The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 36.1
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 36.1
- Language
- English
36.1.1
1. You shall liue frugally, soberly like merchants without prodigall expences, the Country beeing Cheape ; and trauell with as few seruants as may stand with safety. 2. You shall not bringe vp a Custome of giuen presents to euery Gouernor, nor at Court flourish and braue yt ; for I giue it for a rule, you shall meete with a kinge affable and Curteous to strangers, not like our Mogol, but one that will eate vpon any man, greate and gett, and when hee hath left you empty will not know you. 3. The Chardge of your house and trauell I cannot limitt, though Commanded to doe soe ; but thinke that a houshould of fiue may honestly passe their ordinary chardge for 100 li. sterling per anno, keepinge two horses. In trauell it shalbe allway better to buy then hire your horses or wagons, if your seruants bee carefull. 4. You shall, of all other things, obserue this strictly : that the proceede of your goods, how much or little soeuer, may bee ready to bee shipt at your port the 10th of September.
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5. Yf you send by shipping, wheras I mentioned sendinge two merchants in my lettre, I hould it needlesse, only one to carrie these Commissions and Instructions, to bee deliuered to those whome I hope you shall find ready, it beinge just and reasonable that they who haue begune this negotiation should bee esteemed as most worthie and sufficient to continew it. But wheras ther are noe goods sent, I hould it fitt that two or 3 at most remayne to make this triall and to cleare the ould estate aduentured [and?] the proceed, and such as are found vselesse and vnfitt, to returne with the shipp to bee imployd in other seruice ; or, if they already in experience find it to bee no fitt place nor course of trade to be continewed, then it shalbe most expedient to reship all your goods and seruants at port, and if any remayning aboue with any parte vnsould, to direct or send one vp with these directions, to make once more a full ouerture, and to aduize ouerland, both to England and India, and, in case of noe hopes to proceed, to passe by Carrauan with his remayner in the finest goods to Agra.
36.1.3
6. If it shall soe happen that Master Connock or any other hath either taken vpon him [the] title of Embassador or otherwise by any prodigality wasted the Companies stocke, not behaueinge himselfe as a merchant in sobriety or in religion and manneres as a good Christian, you shall then all joyntly togither dischardge him, or any such, from any more interest in the Companies seruice in persia [and] shipe him away, requiringe him or any other so offendinge to obey and submitt himselfe to yeild vp all such authoritie vsurped or giuen, in the name of his Maiestie my Souerainge lord, as hee will answere it at his vtmost perill; if not soe (which wee hope), to continew him in his place and reputation. In such case, by virtue of the King's authoritie giuen vnto mee his Ambassador, and vnto the cheefe Commander of the fleete, Captain Martin Prinne, and the Cape merchant, Master Thomas Kerridge, by the Committes of the Honourable Company of East India Merchants, wee doe ordeyne and nominate to the excecution of these instructions and to the manadging of the said Companys stocke and affayres, as Cheefe or Cape Merchant or Principall, Thomas Barker; and in case of any defaulte of him in death or otherwise, George Plea, and for his second, William Bell; whom wee require to excecute with all diligence these instructions, and all other to obey them in their place and qualety. God, whom I hope you will all only rely one, direct and blesse you. Tho. Roe.
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I am not so in loue with myne owne opinion that I thinck it ought to bee a law. If you the Cheefe Commander [and] Master Kerridge, Cape merchant, with your Counsailes can add any thinge to these my suddeyne thoughts or in your judgementes find any fitt to bee altered (for god knowes I am no merchant, but follow common reason), I desire you to bee very free. It is the Companies seruice; I will consent vnto it..... neythere doe I thincke it fitt, choosinge sober and discreet men to negotiat any busines, so strictly to tye them to instructions as that they may not haue the vse and libertie of their owne reason and experience; for I well knowe no man can sitt in India and direct punctually busines in Persia, subiect to alterations and new accurents. Therefore that these in generall shall serue only as a rule, wherby to frame their course that shalbe imployed, which in extraordinarye occasion they may alter, vpon the perill of their honesty and discretion. Dated in Mandoa, 6 October, 1617. [October] 12. — According to promise, Asaph Chan carryed mee to the Prince, into his priuate roome, where I presented him with a small China Gold-chaine, in a China Cup. He vsed me indifferently.
