Without Using Any Title Of Majesty.
After Some Few Words, The Ambassador Was Placed In The Seventh Rank,
Close To
The rail beside the door, and below many of the king's
servants, which, in my opinion, was a very mean
Place for the ambassador
of Persia; but he richly merited this degradation for doing that mean
reverence to the dishonour of his master which all his predecessors had
refused, and by which he gave much offence to many of his nation. It is
reported that he had orders from Shah Abbas to give content in all
things, and hence it is conjectured that he is sent to obtain some aid
in money against the Turks, in which kind the court of Persia often
finds liberal succour from the Mogul government. Others pretend that his
object is to mediate a peace for the princes of the Deccan, whose
protection Shah Abbas is said to have much at heart, being jealous of
the extension of this empire.
According to custom, the king gave him a handsome turban, a vest of
cloth of gold, and a girdle, for which he again made three tessalims
and a sizeda, or ground courtesy. The present he brought consisted of
three times nine Persian and Arabian horses, this being among them a
ceremonious number; nine very large and handsome mules; seven camels
laden with velvet; two suits of European Arras, or tapestry, which I
suppose was Venetian; two chests of Persian hangings; one rich cabinet;
four muskets; five clocks; a camel's load of cloth of gold; eight silk
carpets; two balasss rubies; twenty-one camel loads of wine made of
grapes; fourteen camel loads of distilled sweet waters; seven of
rose-water; seven daggers and five swords adorned with precious stones;
seven Venetian mirrors, all so fair and rich that I was ashamed of the
relation.
These presents were not now delivered, but only a list of them in
writing. His own equipage was rich, having nine led horses, their
trappings all studded with gold and silver. His turban was encircled by
a chain of pearls, rubies, and turquoises, having three pipes of gold,
in which were three plumes of feathers. Having thus caused accurate
observation to be made of his reception, and compared it with my own, I
find it in nothing more gracious than my own, and in many things
inferior, except only in being met without the town, which, owing to my
sickness, was not demanded; neither did the king receive the letter of
Shah Abbas with so much respect as that of the king, my master, whom he
called the king of England, his brother, naming the Persian barely his
brother, without addition. This observation was made by the jesuit, who
understood the language.
Sec.5. Continuation of Occurrences at Court, till leaving Agimere, in
November, 1616.
The 20th of October I received the prince's letter to send to Sarat,
with orders for the governor of that city to sit along with the judge
of the custom-house, to take care that no wrong was done to the English.
The clause about sending up the presents sealed and unsearched to me,
was so obscure and unintelligible, that it was susceptible of various
constructions, which I believed was done designedly, that they might
come into the hands of the prince, so as to become his own.
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