A Voyage to East India, Account of voyage · Section 29
SECT. XXIX.
Of the manner of the ſtile or writing of that Court.
WHich I ſhall here inſert, and in ſome meaſure ſhew, by a Copy of a Letter written by the great Mogol unto King James in the Perſian tongue here faithfully tranſlated, which was as follows.
UNto a King rightly deſcended from his anceſtors, bred in Military affairs, clothed with honour and Juſtice, a Commander worthy of all Command, ſtrong and conſtant in the Religion, which the great Prophet Chriſt did teach King James, whoſe love hath bred ſuch an impreſſion in my thoughts, as ſhall never be forgotten, but as the ſmell of Amber, or as a Garden of fragrant flowers, whoſe beauty and …dour is ſtill increaſing: ſo be aſſured my love ſhall ſtill grow and increaſe with yours.
The Letters which you ſent me in the behalf of your Merchants I have received, whereby I reſt ſatisfied of your tender love towards me, deſiring you not to take it ill, that I have not wrote to you her etofore, this preſent Letter I ſend you to renew our loves, and herewith do certifie you, that I have ſent forth my Firmaunes throughout all my Countries to this effect, that if any Engliſh Ships or Merchants ſhall arrive in any of my Ports, my people ſhall permit and ſuffer them to do what they pleaſe, freely in their Merchandizing cauſes, aiding and aſſiſting them in all occaſion of injuries that ſhall be offered them, that the leaſt cauſe of diſcourteſie be not done unto them, that they may be as free, or freer than my own people.
And as now, and formerly, I have received from you divers tokens of your love: ſo I ſhall ſtill deſire your mindfulneſs of me by ſome Novelties from your Countries, as an argument of friendſhip betwixt us, for ſuch is the cuſtome of Princes here.
And for your Merchants I have given expreſs order through all my dominions, to ſuffer them to buy, ſell, tranſport, and carry away at their pleaſure, without the let or hinderance of any perſon whatſoever, all ſuch goods and Merchandizes as they ſhall deſire to buy, and let this my Letter as fully ſatisfy you in deſired Peace and love, as if my own Son bad been the Meſſenger to ratifie the ſame.
And if any in my Countries not fearing God, nor obeying their King, or any other void of Religion, ſhould endeavour to be an inſtrument to break this league of friendſhip, I would ſend my Son Sultan Caroome a ſouldier approved in the wars to cut him off, that no obſtacle m…y hinder the continuance, and increaſe of our affections.
Here are likewiſe the Complements of two other Letters of later date, ſent home by Sir Thomas Row, whereof the firſt doth thus bebegin.
WHen your Majesty ſhall open this Letter, let your Royal heart be as freſh as a ſmall Garden, let all people make reverence at your gate. Let your throne be advanced higher. Amongſt the greatneſs of the Kings of the Prophet Jeſus, let your Majeſty be the greateſt, and all Monarchs derive their wiſdom, and Counſel from your breaſt, as from a fountain, that the Law of the Majeſty of Jeſus may receive, and flouriſh under your protection.
The Letters of love and friendſhip which you ſent me, the preſent tokens of your good affection towards me, I have received by the hands of your Ambaſſadour Sir Thomas Row, who well deſerveth to be your truſted ſervant, delivered to me in an acceptible and happy hour, upon which mine eyes were ſo fixed, that I could not eaſily remoove them unto any other objects, and have accepted them with great joy and delight, &c.
The laſt Letter had this beginning.
HOw gracious is your Majeſty, whoſe greatneſs God preſerve. As upon a Roſe in a Garden, ſo are mine eyes fixed upon you. God maintain your eſtate, that your Monarchy may proſper and be augmented, and that you may obtain all your deſires worthy the greatneſs of your renown, and as the heart is noble and upright: ſo let God give you a glorious reign, becauſe you ſtrongly defend the Law of the Majeſty of Jeſus, which God made yet more flouriſhing, for that it was confirmed by miracles, &c.
What followed in both thoſe Letters, was to teſtifie his care and love towards the Engliſh. Now all theſe Letters were written in the Perſian tongue, the Court language there, and their Copies were ſent to the Ambaſſadour, that he might get them tranſlated. The Originals rowled up ſomewhat long, were covered with Cloth of Gold, ſealed up on both ends, the faſhion in that Court and Country to make up Letters, though they be not all cloathed there in ſuch a glorious dreſs.
In which Letters notice may be taken (what was obſerved before) how reſpectively that King ſpeaks of our Bleſſed Saviour Chriſt. And here it will not be impertinent to ſpeak ſomething of thoſe who pretend to enlarge the name of Jeſus Chriſt in thoſe parts, I mean,