He Answered, That He Knew Not What I Might Wish For, But There
Were Many Things In His Country Rare In Mine, And Desired I Might Not Be
Dainty, But Speak To Him Freely, And He Would Give Me Such Things As
Were Most Acceptable.
He then desired me to be merry, for he was the
friend of our nation and of me, and should take care we had no injury
done to us.
He then desired me to attend that night at the Guzalcan, and
to bring with me the young man who painted pictures. Then Asaph Khan
wished me to send for him to come to his house, where also he invited me
to go till the time when the king came out again, assuring me I should
be welcome, which I agreed to. I had never before been so graciously
treated by the king as now, which all the great men took notice of, and
accordingly altered their deportment towards me. It so happened that the
jesuit acted as my interpreter on this occasion, by the king's
appointment.
I went from the durbar to the house of Asaph Khan, according to
invitation, and continued there till the king came out again, when I was
conducted back, accompanied by Mr Hughes, the supposed painter, with
whom the king had some discourse. After this, I shewed the king a
curious picture I had of a friend of mine, which pleased him much, and
he shewed it to all his company. The king sent for his chief painter,
who pretended he could make as good, which I denied, on which a wager of
a horse was made between Asaph Khan and me in the king's presence, and
to please him, but Asaph afterwards retracted. After this, the Mogul
fell to drinking some Alicant wine which I had presented him, giving
some of it to those about him, and then sent for a full bottle, and
drinking a cup, sent it to me, saying it soured so fast it would be
spoiled before he could drink it, and I had none. This done, he turned
him to sleep, when all the candles were put out, and I had to grope my
way out in the dark.
This day, a gentlewoman attendant upon Noor-mahal was taken in the
king's house in some improper act with an eunuch, when another animal of
the same kind, who loved her, slew her paramour. The poor woman was set
up to the arm-pits in the ground, with the earth hard rammed around her,
being condemned to remain there three days and two nights in that
situation, without sustenance, her head and arms exposed to the violence
of the sun. If she survived, she was then to be pardoned. The eunuch was
condemned to the elephants. This damsel was found to be worth, in
pearls, jewels, and money, sixteen lack of rupees.[201]
[Footnote 201: In Purchas this sum is rated in words at sixteen hundred
thousand, while in Churchill it is only in figures 160,000.
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