The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 7.1

7.1

Asniere, the Court of the Mogull, January 17, 1615 [-16]. My Lord, Only for promise, which is an honest debt, I send your Lordship a Iournall till my arriuall at Brampore, a Citie of houses made of mudde, where one of the Kings sonnes keepeth his Court. He is called Perueys. I had need to write an Apologie for it, there being nothing of worth, nothing memorable, and yet not my fault; but I had rather trust your Noblenesse, then trouble you with excuses; and so descend to a more vniuersall description of the state and customes of the Land. They haue no written Law. The King by his owne word ruleth, and his Gouernours of Prouinces by that authoritie. Once a week he sitteth in iudgement patiently, and giueth sentence for crimes Capitall and Ciuill. He is euery mans heire when he dyeth, which maketh him rich, and the Countrey so euill builded. The great men about him are not borne Noble, but Fauourites raised; to whom hee giueth (if it be true) wonderfull meanes. They are reckoned by Horses; that is to say; Coronels of twelue thousand Horses, which is the greatest (whereof are foure, besides his sonnes and wife): so descending to twentie Horses. Not that any of these are bound to keepe or raise any at all;