That He Would Return Me Some Things To Enable Me
To Go To His Son, And He Would Pay The Merchants For Such Things As
Belonged To Them.
He concluded by desiring me not to be angry with the
freedom he had taken, as he meant well.
As I made no reply, he pressed
to know if I were pleased, to which I answered, that his majesty's
satisfaction must always please me.
He then began to enumerate all the things he had taken, beginning with
the mastiffs, embroidered sweet bags, the case of combs and razors, and
so forth; saying, with a smile, "You would not have me to restore these
things, and I am delighted with them?" To which I answered in the
negative. He then mentioned two glass-cases, as mean and ordinary,
asking me for whom they were intended. I answered, that one was intended
for his majesty, and the other for Noormahal. "Why then," said he, "you
will not ask me for that I have, but will be satisfied with one?" To
this I was under the necessity of yielding. He next asked for whom
certain hats were intended, which his women liked? I answered, that
three were for his majesty, and one for myself. He then said, I surely
would not take back those meant for him, and that he would return mine
if I needed it; and would not bestow it upon him. To this likewise I had
to agree. He then asked, whose were the pictures? I answered, that they
were sent me to use as occasion offered, and to dispose of as my
business might require. So he called for these, and caused them to be
opened, examining me about the women, and other little questions, asking
my judgment and opinions concerning them. The third was a picture of
Venus leading a satyr by the nose. Commanding my interpreter not to tell
me what he said on this subject, he shewed it about among his nobles,
asking them to expound its moral or interpretation, pointing out the
satyr's horns and black skin, and many other particulars. Every one
answered according to his fancy; but, liking none of their expositions,
he reserved his own opinion to himself, and commanding that all these
notions should be concealed from me, he ordered the interpreter to ask
me what it meant. I answered, that it was an invention of the painter,
to shew his art, and that it represented some poetical fable, which was
all I could say, having never seen it before. He then called upon Mr
Terry to give his opinion, who could not; on which the king asked him,
why he brought up with him an invention in which he was ignorant? On
this I interposed, saying Mr Terry was a preacher, and did not meddle
with such matters, neither had he any charge of them, having only come
along with them.
I have related this anecdote of the picture for the instruction of the
gentlemen of the East India Company, and for him who may succeed me, to
be very careful that what they send into this country may not be
susceptible of an evil interpretation; for the king and people are
pregnant with, and full of, scrupulosity and jealousy. For, though the
king concealed his opinion, yet I had ground, from what he did say, to
believe he thought the picture was meant in derision of the Asiatics,
whom he conceived to be represented by the satyr, as being of their
complexion; and that Venus leading him by the nose denoted the great
influence exercised by the women of that country over the men. He was
satisfied that I had never seen the picture, and therefore pressed me no
farther about its explanation; yet he shewed no discontent, but rolled
up the pictures, saying he would accept even the satyr as a present from
me. As for the saddle, and some other trifles, he said he would have
them sent to his son, for whom they were fit, as a present from me, to
whom he would write so effectually, pursuant to his promise, that I
should stand in no need of a solicitor near him in any of my affairs. He
added many compliments, excuses, professions, and protestations, such as
might proceed either from a very noble or very base mind.
He then enquired what was meant by the figures of the beasts, and
whether they had been sent for me to give him? I had understood that
they were very mean and ill-shaped images, from which the varnish had
come off, and were ill-formed lumps of wood. I was really ashamed of
them, and told him this was no fault of mine, those who had seized them
being guilty of the affront, in conveying them to his majesty, for whom
they were not intended, having only been sent to shew the forms of
certain animals in our country. He quickly replied, "Did you think in
England that a horse or a bull were strange to me?" I answered, that I
thought not upon such mean matters, the sender being an ordinary man,
who had sent these things out of good-will to me, and that I could not
know what might have been his thoughts. The king then said he would keep
them all; but that he desired I would procure for him a horse of the
largest size, a male and female mastiff, some tall Irish greyhounds, and
such other hunting-dogs as we had in England, adding, on the word of a
king, if I would procure him these, he would fully recompense me, and
grant every thing I desired. I answered, that I would engage to have
them sent by the next ships, but could not answer for their lives in so
long a voyage, but should direct their skins and bones to be preserved
if they died, to convince his majesty I had obeyed his commands.
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