The Chec Furt, Who Was
Extremely Ready To Undertake Any Commission Of This Kind, Would
Needs Direct Us In The
Affair, and told us that our gifts ought to
be of greater value, because we had neglected making any such
Offer
at our first audience, contrary to the custom of that country. By
these pretences he obliged us to make a present to the value of
about twenty pounds, with which he seemed to be pleased, and told us
we had nothing to do but prepare to make our entry.
Chapter VI
The King refuses their present. The author's boldness. The present
is afterwards accepted. The people are forbidden to sell them
provisions. The author remonstrates against the usage. The King
redresses it.
But such was either the hatred or avarice of this man, that instead
of doing us the good offices he pretended, he advised the King to
refuse our present, that he might draw from us something more
valuable. When I attended the King in order to deliver the
presents, after I had excused the smallness of them, as being,
though unworthy his acceptance, the largest that our profession of
poverty, and distance from our country, allowed us to make, he
examined them one by one with a dissatisfied look, and told me that
however he might be pleased with our good attentions, he thought our
present such as could not be offered to a king without affronting
him; and made me a sign with his hand to withdraw, and take back
what I had brought. I obeyed, telling him that perhaps he might
send for it again without having so much. The Chec Furt, who had
been the occasion of all this, coming to us afterwards, blamed us
exceedingly for having offered so little, and being told by us that
the present was picked out by himself, that we had nothing better to
give, and that what we had left would scarce defray the expenses of
our journey, he pressed us at least to add something, but could
prevail no farther than to persuade us to repeat our former offer,
which the King was now pleased to accept, though with no kinder
countenance than before.
Here we spent our time and our provisions, without being able to
procure any more. The country indeed affords goats and honey, but
nobody would sell us any, the King, as I was secretly informed,
having strictly prohibited it, with a view of forcing all we had
from us. The patriarch sent me to expostulate the matter with the
King, which I did in very warm terms, telling him that we were
assured by the Emperor of a reception in this country far different
from what we met with, which assurances he had confirmed by his
promise and the civilities we were entertained with at our first
arrival; but that instead of friends who would compassionate our
miseries, and supply our necessities, we found ourselves in the
midst of mortal enemies that wanted to destroy us.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 21 of 79
Words from 10483 to 10986
of 41322
