Cc) a the Indian cottage, a tale. Sept. 18. 
sons ot men ? Is it to obtain his favour that so many priests of diffe- 
Tent religions preach obedieitce to him; for his glory that so many 
’ ambafsadors arrive; for his treasures rise sO many provinces are, ex- 
hausted ; for his pleasure that so many caravans travel; and for his 
security that so many armed men watch in silence during the 
night ? * 
While I was making these reflections fhouts of j joy filled the square ; 
and T saw pafs eight camels adorned with splendid trappings. | 
learned that they were loaded with the heads of rebels which the 
generals of the great Mogul had sent him from the province of Decan, 
where one of his sons, whom he had made. governor of it, had been ~ 
carrying on a War against him for three yeafs. A little after arrived, 
at full speed, a courier niounted on a dromedary. He came with the: 
néws of the lofs of a city on the frontiers of India, by the treason of 
its governor delivered up to the king of Persia. Scarcely was this cou- 
rier past when another, sent by the governor of Bengal, came in with 
the news, that some Europeans, to whom, (for tha benefit of trade,) - 
the emperor had granted leave to establifh a factory at the mouth of 
the Ganges, had there built a fort, and had made themselves masters 
ofthe navigation of that river. Some moments after the arrival of 
these two couriers, there came out of the castle an officer at the head 
of a detachment of the guards. He had the Mogul’s ovder to go in- 
to the quarter of the omrahs, and to bring three of the chief of them, 
loaded with chains, accused of holding intelligence with the enemies 
ofthe states The evening before he had caused to be arrested a mollah 
who in one of his sermons had spoken favourably of the king of Per- 
sia, and had plainly said that the emperor was an infidel, because, con- 
trary to the law of Mahomet, he drank wine. In fhort it was affirm, 
ed that he had caused to be strangled, and cast into the Gemma, one 
of his wives and two captains of the guards, convicted of having been 
concerned in the rebellion of his son. While I was reflecting on these 
tragical events, a long column of fire burst suddenly from the kitchens 
of the seraglio; its volumes of smoke mixed with the clouds, and its 
yed light thone bright upon the towers of the fortrefs, its trenches, the 
duare, the minarets of the city, and extended as far as the horizon. 
Immediately the great kettle drums, the karnas or great hautbois of 
the guard, sounded the alarm with a terrible noise ; squadrons of ca= 
valry spread in the city, forcing the doors of the ake. near the castle / 
and compelling with heavy lafhes of korahs, their inhabitants to rug 
to afsist in extinguifhing the fire. I experienced myself too, how 
