Page 137 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

ENGLISH MISSION TO THE GREAT MOGUL 137

With Oriental perspicuity he no doubt recognized in the
ambassador a very different type of man from the sailors
and merchants with whom he had previously had to deal
where English interests were concerned. He was courteous
in his demeanour, made sympathetic inquiries about Roe’s
health, spoke kindly of his mission and generally showed
a genuine interest in the newcomer to his Court. Roe
was delighted with his reception, which he describes
enthusiastically in his diary as the most gracious ever
extended to any ambassador at the Mogul’s Court.
It was not long before Roe discovered that the Em­
peror’s favour, though of value as an incentive to him
personally, was not to help him far along the road on
which he desired to travel. There were pitfalls for him
on every side which had to be discovered and negotiated
before he could even begin to make progress. The most
serious difficulty to be overcome was the anti-English
spirit of Prince Khurrum, who was the more powerful as
he was in intimate alliance with Asaf Khan, the prime
minister and brother of Noor Mahal, Jehangir’s favourite
queen.
Asaf Khan played the prince’s game with the adroit­
ness of an Oriental skilled in the practice of intrigue. To
Roe’s request for a treaty he replied with a suggestion
that the terms of the proposed instrument should be sub­
mitted in writing. Roe gladly drew up in outline an
excellent treaty providing for free access for the English
to all ports belonging to the Great Mogul, including those
of Bengal and Sind and the free passage of English goods
without the payment of any dues beyond the usual cus­
toms. Asaf Khan appeared, on the whole, to approve of
the draft, but raised objections to minor points. After-