[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) › 5.1 # The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 5.1 The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 5.1 - **Language:** English ### [5.1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1.1) Most Illustrious Lord, The Injuries your Excellence or your predecessors haue offered to the subjects of the high and mighty Prince, the King of England, my royall Master, by assalting them in that peacable course of trade, contrarye to the Amytye and leauge of both our Soueraynes, although by the asistance of God you haue receiued shame and Confusion in your vnchristian Attempts, yet I haue commandement to admonish you, like the subject of a Prince at Peace with my Master, to desist from vndertaking that which can bring foorth no other effect but warr and reuenge and shedding of Christian blood. And because it can not bee supposed you haue done thus vnwoorthely without having mistaken the entent of our Comming into these parts, I haue command from his Majestie to signifie to you, as his Majesties Embassador resident at Madrill hath done there, that the English entend nothing but free trade, open by the lawes of Nations to all men, wherof in these terretoryes of the Mogull & other Neighboring Princes there is enough for both, if auarice doe not blynd all reason in your Excellence. It is not the Purpose of the English to roote out or hinder your trade ; but to Continew theyr owne in frendship, and wilbe ready as Christians to doe you any curtesye or assist your Excellence or nation in any want. ### [5.1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1.2) Neither doe they desire, if your Excellence haue any custome, reuenewe, or Gabell from the Merchants subject to the Mogull trading at sea, to take it from you or otherwise impeach your receipt therof. That it is strange that the two Mightie Princes our Masters and theyr Subjects beeing freends and in free commerce one with another, your Excellence should dare to infring yt; wishing your Excellence to remember what the wronges offered by your Nation did cost you, how many Millions, both of Men and Crownes, in the dayes of the blessed and famous Queene Elizabeth, the same force and spiritt still liuing in our Nation; aduising you to giue more reuerent tearmes of the Majestie of a Christian Kyng then your barbarous miscelaneous people haue vsed in these parts. To which purpose hauing now in frendly Manner admonished your Excellence, as befitts the Honor of a Prince tender of his Royall woord, I am to giue you farther Notice that his Majestie is resolued to Maynteyne his subjects in their honest indeauours, in spight of any enemyes; and to that Purpose hath sent me, beeing a gentellman of his Priuy Chamber and a souldiar, his Ambassador to the Greatt Mogull, with full power and Authorytye to conclude a leauge and frendship betweene theyr Majesties and theyr subjects for euer, bynding himselfe by his Royall woord to maynteyne and fulfill whatsoeuer I his Embassador shall conclude with the Great Mogull, to the securytye of theyr subjects. ### [5.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1.3) Into which leauge I haue command to offer your Excellence comprisure; letting you knowe I am ready to goe to Adsmere, wher I will attend your answer 40 dayes, and, in case of refusall or silence, which I will vnderstand a refusall, I will proceede to such conclusions as I shall in my Judgment thincke conduceable to the ends for which I am imployed; assuring your Excellence, if you continew in this course. The Kings Majestie will not only giue protection in the way of defence, but grant his lettres of prisall free to all his subjects to make war vpon you in all parts of the Indyes, a thing infinitely desiered and dayly sued for to his Majestie, wherby you shall not be able to looke out at your Ports, much lesse to attempt to Injure vs. But, hoping you will haue more consideration, I require your answere within the tyme prefixed, and so I Committ you to Gods protection. Your frend or enemye at your owne Choyce, D. Tho. Roe, Ambassador of the Majestie of England. Suratt, October 20, 1615, stil. vet. October 20. — A lettre Came from the king, but not once named the English, as my entelligence enformed me; but concernd the Injuryes of a Merchant wroonged by the Gouernor. ### [5.1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1.4) October 21. — I rode early with Captain Peyton, Master Bonner and others, to the Tancke to take the ayre; and returned on purpose by a greene, wher vsually the Gouernor is at his exercise, to obserue his Countenance, because Captain Harris tould me he desired a frendship. When I came there, he left his play at balle on horsbacke and Came toward me. I stayed his Comming vp. After salutations, and asking of my horses and why I vsed not his, to which I answered I had these at my Command from a good frend Chrabbeckcan, he desired me to see their