‘The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman, into East-India and Arabia Deserta. In which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites both religious and civil, of those Oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described: In familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano. Whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe’s voyage into the East-Indies’ [‎455] (476/508)

Hour
A Voyage to E AS T-IN D I A, &€. 455
nefs to prefent both to the King, and nlfo to his Govcrnours 3
where our Faftories were fetled :for all thefe were like thofe
Rulers of Ifrael mentioned, Hojea 4. 18. who would love to fay
with jhame. give ye. They looked to be prefented withfome-
thing, when our Fadors had any efpecial occafion to repair un
to them;) and if the particular thing they then prefented did not
like them well^ they would defire to have it exchanged for
fomething elfe 5 haply they having never heard of our good
and modeft proverb, That a man muft not look^ into the mouth of
a given Horfe. And it is a very poor thing indeed which is freely
given, and is not worth the taking.
The Mogol fometimes by his Firmauns^ or Letters Patents,
will grant fome particular things unto fingle, or divers perfbns,
and prefently after will contradid thofe Grants by other Let
ters, excufing himfelf thus. That he is a great, and an abfblute
King^ and therefore muft not be tied unto any thing, which if
he were, he (aid that he was a 11ave, and not a free-man : Yet
what he promifed was ufually enjoyed, although he would not
be tied to a certain performance of his promife. Therefore
there can be no dealing with this King upon very fure terms,
who will fay and unfay, promile and deny. Yet we Englifh-
men did not at all fuffer by that inconftancy of his, but there
found a free Trade, a peaceable refidence, and a very good
efteem with that King and People, and much the better (as I con
ceive ) by realbn of the prudence of my Lord Embaffadour,
who was there (in fome fenfe) like in the Court of Vha-
raoh ^ for whofe fake all his Nation there, feemed to fare the
better. And we had a very eafie way upon any grievance to
repair to that King as will appear now in my next Sedion, which
fpeaks,
SECTION XXIV.
Of the Mogol, fhemug himfelf three times publickly unto
his people every clay, and i
oftentimes appear.
F
Irft, early in the morning, at that very time the Sun begins
to appear above the Horizon, He appears unto his people
in a place very like unto one of our Balconies, made in his
Houfes, or Pavilions for his morning appearance,^ diredly op-
pofite to the Eaft, about feven, or eight foot high from the
ground, againft which time a very great number of his people,
efpecially of the greater fort, who defire as often as they can
to appear in his eye, affemble there together to give him the
Salam^ or good mornings crying all out as fbon as they lee men
/