a2: E. D. Maclagan— Jesuit Missions to the Emperor Akbar. [No 1, 
sense to refuse to submit to this form of test.1 They had imdeed 
enough to suffer, though not enough for their leader. In his letters 
to Rome Rodolfi writes that in spite of all their trials they had remain- 
ed firm, ‘ Confessi sumus at non negavimus’ and that although abused, 
called Kafirs, pelted with filth and hated by all, they connted it as 
nought, remembering ‘ Nondum usque ad sanguem restitimus.’# 
Regarding the Emperor’s attitude towards the contending faiths 
we are given some interesting accounts. That he had no respect for 
Islam was clear enough, but the question was how far he was prepared 
to conform to Christianity. He himself stated perfectly candidly that 
he found the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation to be stumb- 
ling blocks, and that, if he could accept these, he was ready to give 
up his kingdom, if need be, to embrace Christianity. The Jesuit writ- 
_ ings however maintain that there were three other obstacles in the way. 
In the first place, Akbar was a bad listener and never heard an explana- 
tion to the end, before starting a new subject. Secondly, he was quite 
unable to give up the plurality of wives. And thirdly, he was seeking 
a sign, like that of the fire ordeal, and no sign was given him. The 
Fathers writing from Fathpur are said to have described Akbavr’s reli- 
gious position as follows (hance in modum)* :— 
‘The Emperor is not a Muhammadan, but is doubtful as to all forms of 
faith and holds firmly that there is no divinely accredited form of faith, 
because he finds in all something to offend his reason and intelligence. 
Nevertheless he at times admits that no faith commends itself so much to 
him as that of the Gospel, and that when aman goes so far as to believe 
this to be the true faith and better than others, he is near to adopting it. 
At the court some say he is a heathen and adores the sun. Others that he 
is a Christian. Others that he intends to found a new sect. Among the 
people also there are various opinions regarding the Emperor: some holding 
him to be a Christian, others a heathen, others a Muhammadan. The more 
intelligent however consider him to be neither Christian nor heathen nor 
Muhammadan, and hold this to be truest. Or they think him to be a 
Muhammadan who outwardly conforms to all religions in order to obtain 
popularity.’ 
Whatever the precise phase of Akbar’s belief may have been at 
this time, it is certain that these first signs of free-thinking on his part 
1 Peruschi, p. 14: Bartoli, p. 65. A similar story is told of the reign of 
Jahangir —see Bernier, II. 83 (Amst. Ed. 1723). 
2 See the extracts from his letters from Fathpur to Everard Mercurianus 
(then General of the Society) and to his uncle Claude; Bartoli, Missione pp. 87-88. 
These extracts contain nothing of historical interest. y 
3 Peruschi, p.12. (It is uncertain how far the quotation goes). The Jesuit 
Catrou, writing a century later, gives further details, including imaginary conver- 
sations between Akbar and the Fathers: these it seems unnecessary to quote here. 
