When I Was In This Country, The Chief Jesuit Residing At The Court Of
The Mogul, Was Francisco Corsi, A Florentine By Birth, Who Acted
Likewise As Agent For The Portuguese.
I wish I could confirm the reports
they have made of conversions; but the real truth is, that they
Have
merely spilt the water of baptism on the faces of a few, working on the
necessities of some poor men, who from want of means to live, with which
the jesuits supplied them, have been persuaded to wear crucifixes, but
who, for want of instruction, are only Christians in name. Of these few
mendicants, or so called by Christians, I noticed that five of them
would beg in the name of Maria, for one who asked in the name of Jesus.
I also desired to have put my hands to the holy work, but found extreme
difficulty in the way, owing both to the Mahometan laxity in regard to
the use of women, and the debauched lives of some unchristian
Christians. - May he who hath the key of David open their eyes, and in
his good time send labourers into this vineyard. Amen.
SECTION VIII.
JOURNEY OF THOMAS CORYAT BY LAND, FROM JERUSALEM TO THE COURT OF THE
GREAT MOGUL.[245]
INTRODUCTION.
Without proposing to follow this singularly bold English traveller and
whimsical writer, in all his crudities, as he has quaintly termed his
own writings, it has seemed proper to give some abbreviated extracts of
his observations, which may serve in some measure to illustrate those of
Sir Tomas Roe and the Reverend Edward Terry. - E.
[Footnote 245: Purch. Pilgr. I. 607. In regard to this short article,
see introduction to the immediately preceding Section. - E.]
Sec.1. Letter from Ajimeer, the Court of the Great Mogul, to Mr L.
Whitaker, dated in the Year 1615.
My last letter to you was from Zobah, as it is called by the prophet
Samuel, B. II. ch. viii. v. 3. now named Aleppo, the principal emporium
of all Syria, or rather of the eastern world; which was, I think, about
fifteen months ago. I returned from Jerusalem to Aleppo, where I
remained three months afterwards, and then departed in a caravan bound
for Persia. Passing the river Euphrates, the chiefest of the rivers
which irrigated the terrestrial paradise, when about four days journey
from Aleppo, I entered into Mesopotamia, or Chaldea. Hence, in two days
journey, I reached Ur of the Chaldees, where Abraham was born, a very
delicate and pleasant city.[246] I remained here four days; and in other
four days journey reached the Tigris, which I also passed, at a place
where it was so shallow that it only reached to the calf of my leg, so
that I waded over a-foot. I then entered into the greater Armenia; and
thence into lower Media, and resided six days in its metropolis,
formerly called Ecbatana, the summer residence of Cyrus the Great, now
called Tauris. More woeful ruins of a city I never beheld, excepting
those of Troy and of Cyzicum in Natolia.
[Footnote 246: Probably Orfa in Diarbekir is here meant. - E.]
From that place I went to Cashbin, called by Strabo, Arsacia, in
higher Media, once the residence of the Tartar prince; four days journey
from the Caspian Sea. From Cashbin, I went in twenty-three days to
Ispahan in Parthia, the residence of the king of Persia; but while I
was there, he was in Gurgistan, [Georgia,] ransacking the poor
Christians of that country with fire and sword. I remained two months at
Ispahan, whence I travelled with a caravan to the eastern India, passing
four months and several days in travelling from that city, through part
of Persia proper, and a large extent of the noble and renowned India, to
the goodly city of Lahore. This is one of the largest cities in the
world, being, at the least, sixteen miles in circuit, and larger even
than Constantinople. Twelve days before coming to Lahore, I passed over
the famous river Indus, which is as broad again as our Thames at London,
having its original from the mountain of Caucassus, so ennobled by
ancient poets and historians, both Greek and Latin.
When about midway between Ispahan and Lahore, just about the frontiers
between Persia and India, I met Sir Robert Shirley and his lady,
travelling from the court of the Mogul to that of Persia. They were
gallantly furnished for their journey, and shewed me, to my great
satisfaction, both my books, very neatly kept, and promised to shew
them, especially my itinerary, to the king of Persia, and to interpret
some of the principal contents to him in Turkish, that I may have the
more gracious access to him at my return. Besides other rarities which
they carried with them, they had two elephants and eight antelopes,
being the first of either I had ever seen. But afterwards, when I came
to the Mogul's, court, I saw many. They intended to present these
animals to the king of Persia. Both Sir Robert and his lady used me with
much respect; especially his lady, who presented me with forty shillings
in Persian money; and they seemed joyful at meeting me, promising to
bring me into good grace with the king of Persia, as I mean, with God's
help, to return through Persia to Aleppo.
From Lahore, I travelled in twenty days to another goodly city named
Agra, through such a beautiful and level country as I had never seen
before. In this way, from the town's end of Lahore to the skirts of
Agra, we had a row of trees on both sides of the road, the most
incomparable avenue I ever beheld. Some ten days journey from Lahore
towards Agra, but about ten miles off the road on the left hand, there
is a mountain, the inhabitants of which have a singular custom, all the
brothers of one family having but one wife among them, so that one women
sometimes has six or seven husbands.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 182 of 243
Words from 184890 to 185901
of 247546
