126 H. HOSTEN ON 



when he heard that the chief Maomettan's little son, who lay mortally ill, had with 

 his father's consent received baptism from our Father. 1 Mrize ordered to bury the 

 child in the church, 1 and, to surround the ceremony with all possible pomp, he made 

 it a point to be present with all the Christians then in that. town. This gave the 

 followers of the false Prophet so much to talk about and wonder at, that they formed 

 a much higher opinion of baptism than theretofore. 



" This faithful servant of God is so greatly favoured by the Divine Majesty that 

 all the affairs of his government are daily crowned with increased success. Plenty 

 has chosen his house as her abode, as a treasure-house wherein she pours and empties 

 out her cornucopia. He is the eye of the King ; for him to ask is to obtain ; his 

 name is famous' everywhere ; in fine, he is so full of heavenly grace that it redounds 

 marvellously on those of his household. 



" His wife was in the throes of a dangerous parturition. Mrize, taking from his 

 neck the cross studded with relics which he used to wear, had it hung from the neck 

 of his consort, and behold ! presently she gave birth to a most pretty boy. The 

 good Mrize recognized in this a special favour of God, a reward for the generous obla- 

 tion he had made of his other son to the Divine Majesty. To celebrate [136] so 

 happy an event, not merely the birthday of an heir, but a great miracle obtained 

 through the Holy Cross, he began the festivities by releasing all the prisoners and pay- 

 ing off their debts. 



" The followers of Maomet dare not, under so powerful a protector of the 

 Christian law, set their face against it : on the contrary, they respect it, and many 

 are the Gentoo slaves whom they restore to liberty on condition of their becoming 

 Christians." 



Mission of M ogor.*— [P. 161] — " Five of our Fathers are cultivating this vast king- 

 dom. One of them is always following the King and his army ; another resides at 

 Agra, the capital, with a great part of the Christians. The other three are near 

 Prince Mirza Zulcarne, the father, pillar and mainstay of this Christianity. All have 

 had ample occasion to labour for Christ, one excepted, who for reason of illness was 

 sent back to [Portuguese] India 



" The Christians who live under Prince Mirza make daily [165] marvellous pro- 

 gress in holiness and virtue. The Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, instituted last year at 

 his request, goes on better and better. The members of it are already every month 



1 Probably Asaf Khan, brother of Nur Jalian, Jahangir's brother-in-law, and Shah Tahan's father-in-law, is meant 

 here. He was the staunchest friend and protector of the Fathers throughout the reigns of Jahanglr and Shah Jalian. 

 His action should not surprise us, however remarkable in itself. It may be compared with the case of the baptism of 

 Mukarrab Khan's sou. The child meant may also be the son of Prince Parwlz, who after the, disgrace of Prince Khusru, 

 was the heir-apparent. He had a son, five years old, who died at Agra in 1618. Cf. A. ROGERS and H. BevERIDGE, 

 Tiizuk-i-Jahangtri, II. no, no n. 1. 



2 At Agra, or I,ahore, rather than at Sambhar. 



3 This extract is from the Annual Letter of Goa for 1620, which is not dated, but must have been writteu at Goa at 

 the end of 1620 or in the very beginning of 1621. Cf. Letterc Annve d' Etiopia, Malabar, Brasil, c Goa, dall' Anno 1620 

 fin' al 1624... Roma, Francisco Corbeletti, MDCXXVII, pp. t6t, 164-170. There is a French translation : Hlstoire de 

 ce qui s'est passe en Ethlopic, Malabar, Brasil, ct es Tndes Orientates . . . Paris, S. Cramoisy, MDCXXVIII, in which the 

 letter of Goa for 1620 will be found at pp. 171-216. 