excersice a-horsebacke, which I accepted off. Whervpon hee sent for his bowes, and with diuers others passed many Carrers shooting backward at a marke on the ground, and after at an Eastreadge eggshell on the top of a May pole. Then hee tooke his Peece and did the like, and after with lances, counterfeyting a Chase and at the full speed of theyr horses, full of varietye, beeing veary Actiue and manly sports ; which finished, he desired me to Honor him, to see his house. I was so willing to Close with him for the furtherance of our busines that I was entreated to doe yt, though I knew I should find in my reception nothing to Content me. For after theyr rude manner at his Court gate he alighted and went in in a hurry, soe that I stayed a pretty whyle and entered with the English alone. When I came neare he mett me and led me vp into a howse of pleasure, where wee sate, discoursing of the warr, armes, and Customes of these parts. ### [5.1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1.5) Then Captain Peyton tould him the Generall had sent him a present in requitall of a former ; and soe deliuering the parcells, he tooke two things and with infinite scorne cast the rest away, saying thoose hee tooke as a token but not as a Present, repeating the valew of his. This I mention that you may know theyr custome, at least this man. So I returned to demand my goodes, to repeate the discurtesyes, but I wanted no fayre promises and excuses. Asking when I departed, I replyed : in two dayes ; wherat the Merchannts desired leaue to pass vp some Cloth in my Company, which hee flattly refused, turning to me, swearing by his head and beard he had expresse order to the Contrary, and to suffer vs only to vnlade one ship in a month, and after to depart ; and except I could dispeed and procure longer time, he must obey it I answered him roughly that we card not, yet I could not beleeue his Master was so vnconstant. Soe I tooke my leaue ; butt at night could get nothing from the Custome howse. ### [5.1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1.6) October 22. — Having advised that, seeing now in fiue weekes we hard not one woord of Master Edwardes, woondring that these Changes would be at Court without his pryuitie, and that I could not goe on my lourny with any expedition, desierous to haue some Newes from aboue and to take my prouisions with me, I resolued to addresse my Complaynt by post to Master Edwardes to deliuer to the Mogull in my Name. The Merchannts acquaynting the Generall speedily therof, who wrote his lettre to Master Edwardes, as I suppose, of Complaynt; and it beeing sent to Suratt, the Merchants dispeeded it away without my knowledge, or once asking me if I would write, which I tooke in veary ill part, hauing receiued many neglects by reason that all obedience and obsequiousnes was giuen him who could pleasur them, and it was published among them I had nothing to doe with them. Yet within one hower I sent a Post after yt, with my instructions to Master Edwardes how to proceed and how far for our present redresse here, and to dispeed yt to the factory, letting him know, since I was arriued, all the wrongs of the Kings subjects concerned me and that I should answer for them and that therfore in my name he ought to proceed, which I doubt not he will effect. The Coppie therof is registred. The Generall sent 4 of the factors for Baroch and Amadauaz by a New way from the shipes, the Gouernor suffering none to passe from Suratt. ### [5.1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1.7) October 23. — I sent two Merchants to the Gouernor to demand those things which he deteyned. He answered I might be gone to night if I would, but I should haue nothing, bidding them tend their owne busines : that they had but 15 dayes to staye. At night the Generall writte me woord of the misfortune at Adsmere, which hee receiued from Amadauaz by way of Apologye in the excuse of one Mitford, that had stabbd Master Edwardes at a Consultation for some woordes vsed ; which the Generall very rightly conceiued a great offence and dispatchd lettres to Adsmere. But I, not knowing the Contents, but weighing the offence to be of a high Nature, dishonorable to his Maiestie, whose Ambassador Edwardes pretended to be, and prejudiciall to the busines now in hand on fickle tearmes, I thought it fitt that to avoyde the scandall some part of Justice and reparation should beginn where the offence was most scandalous, and therfore wrote to Master Edwardes to cause him to be layd in Irons in his house vntill I came vp; purposing after examination to send him publiquely bound as Prisoner to the fleete, with the true Coppy of the Cause on both parts. For if authoritye haue abused itselfe, though it be free from reuenge by those that are subordinat, yet it must answere to a higher authoritye, or all bandes of Gouerment are dissolued. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.roe-embassy~en-foster.5.1) · Pramāṇa