'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎41] (712/1024)

of the Empire of the M O G O L.
Tott other Sages^ are you not all of the mind ^ that there are times and conjunctions fo
urgent, that a King ought to hazard his life for his Subjects, and facrifice himfelf for their
defence with Arms in his hands ? And yet this effeminate Man would diffwade me from ta
king pains, and dehort me from watching and follicitude for the Public^ and carry me by
pretences of Health, to the thoughts of an eafie life, by abandoning the Government of my
People, and the management of Affairs, to fome Vifr or other. Doth he not tyow , that
Providence having given me a Royal Extraction, and raifed me to the Crown of Indoftan
hath not made me for my felf alone, but for the good and fafety of the Public^, and for the
procurement of franquility and Happinefs to my Subjefts, as far as that may be obtained by
ice and Power? He feeth not the confequence of hisComfds, and what mifchiefs do at
tend Viftrjhips. Voth he think it to be without reafon, what our Grand Sady hath fo generoufly
pronounced, 0 Kings, ceafe, ceafe to be Kings, or govern your Kingdoms your felves ? Go
tell thy Countrey-man, that 1 fhall well likg of the care he is confiantly to takg of the faith
ful difcbarge of his PIdee s but advife him alfo, not any more to run out himfelf fo far as
he hath done. We have natural inclination enough to a long, eafie, and carelefs life , and
there need no Counfellors to Jhakg off bufinejs and trouble. Our Wives, that lie in our
bofom, do too often, befides our own genius, incline us that way.
At the fame time there happen’d an Accident, that made a great noife at Vehli, ef-
pecially in the Seraglio, and difabufed a great many, that could as hardly believe as my
felf, that Eunuchs, though they had their Genitals quite cut away, could become
amorous as other men. Vidar-kan, one of the chief Eunuchs of the Seraglio, who
had built an houfe, where he came often to divert himfelf, fell in love with a very
beautiful Woman, the Sifter of a Neighbor of his, that was an Heathen Scri
vener.
Thefe Amours lafted a good while, before any Body blamed them, fince it was but
an Eunuch that made them, which fort of men have the priviledge to go where they
pleafe > but the familiarity grew fo great, and fo extraordinary betwixt the two Lo
vers, that the Neighbors began to fufpedfr fomething, and to rally the Scrivener,which
did fo touch him, that he threatned both his Sifters and the Eunuch to kill them, if they
ihould continue their Commerce. And foon after, finding them in the Night lying
together, he ftabbed the Eunuch out-right, and left his Sifter for dead. The whole
Seraglio, Women and Eunuchs, made a League together againft him to make him
away j but Aureng-Zebe diflipated all thefe machinations, and was content to have him
turn Mahumetan. Mean time ’tis thought, he cannot long avoid the malice and power
of the Eunuchs i for 5 cis not, as is the common faying, with Men as with Brutes j thefe
latter become gentler and more tradable when they are caftrated > but men more vi
cious, and commonly very infolent, though fometimes it turneth to an admirable Ffc
delity and Gallantry.
It was alfo about the fame time, that Aureng-Zebe was fome what difeontented
with Rauchenara- Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. , becaufe (he was fufpeded to have given Accefs to two young
Gallants into the Seraglio, who were difeover’d, and brought before Aureng-Zebe. Yet
this being but a fufpicion, heexprefled to her no great refentment of it > nor did he
make ufe of fo great rigor and cruelty againft thofe poor men, as Chah-Jehan had
done againft the perfon above fpokenof. The matter was related to me by an old
Portuguefe Woman ( that had a long while been Slave to the Seraglio, and went out
and in at pleafure ) as followeth : She told me that Raucbenara- Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. , after (he had
drawn from a young man, hidden by her, all his Ability, deliver’d him to fome Wo
men, toconveyhimaway in the Night thorough fome Gardens, and fo tofave him:
But whether they were difeover’d, or whether they feared they ftiould be fo, or what
elfe might be the caufe, they fled, and left him there wandring in the midft of thofe
Gardens, not knowing which way to get out : And being at laft met with, and
brought before Aureng-Zebe, who examined him ftrkftly, but could draw nothing elfe
bom him, than that he was come in over the walls, he was commanded to get out
foe fame way by which he entred : But it feems, the Eunuchs did more than Aureng-
Z'tbe had given order for, for they caft him down from the top of the walls to the bot-
tom. As for the other young Gallant, this fame Woman aflured me, that he was found
'yandring in the Garden like the firft i and having confefled that he was come in by
foe Gate, Aureng-Zebe commanded likewife, that he alfo ftiould pafs away again by
foe fame Gate , yet referving to himfelf a fevere chaftifement for the Eunuchs,
G fince