Page 170 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

170 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE EAST
The “ leg stretcher ” had gone of! to the palace without
communicating his intention to Roe, and the ambassador,
when he heard of the incident, was furious. At the earliest
moment he told Coryat that he had degraded the credit of
his nation by appearing before the Emperor “ out of an
insinuating humour to crave money of him.”
“ But,” said Coryat, in describing the encounter, “ I
answered our ambassador in that stout and resolute
manner that he ceased nibling at me.”
A more crushing blow was dealt the eccentric later when
Steele, whom he had met in Persia, told him that on reach­
I ing England and informing James I of the meeting the
monarch said by way of comment: “Is that old fool still
alive ? ” Coryat was reduced for a time to silence by this
“ unkindest cut of all ” from “ the Wisest Fool in Europe,”
in whom he must have recognized a certain kinship.
In his whimsical fashion Coryat made a study of Jchan-
gir. He apparently thought that the Emperor did not
recognize his talents to the full extent that they deserved,
but on the whole his verdict was a favourable one. One
phase of the Mogul’s character of which Coryat approved
i
was that he “ loved not shifters of religion.”
A \propos he tells a characteristic story. One day Jehan-
:
gir inquired of a prominent Armenian in his employ whether
he thought that “ either he or the padres had converted
one Moor to be a true Christian ... for conscience’sake.”
The Armenian replied with confidence that he could pro­
duce such a man. Jehangir’s curiosity prompted him to
send forthwith for the convert. When the man arrived
he was asked by the Emperor why he had become a Chris­
tian, and he replied with “ certain feeble, implicate Jesuiti­
cal reasons,” declaring that he would never be other than