My Trouble With This Barbarous And Unjust People Is Beyond
All Endurance.
When at the prince's, I found the promised phirmaund
drawn up indeed, but half of the agreed conditions were omitted, upon
which I refused to accept it, and desired leave to depart, that I might
treat with them in the sea.[221]
[Footnote 221: This obscure expression seems to imply a threat of taking
vengeance, or making reprisals at sea, for the oppressions of the Mogul
government against the English trade. - E.]
On the 21st, a command was issued to set free the English at Burhanpoor,
and to restore their goods; on which occasion the king observed, that,
if they had killed the Mahometan who came to drink at their house, he
had only met with his just reward. Another order was issued, commanding
Partap-shah to repay us all exactions whatsoever, and that he should
hereafter take no duties upon our goods in their way to the sea-port,
threatening, in case of failure, to deliver his son into my hands. On
the 22d, I went in person to receive these phirmaunds, and carried the
merchants along with me, together with some pearls the prince was eager
to see, and which were pretended to belong to Mr Towerson. The prince
had received some vague accounts of our having pearls to the value of
twenty or thirty thousand pounds, which he hoped to have extracted from
us. When his secretary saw our small pearls, he observed that his master
had maunds of such, and if we had no better, we might take these away.
You may judge how basely covetous these people are of jewels. I told him
that we had procured these from a gentlewoman to satisfy the prince, and
as they could not be made better, it was uncivil to be angry with
merchants who had done their best to shew their good will.
I then spoke to him about the phirmaunds, when he bluntly told me I
should have none; for as we had deceived the prince's hopes, he would
disappoint us. I had asked leave to depart, and I might come to take
leave whenever I pleased. To this I answered, that nothing could please
me more, but that I should requite their injustice in another place, for
I should now apply to the king, and depend no more on them, as I saw
their conduct was made up of covetousness and unworthiness. So I arose
to depart, but he recalled me, desiring that I might come next day to
the king and prince together, when I should have complete satisfaction.
* * * * *
"And now, reader, we are at a stand: some more idle, or more busy
spirits, willing either to take their rest, or to exchange their labour;
and some perhaps wishing they had the whole journal, and not thus
contracted into extracts of those things out of it which I conceived
more fit for the public. And, for the whole, myself could have wished
it, but neither with the honourable Company, nor elsewhere, could I
learn of it; the worthy knight himself being now employed in like
honourable embassage from his majesty to the Great Turk.
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