1896.| HE. D. Maclagan— Jeswit Missions to the Emperor Akbar. 63 
The magnificence and power of this Emperor are almost incredible. He 
is the greatest and most powerful of the Kings of the Hast and the lord of 
nine hundred miles of land whose dominion is bounded by the Indus and 
Ganges and extends to Tartary, including many noble realms and rich cities. 
Father Antony Monserrat states that when the Emperor took him on an 
expedition which he at one time made! he had with him five thousand 
fighting elephants exclusive of those used for baggage and that in the whole 
Empire there are fifty thousand Elephants stationed for warlike proposes 
at various centres. 
Next year in November 1591 the Provincial reported as follows? :— 
‘This embassy induced many not only of the Fathers, but also of the 
students to apply to be sent on the mission and there were chosen for the 
purpose two Fathers and a Companion who reached the Emperor’s Court in 
15912 and were received with great kindness. Every kind of favour was 
shown to them, a house was given to them in the palace itself, necessaries 
were supplied, and a school was started in which the sons of nobles and the 
Emperor’s own son and grandson were taught to read and write Portuguese. 
But when the Fathers saw that the Emperor had not decided as they ex- 
pected, to embrace the Christian faith, they proposed to return to Goa, but 
were bidden by me not to do so. Father Edward Leioton* (who is one of 
the Fathers that remained there) being expressly ordered not to return, but 
to remain where he was. Father Christopher di Vega who returned with 
Father Leioton’s consent was sent back by me as he wasa great favorite 
with the Emperor, and was told not to come away except it were under an 
oath that he would return. And since the hearts of Kings are in God’s hand 
we have decided with much inward waiting and firm hope of God’s good- 
ness to continue this mission. And now our priests are occupied, as above 
noticed, in teaching the youths to read and write Portuguese and in other 
such duties, awaiting a convenient opportunity for speaking more freely 
with the Emperor on religious subjects; a matter hitherto rendered difficult 
by the opposition of the generals who are with him and in whose absence 
no audience is usually granted. And as the conversion of the Emperor to 
the Catholic Faith is a matter of the greatest moment it is necessary to 
proceed skilfully and gently in the niatter.’ 
To this letter is appended an ‘ Annotatio Romae facta *:— 
Nota bene. When Christopher Vega had returned to Goa a Portu- 
guese brought a letter to Milan which implied that the Fathers had left 
the Mughal’s Court, but the above narration plainly shows that the writer 
of the letter was in error. 
1 Apparently when Monserrat accompanied Akbar to Lahore. See p. 54 above. 
2 The two letters in Spitilli’s book are not divided. The point of division 
selected above seems the most natural one. : 
3 Akbar returned from Kashmir to Lahor in October 1590 and remained there 
till he started for Kashmir again in the spring of 1592. 
4 Hough calls him Leighton and he may have been an Englishman but we 
seem to have no further particulars about him. In Latin he is called Leitanus. 
