"رحلات السيد بيترو ديلا فالي، وهو نبيل روماني، إلى الهند الشرقية وصحراء الجزيرة العربية. وفيها يصف بدقة البلدان المختلفة، وكذلك العادات، الأعراف، التجارة، الطقوس الدينية والمدنية، لهؤلاء الأمراء وتلك الأمم الشرقية: في رسائل وديّة إلى صديقه السيد ماريو سكيبانو. وتم إضافة سرد عن رحلة السير توماس رو إلى جزر الهند الشرقية" [‎١‎٨‎٧] (٥٠٨/٢٠٨)

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Into the EAST-INDIES.
mineI ftiould willingly have given it him. The Captain
fpoke'to the Souldier, who 5 uncapableof fuch noble thoughts^
anfwered that he would give it to the Ring if he might have forty
Piafters for it, which was above twice the value. So that the
King not offering to buy it, nor the Captain to lay out fo much
Money in order to prefent it to him, the pleafuring him there
with was waved 5 nor was it otherwife offered to him, as in
my opinion Civility required. Neverthelefs the Ring never let
it it go out of his Hand fo long as we were with him. After
wards be (hewed us a little Parrot ftanding in an open Cage
under the Cloyfter, he endeavoured tocaule it to fpeak in our
prefence 5 and becaufe our Interpreters were not very good, he
fent to call an eminent Servant of his, who fpoke the ?or-
tugd-Tougue better, to come and interpret in this Conver-
fation. , . n. j
The Signori Portogheft my Companions, little accultomed to
Princes Courts, though otherwife well bred, gave me occafion
to laugh within my felf at two things. The firft was , that it ap
pearing to them unhandfome, that the Ring flood all the while
he difcourfed with us } as he did s or at moft , leaned onelj
on the wall or hisftaff, they took upon them to fpeak to his
Highnefs to fit down, and not put himfelf to fuch trouble.
I diffwaded the Captain from it by all means, becaufe Rings are
Rings., and (it or ftand when they pleafe, and do what they lifi^
'tis their part to command 5 nor are we to ufe thofe Comple
ments with them which we do to our equals , but always leave
them to their own will and pleafure, for this is the breeding of
the Court: Butmy counfel prevailed little, for the Captain wag
refolved to (peak and defire him to (it down, as he did, not once,
but twice or thrice 5 of which, neverthelefs the Ring made little
account, and anfweredonely with a fmile. The fecond thing
that made me laugh, was, that when the Ring entered into the
little Court, the door whereat he and we had enterd before,
was immediately made faft with an Ironbarr, people alfb ftand
ing continually to guard it > and fo likewife when any one came
in, or was fent out by the Ring, it was prefently fhut with dili
gence. The Captain and the other Portugals did not like this
fhutting of the door, and began prefently to mutter amongft
themfelves, and to fiifpe^t that the Ring intended to detain them
prifoners there, or to put fome trick upon them 5 and^ what
would the General and others (ay in Goa , for theii coming to
put themfelves in a Cage thus, without the order and leave of
their General, onely upon meer curiofity ? I adyis 'd them to be
quiet, telling them that it was not befitting a Ring to do fuch an
oft, nor was there any occafion why the Ring fhould be (o
treacherous 5 that we were not fb many ^ nor io conhderable
that the doing thereof would be of any profit to him, or damag®
to the Portugal Nation. That it was fit the doors fhould be (hut
whilft the Ring was there in that manner giving Audience to lo
Bb 2 many
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