To
Which He Answered, That His Behaviour Was Right, And The King's
Entertainment Of Him Satisfactory, Till The Jesuits Insinuated He Was
Only A Merchant, And Not Sent Immediately By The King Of England.
After
this he was neglected, and died since.[136] Also, that he thought it fit
that some one of
Our nation of good respect should remain at court, to
procure redress of any wrongs that might be offered; to which function
Mr Edwards was chosen to go to Agra, as the person most answerable to
the company's instructions, on which occasion some question was made,
whether it would be proper he should proceed in the character of a
merchant, according to the strict letter of the instructions, which Mr
Aldworth conceived would procure him disrespect with the king; and,
after some contest, some way was given to Mr Edwards in this affair,
lest they should disagree in their proceedings, especially as it had
been reported by some already, that he was a messenger from the king of
Britain.
[Footnote 135: This commission had six questions, of which I only
insert what is fit for the public eye. - Purch.]
[Footnote 136: It has been said on a former occasion, that he died of
poison, given, as was thought, by the jesuits. - Purch.]
After much opposition to our desire of trade, there came a firmaun
from the king on the 24th November, which, according to custom, the
nabob met in state two miles from the city, attended by 600 horse. Next
day we were kindly entertained, and the nabob gave Mr Edwards 850
mahmoudies, thirty pieces of topseels, ten of fine calicoes, and other
things. The money being to bear the charges of carrying up the present
to the king, who was not willing we should incur any expence on that
account, and the stuffs as a gratification to those who carried them up.
To the merchants also he gave fifteen pieces of topseels, five to
each, with his chop or licence for our departure, and promises of kind
usage, all this being done in presence of those who brought the
firmaun. The 30th, Mr Edwards and we set out for Amadavar
[Ahmedabad.]
The 2d of December we reached Broach, whence the governor sent a guard
of horse with us to Demylode, and there we had a new escort of horse
and foot to Charmondo;[137] whence we departed on the 7th with
twenty-five soldiers, all notorious thieves, as we afterwards found.
With these we went ten coss, when we pitched our tents in a plain,
barricading ourselves as usual with our carts. While at supper, we had
nearly been assaulted by fifty horse, who passed close by us, but they
found us well provided for our defence, and it appeared that the charge
we carried was well known in all the country through which we travelled.
The 8th we came to Brodera, [Brodrah] and made a present to the
governor, who received it very kindly, and particularly requested to see
our mastiff dog.
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