4-6 



Travels in India, Part II. 



Having paft that Court, you enter into another long and large palfage, with fair 

 Portico's on both fides. Under which are feveral little Chambers, where part of 

 the Horfe-Guard lies. Thefe Portico's are rais'd fome two foot above the ground, 

 and the Horfes which are ti'd without, feed upon the fteps. In fome places there 

 are great Gates that lead to feveral Apartments; as to the Womeris Lodgings, 

 and to the Seat of Juftice. In the midft of the palfage runs a Cut full of water, 

 leaving a fair Walk on each fide, where, at equal diftances, are little Balons or 

 Fountains. 



This long Palfage carries vou into a great Court, where the Omra\ that is to 

 fay, the great Lords of the Kingdom, fuch as the Bapa's in Turkey, and the Kan's 

 in Perfia, keep Guard in Perfbn. They have low Lodgings round about the Court, 

 and their Horfes are ti'd to their doors. 



From this fécond Court you pafs into a third, through a great Portal ; on one 

 fide whereof there is a little Hall, rais'd fome two or three fteps high trom the 

 ground. This is the Wardrobe where the Royal Garments are kept ; and from 

 whence the King fends for the Calaat, or a whole Habit for a man, when he 

 would honour any Stranger, or any one of his own Subjects. A little farther, un- 

 der the fame Portal, is the place where the Drums, Trumpets, and Hautboys are 

 laid up j which they found and beat a little before the King enters into his Judg- 

 ment-Seat, to give notice to the Omrah's ; and they make the fame none when 

 the King is ready to rife. Entring into the third Court, you- fee the Div >„ before 

 you, where the King gives Audience, This is a great Hall rais'd fome four-foot- 

 high above the fuperftcies of the Court, with three fides open. Thirty-two Pil- 

 lars fuftain as many Arches ; and thefe Columns are about four-foot-fquare, with 

 Pedeftals and Mouldings. When Cha-jehan firft began to build this Hall, he in- 

 tended to have enrich'd it, and inlaid it all over with thofe Stones that feem to be 

 naturally painted, like thofe in the Great Duke of Tafcanfs Chappel. But having 

 made a trial upon two or three Pillars, about two or three-foot-high, he found 

 that there would not be Stones enough, of that fort, in the World to finifh the 

 work ; befides the vaftnefs of the Sum it would come to. So that he left off 

 his defign, contenting himfelf with a Painting of feveral flowers. 



In the middle of this Hall, next to the fide which looks toward the Court, 

 there is a Throne ereded upon a kind of Theater, where the King gives Audience, 

 and pronounces Judgment. The Throne is a little Bed, w r ith four Columns, about 

 the bignefs of one of our Field-Beds, with a Canopy, Backpiece, Boulfter and 

 Counterpoint, all embroider'd with Diamonds. Befides all this, when the King 

 comes to fit upon the Throne, they throw over the Bed a Coverlet of Cloath of 

 Gold, or fome other richly-embroider'd Silk ; and he afcends by three little 

 fteps, two-foot- broad. On one fide of the Bed is erected an Vmbrelte upon 

 a Staff, as long as an Half-Pike. Upon one of the Pillars of the Throne hangs 

 one of the King's Weapons j upon another his Buckler ; upon another his Sci- 

 metar ; and then his Bow and Quiver of Arrows, and other things of the fame na- 

 ture. 



Below the Throne there is a place fome twenty-foot-fquare, encompaft with 

 Balufters, which at fome times are cover'd with Plates of Silver, at other times 

 with Plates of Gold. At the four Corners of this fmall enclofure fit the four Se- 

 cretaries of State, who as well in Civil as Criminal Caufes, do the duty of Ad- 

 vocates. Many Lords ftand about this Baluftrade ; and there is alfo the Mufick 

 plac'd, that plays all the while the King is in the Divan. This Mufick is fo fweet 

 and foft, that it never takes off the miad from the ferioufhefs of bufinefs at that 

 time manag'd. The King being fat upon his Throne, fome great Lord ftands by 

 him ; generally it is fome one of his own Children. Between eleven a Clock 

 and Noon,, the Nabob, who is the chief Minifter of State, like the Grand Vizier 

 in Turkey, makes a report to the King of what has paft in the Chamber where he 

 Prefides, which is at the Entry of the firft Court ; and when he has done (peak- 

 ing, the King rifes. For you muft take notice, that from the time that the King 

 is fate upon his Throne, till he rifes, no perfbri whatsoever is permitted to ftir out 

 of the Palace ; and yet I can fay that the King difpencM with my performance of 

 this Law fo generally obferv'd by all the Court : The occafion whereof was thus 

 in fhort. . 



Being 



