I Therefore Resolved To
Appeal For Justice, By Complaint To The King In Person, Yet As Calmly
And Warily As Possible.
I feared to go to Asaph Khan on this occasion,
lest he might oppose my purpose, yet thought my
Neglect of him might be
displeasing; wherefore, if I sent to acquaint him that I proposed to
visit the king at the guzalcan, I dreaded he might suspect my purpose,
if he had learnt the injury I meant to complain of. For all which
reasons, I considered how best to avoid being counteracted.
The visit of the king to the dervise, just mentioned, gave me a good
opportunity, and my new linguist, who was a Greek I had sent for from
Agimere, being ready, I rode out to meet the king, who was returning
from the holy man on his elephant. On his majesty's approach, I
alighted, and made a sign that I wished to speak to the king, who
immediately turned his monster towards me, and prevented me, by saying,
"My son has taken your goods and my presents; be not therefore sad, for
he shall not touch nor open a lock or a seal; for at night I shall send
him an order to set them free." He made other gracious speeches,
intimating that he knew I had come brim-full of complaints, and that he
had spoken first to ease me. At this time, seeing that the king was on
the road, I could do no more; but at night, without farther seeking to
Asaph Khan, I went to the guzalcan, determined to proceed with my
complaints, to get back my goods, and to seek redress for the charges,
troubles, and abuses at Surat, and all our other grievances.
As soon as I came in, the king called my interpreter before him, and, by
means of his own, intimated that he had already dispatched his orders so
effectually, that not even to the value of a hair should be abstracted
from our goods. In reply, I stated that the injuries, charges, and
abuses we suffered from the prince's officers, were so numerous and
intolerable as could not be endured, and that I craved effectual
redress. To this it was answered, that I must apply to his son for all
past matters; but I could obtain nothing except fair words, through the
intermediation of Asaph Khan, so that I was forced to seem satisfied,
and to seek opportunities as might be for redress, when this false
friend and pretended advocate was out of the way. The good king fell at
length to dispute about the laws of Moses, Jesus, and Mahomet; and,
being in drink, turned lovingly to me, saying, "As I am a king, you
shall be all welcome, Christians and Jews as well as Mahometans, for I
meddle not with their faiths; they all come in love, and I will protect
them from wrong while they are under my dominion, and no one shall be
allowed to molest or oppress them." This he frequently repeated, but
being extremely drunk, he fell a-weeping, and into various passions, and
so kept us till midnight.
Any one may easily conceive how much I was now disconcerted by the
unjustifiable conduct of the factors, who had detained the presents for
four months at Surat, and now sent them to fall into the hands of the
prince, who was then within two days march of Burhanpoor, by which my
trouble was infinitely increased. But having now began, and suspecting
that the prince was already sufficiently exasperated upon matters of
small importance, I thought I might as well lose his favour upon great
as small matters, so I resolved to try what I could do with the king;
and, while I waited the result, I sent back the messenger to Mr Terry,
who was with the presents, desiring him to remain firm, waiting for the
king's ultimate orders, which I should send him soon.
During this interval, the king had caused the chests to be privately
brought to him, and had opened them, which came to my knowledge, on
which I determined to express my dissatisfaction at this usage, and
having obtained an audience, I made my complaint. He received me with
much mean flattery, more unworthy even of his high rank than the action
he had done, which I suppose he did to appease me, as seeing by my
countenance that I was highly dissatisfied. He began by telling me that
he had found some things that pleased him much, particularly two
embroidered cushions, or sweet-bags, a folding glass cabinet, and the
mastiff dogs, and desired me not to be discontented, for whatever I was
not disposed to give him, he would return. I answered, that most of
these things were intended for his majesty, but that it was a great
indignity to the king my master thus to seize upon what was meant to be
presented, and not permitted to come through my hands, to whom they were
sent in the first place. I added, that besides what were destined for
his majesty, some of these things were intended for Noormahal, some for
the prince, and the rest to remain in my hands, to serve as occasion
might require, to bespeak his majesty's favour to protect us from
injuries daily offered to us by strangers, and some for my friends, or
my own use, while the rest belonged to the English merchants, with which
I had no concern. He desired me not to be grieved that he had thus got
his own choice, as he had not patience to forbear from seeing them, in
which he did me no wrong, as he believed I wished him to be served
first, and that he would make satisfaction to the king my master, to
whom he would justify me. As for the prince and Noormahal, they were all
one with himself. As to bringing any presents hereafter to procure his
favour, I might be easy on that score, as it was merely a needless
ceremony, for I should be always welcome to come to him empty-handed,
and he would hear me, as it was not my fault, and he would see me
righted at all times.
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