36.1.5
Asaph Chan perswaded him to alter his course towards vs, telling him hee gained yearely by vs a Lecke of Rupias at his Port : that it appeared we yearely encreased our trade, and it would in time bring profit : that if the hard measure were continued, we would quit both that and the Countrey, of which inconuenience would ensue : That we were his Subiects (such words he must vse) : if, for desire of toyes, he gaue vs discontent, we would practise to conceale all from him : but if hee gaue vs that libertie which was fit, wee would striue to bring all before him, for that I only studyed his content and fauour : for my particular, that he should receiue mee, when I came to visite him, with honour and according to my qualitie : it would encourage mee to doe him seruice, and content my Nation. Finally, hee moued him for a Firman for our present ease, and obtained it, promising all manner of content, and at instant gaue order to Asaph Chan, his Secretary, to draw it in euery point according to my owne desires, and to write a Letter to the Gouernour in recommendations of it : and that I should at all times haue any other Letter, when I called for it. It is easily seene with how base and vnworthy men I traffique. Asaph Chan, for a sordid hope only of buying some toyes, was so reconciled as to betray his sonne, and to me obsequious, euen to flattery ; for the ground of all this friendship was that he might buy the Gold taken in the prize, and some other knackes.
36.1.6
To which end he desired to send downe a seruant, which I could not deny without losing him I had so long laboured to get ; neither was it ill for vs, for his payment is good, and it will saue vs much charge and trouble to sell aboord, especially wine and luggish that spoiles in cariage ; and he obtained leaue vnder false colours, and wrote to the Gouernour in our behalfes, with all manner of kindnesse. There is a necessitie of his friendship : his word is law ; and therefore I durst not see his vnworthinesse ; and hope by this course to winne him, at least to make present good vse of him. Vpon this occasion I moued for a Firman for Bengala, which he promised, and would neuer before hearken to. And this effect of his greatnesse [gratefulness?] I found: that hee prosecuted our debters, as if his owne ; and, passing by the Cutwalls on his Elephant, called to command dispatch, which was an vnusuall fauour ; vpon which Groo was imprisoned, and Muckshu had two dayes libertie only to pay vs ; and I doubt not but to end that in ten dayes, the summe being foure and forty thousand Rupias and the debters most shifting false knaues in India. [October] 21.
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— At this instant came in to me from Asaph Chan a seruant, in the name of Normahal : that shee had moued the Prince for another Firman that all our goods might bee in her protection, and that shee had obtained it, and was readie to send down her seruant with that, to see and take order for our good establishment : that shee would see that wee should not bee wronged : That Asaph Chan had done this for feare of the Princes violence, and because of his delayes : that now, hee was sure, that his sister had desired to bee our Protectresse, that the Prince would not meddle : that vpon his honour I should receiue all things consigned to mee : that shee had written such a command, and charged her seruant to assist our Factors, so that we should haue neuer more cause to complaine of Surat : Therefore hee desired of mee two or three words to the Captaine and Factors to vse him kindly, and let him buy for her some toyes, such as I would spare. This I durst not deny, though I saw the greedinesse ; and gaue him a note on condition to see the Copy of the Firman, which was sealed and I could not without leaue ; and so he was dispeeded. But you may by this iudge this place, how easie it were to raise a stocke. Last yeare, wee were not looked after. Now, because I translated the Cargazon of fine wares (yet concealed the Pearle) and gaue it to the King, euery one is ready to runne downe to buy ; Normahall and Asaph Chan studying to doe me good offices ;
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many great men desiring a letter to send their seruants downe ; so that, if you had treble this stocke, it would be bought vp aboord, and saue you custome and carriage and spoile. For which purpose out of this I haue ordered your Factory to sell to the seruants of Normahall and her brother whatsoeuer may bee spared, so that I may bee fitted at Court in any proportion. Thus I shall saue trouble and you charge ; the Prince preuented, and our friends confirmed, and yet I hope sufficient for to please the King and his Sonne ; at the deliuery of which Asaph Chan hath vndertaken the Firman for Bengala, or any Port, and a generall command and grant of free Priuiledges in all his Dominions.