Chap, IT. ©/Margo Polo, 637 
from the Portugueze Miftibftaries, brought him to difcern tor commanded the Antelope to be opened, ' the Flefli of 
many Abfurdities in the Moha mmedan Religion, to which which appeared black and corrupted, and the Dogs died 
he had never been much addifted ; but inftead of becoming that eat of it, by which Akebar difcovered how very fubtil 
a Chriftian, as the Portugueze Priefts expedted ‘, he ffarn- the Poifon extracted from this Infedt was, and Caufed a 
ed a firange Projedt of introducing a new Religion, which Quantity of Pills to be made up with it, which he corn- 
vety plainly fhewed that he conlidered it only as a political pelled fome difaffe£led Lords to take in Ins Prefence, and 
Inftitution, and as a ufeful Engine of Government. He thereby difpatched them out of his Way m . He pfactifed 
was fenfible of the great Inconveniencies that arofe from his the fame Condudt towards all whom he efteemed Friends 
Subjects, being of different Faiths, and therefore he was to Mujlapha , whom he found to have abundance of Crea- 
willing to introduce a Syftem that might reconcile them all, tures in his Court, and promifed himfelf, by this Contri- 
and at the fame time place him at the Head of Ecclefiaftical, vance, a fafe and happy Reign for the future, 
as well as Civil Affairs. This Scheme of his he publifhed But it fo fell out, that this very Art turned upon him- 
at Labor , and at firft it was tollerably well received, at leaffc felf, and fhortened his Days in the fame manner that it had 
among his Courtiers, who were ready enough to embrace done thofe of his Enemies. The Perfon to whom he con- 
any thing that might pleale their Matter. In this new fided the Secret of mixing thefe Pills, had Orders to fup- 
Religion he ftudied to comprehend the principal Doctrines ply the Emperor’s Box from Time to Time with a certain 
and molt remarkable Rites of all the reft. Baptifm he bor- Quantity of them. In this Box there were three Parti- 
rowed from the Chriftians, Circumcifion from the Moham- tions, in one of which he kept his Betel, which, according 
medians , a profound Reverence for the Sun from the Perfees , to the Cuftom of his Country, he chewed in the fame man-, 
and with thefe he mingled fomewhat of the Morality, and ner as in Europe People chew Tobacco ; in. the fecond he 
even of the Theological Notions of the Bramins , affuming, had lome cordial Pills to help Digeftion, and in the third 
in confequence of this Invention, the Title of Shah Geladin , were thofe Poifon Pills. It happened one Day, that either 
that is, the fupream Pontiff of the fovereign Law. through Hurry or Inadvertency, he miftook the Pills in the 
But in the midft of his Politicks there were certain Cir- third Partition for thofe in the fecond, and by this means 
cumftances attended thefe Proceedings, which he had not poifoned himlelf. The Venom operated (lowly, but barely, 
forefeen, and that was the difgufting all fuch of his Subjects notwithftanding all the Affiftance he received from his own 
as were really Men of Principles, and firicerely attached to Phyficians, and from the Portugueze, fo that he ended his 
the Faiths which they profeffed. The Mohammedans , who Days in great Pain and Mifery, after he had reigned fifty- 
are, generally fpeaking, Bigots, were provoked to the three, and lived fixty-fix Years. His Corps was interred 
higheft Degree by what they call his Apoftacy.^ The In- in a very fine Tomb of his own Building, and he left behind 
Mans were by no means pleafed, and the Perfees remained him the Character of one of the braveft, wifeft, and mod 
cbftinately fixed to their old Religion, which they thought fortunate Princes of the Age in which he lived, and feemed 
was grievoufly profaned by this new Regulation •, and thus, to have merited in the Courfe of his Reign, the Title he 
inftead of pleafing all, he pleafed none but fuch Men of affumed at the Beginning of it, Akebar in the Language of 
corrupt Intentions as were lead to be relied or depended on. his Country fignifying inimitable. 
