The King
Acknowledged That This Was True, Yet Could Not Be Mended.
By this the
affections of the prince were made sufficiently manifest, and I had fair
warning to be on my guard, that I might study to preserve ourselves in
the good graces of the king, in which only we could be safe.
I resolved,
however, to take no notice of this, except by endeavouring to give the
prince a better opinion of our nation.
On the 22d of May I went to the king at the durbar, to solicit his
authority to get back a youth named Jones, who had run away from me to
an Italian, who protected him to the disgrace of our nation, by using
the king's name. The king gave me an order for his delivery; but the
prince, who waited every opportunity to injure us, for the sake of his
favourite, Zulphecar Khan, moved the king in private to send for the
youth first, to the Guzalcan, which was done. I had newly broken off
from conferring with the prince, on account of his partiality to
Zulphecar Khan, and had sent him word that I would no longer refrain
from stating our grievances to the king in person, which was the cause
of his enmity towards me. When Jones was brought before the king, being
instigated by the protection and countenance of the prince, he railed
against me to my face, with the most virulent malice, beseeching the
king to save his life; on which the king resolved not to deliver him up
to me, but to send him as a prisoner to Surat. But the prince, to brave
me, begged to have him for a servant, as the fellow had renounced his
country, on which the king did so, in spite of every thing I could
allege. On this the prince gave him 150 rupees, with the pay of two
horsemen, and commanded me not to meddle with him.
On the night of the 23d, Jones came and threw himself at my feet, asking
pardon for his lies and mad behaviour. I told him I would not now keep
him prisoner, as he was the prince's servant; but I would not give him
any answer till he had made public reparation for his misbehaviour, as
far as he could. Accordingly, on the next day, he contrived to get to
the Guzalcan, and there asked pardon of the king for the lies he had
spoken against me, denying every word he had then spoken, alleging he
had done so to protect himself against me, whom he had offended, and
prayed the king to send for me, that he might ask my pardon in public.
The king was well pleased, but the prince fell into a rage. I went to
the Guzalcan on the 25th, when the king protested he never believed what
Jones had said against me, and that he considered him a villain, yet
could not but protect him, as he had cast himself on his mercy.
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