210 
LIVES OF THE MOGHUL EMPERORS. 
with fever, which continued with great severity six 
days. During his illness he employed himself in 
translating into Turki verse the work of a Moham- 
medan sage, writing at the rate of fifty couplets per 
day. Upon being restored to health he offered up his 
prayers in the Jumma Musjid in acknowledgment of 
the divine mercy in granting him so speedy a reco- 
very, it being usual with him in similar attacks to be 
confined to his bed for thirty or forty days. He gave 
a public entertainment upon the occasion, distributed 
presents very liberally among his nobles, and ordered 
large sums of money to be disposed of to the distressed 
and deserving poor. During this term of general 
rejoicing several persons eminent for their literary 
acquirements were introduced to the royal presence, 
received munificent testimonies of their sovereign’s 
generosity, and were directed in future to remain at 
his court. 
After the public rejoicings were over, Baber sent an 
answer to his son Humaioon’s despatch, — and an ex- 
tremely curious letter it is, as an extract will serve to 
show : — “In compliance with my wishes, you have 
indeed written me letters, but you certainly never 
read them over ; for, had you attempted to read them, 
you must have found it absolutely impossible, and 
would then undoubtedly have put them by. I con- 
trived, indeed, to decypher and comprehend the 
meaning of your last letter, but with much difficulty. 
It is excessively confused and crabbed. Who ever 
saw a moamma * in prose ? Your spelling is. not 
* A riddle or charade. 
