172 Tl ravels in India. Part II 



all ftretch'd out dead upon the place, without any mark in the world to be 

 (ben that they had any way halren'd their own deaths. 



Two of the moft potent Rajas of India came to Agra in the year 1642, 

 to do homage to Sba-jehan, who then reign'd } who not having acquitted them- 

 felves as they ought to have done,in the judgment of the Grand Matter of the Kings 

 Houfhold, he told one of the Raja's one day, in the prefence of the King, 

 that they had not done well, to behave themfelves in that manner toward (6 

 great a Monarch, as was the Kin^ his Mafter. , The Raja looking upon hirmelf 

 to be a great King, and a great Prince, he and his Brother having brought along 

 with them a Train of ifj or 16000 thoufand Horfe, was netl'd at the bold 

 reproof which the GTan'd Mafter gave him, and drawing out his Dagger, flew 

 him upon the place, in the prefence of the King. The Grand Mafter failing at the 

 feet of his own Brother, who ftood clofe by him, he \va? going about to re- 

 venge Ills death, but was prevented by the Raja's Brother, who ftab'd him* 

 and laid him athwart his Brothers Body. The King, who beheld thefe two 

 murthers one upon the neck of the other, retir'd into his Haram for fear. But 

 ■ presently the Omrahs and other people fell upon the Raja y s y and cut em to 

 pieces. The King incens'd at fuch an attempt committed in his Houfe and -in 

 his prefence, commanded the Raja's bodies to be thrown into the River j which 

 rheir Troops "fhat they had left about Agra undemanding, threaten'd to 

 enter the City and pillage it. But rather than hazard the City, the King was 

 advis*d 1 to deliver them the Bodies of their Princes. When they were to be iurn'd, 

 thirteen Women belonging to the two Raja's Houfes, came dancing and leaping, 

 and prefently got upon the Funeral pile, holding one another by hands, and 

 being prefently after ftifl'd with the fmoak, fell together into the fire. Prefently 

 the Bramins threw great heaps of Wood, pots of Oil, and other eombuftible 

 matter upon them, rod if patch them the fodner. 



I obferv'd a ftrange pailage at Patna, being then with the Governour, a young 

 Gentleman of about twenty- four years of age, in his own Houfe. While I was 

 with him, in came a young woman, very handfome, and riot above two and 

 and twenty "years old, who deftYd leave of the Governour to be burnt with 

 the Body of her' deceas'd Husband. The Governour compaftionating her youth 

 and Reality, endeavour'd to divert' her from her refblution 3 but Finding he could 

 not prevail, with a furly countenance, he ask'd her whether fhe underlrood what 

 the torment Of fire was, and whether fhe had ever burnt her fingers ? No, no, 

 anfwerM fhe more ftoutly than before, I do not fear fire, and to let you know 

 as much, fend for a lighted Torch hither. The Governour abominating her 

 anfwer, in great paflion bid her go to the Devil. Some young Lords that were 

 with the Governour, defir'd him to try the woman, and to call for a Torch j 

 which with much ado he did, and a lighted Torch was brought. So foon as 

 the woman faw the lighted Torch coming, fhe ran to meet it, and held her 

 hand in the flame, not altering her countenance in the leaft; ftill fearing her 

 arm along up to the very elbow, till her flefh look'd as if it had been broifd ; 

 whereupon the Governour commanded her out of his fight; 



A Bramin coming to Patna, and anembJing all his Tribe together, told them, 

 that they mu ft give him two thoufand Roupies, and twenty- feven Ells of Cali- 

 cut. To which the chief among them made him anfwer, that they were poor, and 

 could notpoiTibly raife fuch a fum. However he perfifted in his demand, po- 

 sitively affirmtog to them, that he worfnNd ftay there without eating or- drink- 

 Iflg.till they broaght hfm the Money and tkeiGloath. With this refolution? he 

 'eKrmVd a Tree;: antT letting { in the fork between the boughs, remained there 

 ^hout eating or 'drinking for feveral days. The noife of this extrava- 

 gance coming to the" 1 ears' of 1 the Hollanders where we : lay, we fet Sentinels 

 ^(Ywatfch whether it were krric, r that a' man could fet, fo Ipng without viftu- 

 w#Wtech<tie "M for thirty r days together. The one and thirtieth day of fuch 

 ^extraordinary Faft; the Idolaters fearing to kill one of their Priefts for want 

 /of %r9rlt1fig ^him his= demand , dub'd together, and brought him his twenty- 

 'feven'EHSci^Garicut, and two thoufand • Roupies. So foon as the Bramin faw 

 W' Money arid- the Clo'a'thu he tame down from the Tree j and after he had 

 Upbraided thdfeof his Tribe fw Wane of Charity, lie diftributed all the Roupies 



among 



