1896.] E. D. Maclagan—Jeswit Missions to the Emperor Akbar. 73 
audience said to another: ‘We call the Christians Kafirs—that is, a 
people who know not God or His Prophet: but verily we are Kafirs our- 
selves, when, though students of the seers and prophets, we lack, as you 
hear, the knowledge of God and of things divine which the Christians 
possess. Wherefore they were much refreshed and pleased at these pious 
exercises and gladly described to their own people the things which they 
had seen. So also did some of the Heathen. At the conclusion of the sacred 
_ office the gates were opened to all: and such was the piety of the throng of 
Heathen ard Muhammadans that on seeing the child Jesus lying in the 
cradle they bowed themselves to the ground in worship. The exhibition 
of some mysteries of the sacred scripture gave us an opportunity of preach- 
ing on matters concerning our faith. Such was the crowd of spectators in 
those days that the cradle was kept. open till the 8th day after Epiphany — 
the fame of the spectacle spread through the town and brought even 
outsiders to see the sight. And to crown all it pleased certain captains and 
military leaders to inform the Emperor, thinking that the sight should be 
seen even by the Emperor himself. Nevertheless the Heathen showed us 
some greater signs of approbation than the Muhammadang, for they offered 
vows to the Mother of God and presented such gifts as lay within the power 
of each. One woman when asked why she had brought a gift replied that she 
had asked ‘ Bibi Mariam,’—that is, the Lady Mary, for so they call the Blessed 
Virgin—to grant her a son, and as she had obtained her prayer she lad 
brought this gift in memory thereof as a token of thankfulness. 
Nor is it the common people and lower classes alone, but also the 
Princes themselves, that have recourse to Mary the Mother of Pity to ob- 
tain some boon. One of the Princes having with a view to some supplica- 
tion brought two candles, four palms in length and so thick as to be scarcely 
grasped with two hands, closed his eyes like a man in prayer and medita- 
tion, while he handed one of them to the Priest to be burnt and consumed 
—as they themselves express it —to the honour of the Lord Jesus. With the 
same ceremony he presented the other to be burnt to the worship and 
glory of the Lady Mary. Then he gave 30 gold pieces in alms and we dis- 
tributed these to the poorer Christians. 
The love and affection felt by the Prince towards the Christian faith 
leads him as occasion offers, to defend and protect it. So it happened that 
when a Muhammadan said in his presence that the Fathers of the Society 
ate swine’s flesh and he understood not what manner of life the Christians 
followed, the Prince replied that that was no reason why he should think or 
speak ill of them, in that they had the law of the Gospel, the prophets and 
the sacred scripture, to which they conformed all their actions. 
He professes publicly his devotion and reverence to the Lord Christ and 
to the Lady Mary (I use the words which they employ) and for that reason 
has in his bed-chamber painted likenesses of them both, which he one day 
exhibited at his window to prove that this was so. 
A Christian had presented him with a caryed image of our Saviour 
on the cross with the two thieves hanging on either side, and when in the 
Jo 10 
