1896.] EH. D. Maclagan—Jeswit Missions to the Emperor Akbar. 49 
The embassy arrived at Goa in Sept. 1579 and an account of 
its honourable reception will be found in Bartoli’s ‘ Missione al Gran 
Mogor.’ The Viceroy we are told was averse to sending a mission, but 
he handed the matter over for decision to a committee of Bishops, and 
this committee decided on 10th November, 1579, in favour of the des- 
patch of a mission.! The fathers selected for service on the. mission 
were Rodolfi Aquaviva,* Antonio Monserrat, and Francis Henriquez. 
[Of these, Henriquez was a Persian convert from Munammadanism 
and the other two were both remarkable men. Monserrat had been 
in the monastery of 8. Martha in Lisbon in 1569 when the great 
plague devastated that city and had displayed great zeal and courage 
in collecting and housing the waifs and orphans left destitute in the 
streets. After his return from Akbar’s Court he was ordered to 
Abyssinia and while goasting round Arabia was seized by Arabs and 
imprisoned by them for six years, till ransomed in 1596. On his 
return to Goa he was posted to Salsette to recover his health ‘ tanquam 
in asylum quietis causa,’ but was overtaken by death in that station 
in 1600. His comrade Rodolfi Aquaviva was an even more ardent 
missionary. Born in 1550, the son of the Duke of Atri and nephew 
of Claude, subsequently General of the Society, he had entered the 
Society against the wishes of his parents: and in spite of his delicate 
health entreated to be sent to bear testimony to his Saviour in the 
East. He arrived at Goa in the same month as Akbar’s embassy 
and at once applied to be sent to the Mughal Court. Though only 
30 years of age he was given charge of the mission and we shall see 
below with what zeal he conducted it and how by his pure and austere 
life he endeared himself to the Emperor. He had scarcely returned to 
Goa in 1583, when he was sent to Salsette and there on the 15th July 
of the same year was killed by a native mob. | 
The Mission started on December 13th 1579, accompanied by 
Akbar’s ambassador and his interpreter. A detailed account of the 
journey is given (from what source is not stated) on pp. 150-146 of 
De Sousa’s ‘Oriente Conquistado’ vol. II. (cf Murray’s ‘ Discoveries in 
Asia’ II. 83), from which the route appears to have been by Surat, 
Uzen (Ujain), Serampur (Sarangpur), Surange (Sironj) and Narwar.? 
1 DeSousa, Or. Cong. II 150. 
2 Both his names are so spelt by himself in his MSS. letter of 27 September, 
1582. 
3 Wilford, in Asiatick Researches 1X. 212, quotes information recorded by ‘ Mon- 
serrat when he was at Dilli at the Court of Acbar’ and adds: ‘In speaking 
of the tombs and other monuments or events in India, Father Monserrat says with 
much candour “‘T was told so in the country ” or “I was advised of it by respectable 
persons but whether it be so or not I cannot further say.” ’ 
clea hs 
He explains himself 
