On The 10th, 11th, And 12th, I Was Occupied At Court In Giving Notice To
The King And Prince That
A Dutch ship lay before Surat, and refused to
give notice of its object till the arrival of a fleet
To which it
belonged, which was expected with the first fair wind. I took advantage
of this circumstance to make them apprehensive of the designs of the
Hollanders, and the dangers that might arise from them, all of which was
well taken. And, being consulted on the subject, I advised not to come
to a rupture with them, and yet to exclude them from trade.
The last of these days I went to visit Gemaldin Ussen,[202] the
viceroy of Patan,[203] and lord of four cities in Bengal, a man of
seventy years of age, who had often been employed as an ambassador by
the Mogul, had more understanding and courtesy than all his countrymen,
was universally esteemed for his hospitality and regard to strangers,
and was considered as entirely free from secret ambition. He had often
invited me to his house, to which I went this day, and was received with
extraordinary kindness and friendship. He even offered me a lack of
rupees, and such other demonstrations of courtesy, as bespoke their own
refusal. He offered me likewise his credit and favour with the king, and
his best advice in every emergence; indeed, omitting nothing that could
evince his desire to serve me. All this seemed cordially to proceed from
the heart, especially from a person of his years and experience; and, in
the course of our conversation, he spoke so plainly of many of the chief
men about the court, which, from my own experience, I knew for truth,
that I was satisfied he was a true-hearted and well-disposed old man.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 458 of 910
Words from 124123 to 124428
of 247546
