There
Were Many Great Men, He Alleged, Who Were Better Able To Shew Me
Kindness, But Were Proud And False-Hearted, And He Wished Me Therefore
To Trust None Of Them.
For, if I had any business to transact concerning
the Portuguese or any other, they who acted as my interpreters would
never deliver the truth, but only what pleased themselves, or would give
satisfaction in the relation.
That, therefore, I should never be rightly
understood, nor be able to effect my business without being abused and
cheated, nor ever clearly know the situation in which I stood, until I
had an Englishman who could speak Persian, who was able rightly to
deliver what I wished to have said, without using any other person. And,
if I could find any such, the king would readily grant me leave to
employ him, having conceived a good opinion of me; insomuch, that the
preceding night, at the Guzalcan, when the jewels of Sheik Ferid,
governor of Lahore, who was lately deceased, were presented to him, he
remembered me of his own accord, and seeing a picture of himself which
pleased him, he delivered it to Asaph Khan, commanding him to send it to
me, that I might wear it for his sake, with many words of favour
concerning me, which would make all the great men respect me.
While thus conversing, dinner was served. So sitting down on a carpet, a
cloth was spread, divers kinds of banqueting dishes were set before us.
The like was done a little on one side for the gentlemen of his company,
with whom he went to eat, as they hold it a kind of uncleanness to
mingle with us. Upon this, I told him that he had promised we should eat
bread and salt together, and without his company I felt little appetite,
whereupon he arose from the rest, and sat down beside me, and we fell
heartily to our repast. It consisted of various kinds of dishes,
together with raisins, almonds, pistachio nuts, and various fruits.
After dinner, he played at chess, and I walked about, and after some
time spent in discourse, I offered to take my leave. But he said he had
invited me to eat with him, and hitherto we had only had a collation,
wherefore he entreated I might not depart till we had supped together,
to which I readily consented.
About an hour after, the ambassador of one of the kings of the Deccan
came to visit him, whom he presented to me, using him with civility, but
much inferior to the respect he had shewn me. He afterwards asked me,
if the king my master would scorn the offer of service from so poor a
man as he was, and if he would vouchsafe to accept a present from a
stranger, as he proposed to send a gentleman to England with me to kiss
the hands of my sovereign, and to see our country. I answered him as
became me, with all civility; so he sent for one presently, whom he
questioned if he would venture upon such a journey, and as this person
seemed willing, he presented him to me, saying he would provide some of
the curiosities of the country for the king my master, and send them by
this gentleman along with me.
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