1896.] HE. D. Maclagan— Jesuit Missions to the Emperor Akbar. 77 
I myself’ said he, ‘though a true and no false friend of yours, yet when- 
soever I hear you speak against Muhammad, I so burn with wrath and in- 
dignation that I frequently desire to stab you as you stand.’ 
‘The Emperor! is gifted with a wonderful memory, so that although he 
can neither read nor write, he ‘knows whatever he has heard learned men 
discoursing about, or whatever has been read to him. He sleeps little and 
lightly, and spends a good part of the night in hearing history read to him. 
Tf any stranger comes to Court, he at once sends for him and minutely in- 
terrogates him as to what he has seen and by what road he hastravelled. At 
about midnight he retires for half an hour for his devotions and then his 
learned men assemble and dispute with one another. One night I chanced 
upon them and found them discussing the point so new and incredible to 
Muhammadans ‘Can God havea Son?’ The Emperor set his Chronologist? 
to dispute with me and when I soon vanquished him, he ordered a more learn- 
ed man to help the non-plussed one. On the fourth day of the moon? musical 
instruments, in which he much delights, were brought in and also some 
images and among them the likeness of the sun, which he worships every 
day at dawn. But thinking that I might object that the sun was not God, 
but only a created thing and the work of God, he ordered it to be removed 
and straightway the idol vanished. There was then brought in the likeness 
of our Saviour bound to a pillar, and this he placed on his head as a sign of 
reverence and worship (a thing which he did not do to the image of the sun.) 
He took a pleasure in hearing the narration of the conversion of St. Paul 
and of Constantine the Great. 
He told me that nearly twenty years ago he had thirty children shut up 
before they could speak, and put guards over them so that the nurses might 
not teach them their language. His object was to see what language they 
would talk when they grew older, and he was resolved to follow the laws 
and customs of the country whose language was that spoken by the children. 
But his endeavours were a failure, for none of the children came to speak 
distinctly, wherefore at this time he allowed no law but his own.4 
After much vacillation and much obstruction from our opponents, he 
gave us leave to build a Church at Cambay; the same favour could not be 
obtained in the case of Sindh,5 on account of the vehement opposition 
encountered.’ 
! The translation of this and the next para. is taken from that given by Mr. 
Beveridge, J. A. S. B. 1888, p. 37. 
& Perhaps, Mr. Beveridge suggests, Mir Fathu-llah of Shiraz: but Fathu-lah 
had apparently died before this. Blochm., din I. 33n; Hlliot, Hist Ind. V. 469, 
3 Ad quartum Lune. Mr. Beveridge thinks there is some mistake but the 
Maintz version also uses the same expression. 
4 Cf. Badauni, I]. 288. (Elliot, Hist. Ind. V. 533) and Dabistan (Shea’s transl.) 
II. 90. 
5 Mr. Beveridge thinks this probably means India proper. The original in 
Oranus is ‘idem pro Sindo tentatwm,’ and in the Maintz version ‘idem tentatum 
reat per Sindum.’ A Church was established some years later at Tatta. 
