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.
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