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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1887.
The heading of the Persian letter, "Imperial -that lived the most profitable of lives, and Rescript to Earopean Scholars," is not in accor- are the gaides to the best of paths, collectively dance with the text, no such persons being and individually. addressed in it, and may, perhaps, have been "It is not concealed and veiled from the added afterwards for publication purposes. It minds of intelligent persons, who have received may, also, have been deliberately chosen as an the light of divine aid and are illuminated by indefinite expression, because the Mughal Court the rays of wisdom and knowledge, that in this very likely possessed no certain knowledge as to terrestrial world, which is the mirror of the whether the Goa Territory belonged, or would celestial, there is nothing that excels love and in the future belong, to Spain or to Portugal. no propensity BO worthy of cultivation as Subsequent events showed that it was to remain | philanthropy, because the peace of the world and for sixty years under the sway of the first named the harmony of existence are based upon friendmonarchy; but when the letter was sent, Portu- ship and association, and in each heart, illumi. guese India had but lately become subject to nated by the rays of the sun of love, the world Spain, the King of which, Philip VI., had of the soul, or faculties of the mind, are by them appointed Don Francisco Mascarenhas his first purged of human darkness; and much more Viceroy, who made way for his successor and is this the case, when they subsist between departed to Europe on the 22nd November monarchs, peace among whom implies the peace 1584. It may, therefore, be conjectured, that of the world and of the denizens thereof. nnder these circumstances it was considered “Considering these things, we are, with the best to adopt an indefinite mode of address, whole power of our mind, earnestly striving to which was, however, probably changed a few establish and strengthen the bonds of love, years afterwards, when Akbar wrote to other harmony and union among the population, but Viceroys, such as Duarte de Menezes, Mangoel above all with the exalted tribe of princes, who de Sousa Coutinho, and Mathias d'Alba- enjoy the noblest of distinctions in consequence querque;* but, as already observed, neither the of a greater (share of the divine favour, and originals, nor the translations of any of these especially with that illustrious representative letters appear to have been preserved, and of dominion, recipient of divine illumination, although allusions to their contents occur, and propagator of the Christian religion, who nothing positive can be said about them. needs not to be praised or made known; (and The said Persian letter may be translated
this decision is) on account of our propinquity, as follows:
the claims whereof are well established among
mighty potentates, and acknowledged to be the Imperial Rescript to European Scholars. chief condition for amicable relations. Bat, as.
“Boundless homage to the true Sovereign, weighty obstacles and great hindrances have whose realm is preserved from the calamity of delayed personal intercourse, an interchange of decline, and whose dominion is safe from the | messages and correspondence is the best substishock of extinction. The wonderful extent tute for it. Intelligent and shrewd men having of heaven and earth is but a portion of the considered it fit to take the place of oral coninfinite aniverse of His creation ! He is versation, we entertain hopes that the portals of the Director, who causes order to depend in correspondence will be continually kept open. the world, among mankind, on the wisdom of on both sides, whereby we may inform each just kings, and to subsist by the aid of righteous other of various affairs and pleasant hopes. princes. He fore-ordained that by means of "It will be known to your enlightened mind, the binding instincts of love and affection that by the unanimous consent of the adher. various individuals and species of created beings ents of all religions and governments, regardshould associate and commingle with each other ing the two states, namely, the religious and amicably. Unlimited salutations are due to the the secular,-the visible and the invisible blessed spirits of the multitude of prophets and world, -it is believed and considered fully apostles-benediction and peace be upon them proved, that, in comparison to the next, the
. Archivo Portugues Oriental, Fascicolo 3, Lettera No. 23, No. 206, 239, &c.