The Firft- fruits of his new Religion was a dangerous Revolt 9. Shdh-Selim , i. e. the peaceable King , fucceeded his Fa- 
begun in the following Manner: Mujlapha , one of the ther Akebar on the 2 id of October in the Year of the Hegira 
Decan Princes, whom he had formerly lubdued, and who, 1014, and in that of our Lord 1605. On his afeending 
as has been before obferved, had lived peaceably in the the Throne, he affumed, as the Cuftom is in the Eaft, a 
Mogul’s Court for a confiderable Time, about this Time new Name or Title, and called himlelf NouPodin Moham- 
retired from thence, and found means to repoffefs himfelf med Jehanguir , i. e. the Light of Religion , Mohammed Con- 
©f his Country, where many Mohammedans, difgufted at queror of the World. Almoft all the European Authors 
the Slights the Emperor had put upon their Religion, went call him Jehan Guire , and therefore that we may not feem 
over to him. The Prince Pihari , the Emperor’s beloved to affedt Singularity in Matters of no great Importance, we 
Son, to whom he had given the Name of Morad, was fhall call him lb likewife, that the Reader may apply what 
fent with a gallant Army to fupprefs this Infurredlion ; he is here delivered the more readily to what he may read of 
engaged the Rajah in the Province of Cambay a, being con- this Prince in other Authors. As to the Charadter of this 
fiderably fuperior to the Enemy in Numbers, but Mujlapha , Monarch, we are obliged to fpeak of it more largely than 
who was an experienced Captain, and perfectly acquainted hitherto we have done of any of thefe Princes, becaufe the 
with the Country, gained an intire Victory over the Em- Hiftory of his Reign depends in a great meafure there- 
peror’s Forces, and the Body of young Morad was found upon. He fell very far (hort of his Father in Abilities, 
in the Field of Battle among the (lain. This Stroke of and at the fame time exceeded him very much in his Vices. 
Fortune, it is faid, pierced Akebar to the Heart, and he He loved eating and drinking more than became a King, 
was fo fenfible of the Anger of Heaven, that he never after and the chief Reafon why he inclined rather to the Chril- 
worfhipped the Sun, nor (uftered, as in Confequence of his tian than to the Mohammedan Religion was, becaufe the 
Scheme he had done, Divine Honours to be paid to his former did not reftrain him in Meats or Drinks as the latter 
: own Perfon. - did. He was very brave in his Perfon, though he did not 
The Emperor foon after returned from Cachcmire, by the affeft War lb much as fome of his Predeceffors ; but 
Way of Labor, and marched Southward till he arrived at whenever his Affairs forced him to take the Field, he 
Agra, where mighty Preparations were made againft Mu- fhewed himfelf as capable of conducting his Armies as any 
fiapha. In the mean while the Emperor grew extreamly of them. He was naturally fond of the Franks or Europe- 
i thoughtful, abandoning all forts of Diversions but Blunt- a.ns, becaufe he found them more inclined to that manner 
i ing, which he followed chiefly for the Opportunity of reti- of Life, which he liked beft, than Pit Mohammedans, whom 
1 ring alone into the Foreft, and unfrequented Places. In he treated with great Harlhnefs and Severity ; for -he par- 
one of thefe Excurfions, fitting by himfelf under a fhady ticularly affefted Feafting at the Seafon of the Year, when 
Tree, it is faid he obferved a certain kind of Caterpillars by the Precepts of their Law they were bound to fail; 
creeping near him, which he killed with the Point of one and if at fuch times they refilled to eat and drink as 
of his Arrows, and (hooting an Antelope foon after with freely as he would have them, he threatened to throw them 
the fame Arrow, the Bead expired in an Inftant, tho’ the out of the Window of his Dining-roOm, under which two 
’ Wound was not in a mortal Part ; whereupon the Empe- fierce Lions were conftantly chained. One would imagine 
s There are abundance of ftrange Stories related of the Conferences between this Monarch and thefe Miffionaries, which, as I cannot believe, I will 
not relate, but content myfelf with, obferving, that in this Court, as well as in moft others, the Supplenefs of the Clergy did more Harm to Religion 
than their Preaching could do good. The Truth of the Matter feems to be, that they had one thing in View, and the Emperor another, fo that they 
were continually at Crofs-purpofes, they ftudying by Artifices unworthy of the Chriftian Religion to convert him, and he labouring all he could to pick 
out of them fuch things as might be of moft life to him, in which he fucceeded much better than they. 
m There feems to be fomething contradi&ory in this Account of the Poifon which Akebar difcovered, fince it is faid to have operated fo fuddenly 
on the Beaft, and fo (lowly in Men ; but if we confider the Fads attentively, we fhall very foon be convinced, that they are very confident. In the 
firft place the Poifon in one inftance was unmixed, and in the other compounded, which muft neceffarily make a great Alteration in the manner of its 
working 1 and in the next the Poifon was very differently applied 1 for with refped to the Antilope, it was thrown immediately into the Blood and 
Juices, whereas when adminiftered to Men, it palled firft through all the Operations of the Stomach, which, though they could not entirely deftroy p 
: muft, however, much weaken its Force. 
■ Numb, 43, 7 Z from 
