not what to doe; my Roome and House was good, and though I were farre from Markets, yet it was a lesse inconuenience then to sit in the fields without house or shelter; onely I wanted water. So I rode my selfe to seeke some, and found a great Poole possessed by Chan, which was giuen by the King, I sent to desire him leaue to draw, who granted me foure load a day; which satisfied me in such sort that with selling away some of those Iades that were put vpon me from Surat and putting off my Cattell, I had hope to liue, to which purpose I sent two with them to lye out of Towne. There was not a misery nor punishment which either the want of Gouernment or the naturall disposition of the Clime gaue vs not. [March] 12.
28.2.3
— I went to the King, and carried a New-yeares gift, a paire of very faire Kniues of my owne, and sixe Glasses of yours. The excuse I made was well receiued, and the King vsed mee with all grace ; this onely was my comfort. He said whatsoeuer came from my hands was present sufficient : he accepted my loue, and it was his part now to giue me. I found a gainer by him, who had so farre performed his promise that I perceiued the King instructed in my desire, and gaue present order to an Officer to send for Master Bidolph to pay him to his content for such things as he claymed, and all the others were acknowledged to be receiued by name ; and that when I went to the Prince, the King would write ; but was loth to part with any thing, of which the best sweetbagge lay before him. I replyed : I was as loth to goe emptie-handed ; so it rested. The King commanded I should come vp and stand within, on the degrees of his Throne by him, where I found on one side the Persian Ambassadour, on the other the old King [of] Candahar, with whom I ranked, and he presently fell to begge a Knife, which next day I sent. The King called for the Persian to come downe, to whom he gaue a Iewell and a young Elephant, for which he kneeled and saluted the ground with his head. The Throne was the same vsed the last yeare, and all the other furniture.
28.2.4
At the vpper end was set the King my Soueraignes Picture, the Queenes, my Lady Elizabeths, Sir Thomas Smiths and some others, two pieces of good and fine Tapistrie below them that came from Persia ; a Throne of Gold set all ouer with Rubies, Emeralds and Turqueis ; and the old Musicke of singing Whores. This day I dispatched to Surat my aduice of the Persian businesse and the new Ambassadour, and some remembrance to Abram Chan the Gouernour, from whom I receiued a Letter that in his absence our Nation had beene wronged, against his knowledge, but that, his power being augmented by the Prince, he desired me to be confident in him : that while he liued in authoritie we should neuer suffer any such abuses, but we should liue in all freedome.
28.2.5
[March] 13. — I sent a Complement to Asaph Chan, a faire wrought Night-cap of mine owne, and a rich paire of Gloues, which he returned as vselesse in this Countrey ; the Cap he receiued, and desired some Alegant Wine, which I sent the next day at night. Aganor (whose diligence now gaue me great hope and ease) sent a Bannian his Secretary to tell mee hee had order for the dispatch of the Merchants goods, and that his man should attend Master Biddolph to finish it : that the patternes should be sent me home: and that the King would giue me a Coat, and money to beare my charges to the Prince. I returned answere that I had no vse of a Babylonish Garment, nor needed money : if his Maiestie were pleased to consider the iniuries offered, of which the Paper testified remayned in his hands, and to giue me his Letter to the Prince with some Presents or else to write in my excuse, it was all I would desire : but for his gifts I expected none but Justice. [March] 21. — I yet could not at instant presse it further ; only I discouered the Kings doubts, for he suspected my stealing out of his Countrey, and breach with our Nation ; for the Prince, either out of guiltinesse or feare, or perhaps cunning, to make vs the pretence of his owne dessignes, had newly enformed the King that next yeare the English purposed the taking of Surat and keeping it, of which our owne folly gaue some colour;
28.2.6
for lately vpon one of their ordinary brabbles they caused two hundred Musketers to land and march toward Surat, and being met by diuers the ioyfull Mariners gaue out they went to take it. This absurde brauado (for a handful of men to passe twelue mile to a walled Towne, able to put out a thousand horse armed and as many shot, a Riuer to passe which a few men would defend against a good Armie) gaue iust occasion of scorne and offence; and which the Prince apprehended for some other his owne ends, to refortifie the Castle and Towne, and to send downe Ordnance for the defence: a good prouision to keepe a doore open to flie out, if his Brother liue to correct his ambition. But this information occurring with my discontents heere, and some free language, my pressure to goe to Brampore, and flying newes that we had taken Goa and were preparing a great Fleet in England, did cause some suspition in the King, which, though he concealed it, yet hee thought to discouer by the former Discourse, with which hee rested fully satisfied, but I did not. I had beene long fed with words, and knew as well as the heart that trembled, that feare of vs only preserued our residence.
28.2.7
March 29. — This complaining of Officers is a tune so new, so odious in Court that it troubleth all great men, it beeing their owne case, who, liuing vpon farming Gouernments in which they vse all tyrannie to the Naturals, are loth to suffer a way open to the Kings vnderstanding of their practice, who ordinarily hang men by the heeles, to confesse money or to ransome themselues from no fault: this made all men enuie my imployment, and auoid me as an Informer.
28.2.8
April 2. — I receiued from Dabull road from Captain Pepwell that according to aduise he had stayed the Iuncke bound for Mocha, but, weighing the caution giuen by mee to consider well what correspondence were betweene that Prince and Mozolapatam (in whose Territorie the Solomon was and could not get to sea), finding both alliance and friendship, he freed her without spoile (alleaging the refusall of Trade to Middleton), which courtesie procured him so good entertainment as the Indies affoords seldome: free Trade and promise to take three hundred Clothes yearely, a good quantitie of Lead sold for money, and some Ordnance (which I like not: to arme the Indians, and the Portugals friends, enemies to the Mogoll) and all other courtesies, which (if this kindnesse proceeded not for that the luncke was yet vnder command) giues me good hope of some Trade in sale yearely at the Port. Howeuer, the freeing of the luncke assures me the Commander will doe nothing by catching preiudiciall to the Company, and deliuer himselfe honestly from the iealousies cast vpon him from Dabul. Hee signifies his intent to proceed to Callicute; and if that Factorie be not worth supplyes to transmit it to Dabul.