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APRIL, 1887.]
A LETTER OF THE EMPEROR AKBAR.
137
present world is of no account. What laudable into Arabic and Persian. Should these booksefforts the wisest men of the period, as well as which are profitable to all-whether translated the great princes of every country, are making or not, be procurable in your country, send bo ameliorate the present perishable outward them, state! But they are nevertheless spending the “On the present occasion, we have, for the essence of their lives, and the best of their time, purpose of strengthening our friendship, and in the acquisition of mundane objects, striving confirming our union, despatched Sayyid for, and being fully absorbed in the enjoyment Muzaffar, who is endowed with many excelof pleasures, and the indulgence of appetites lent qualities, loyal, and distinguished by which must soon vanish! Allah, the Most enjoying our special favours. He will orally High, has, however, by His eternal favour communicate to you certain matters and may and unceasing guidance-despite our multi- be trusted. Please always to keep open the farious occupations, drawbacks, connections, and portals of correspondence. dependence on external circumstances-graci- "Salutation to him who followeth guidance. ously inspired us with a longing after Him; Dated in the month Rabi'u'l-awal, in the but, although we have brought the dominions year 990.'17 of several great princes under our subjection, That, after this, other letters were sent by the administration and amalgamation whereof Akbar, and that, after the departure of Padre engrosses our intellect, because we are bound Ridolfo Aquaviva, other missionaries arrived to promote the welfare and happiness of all from Goa, who likewise returned thither from our subjects, -nevertheless-Allah be praised - the Mughal Court, appeare from a letter of the the purpose of all our activity, the head and king of Portugal, or rather of Spain and Porfront of all we do, is a desire to meet with tugal,' dated Lisbon the 28th January 1596, divine approbation, and to discover that whick referring to a letter of Martin d'Albuquerque, is true.
in which he says :"As most men are fettered by the bonds of | “He also tells me [in his letter] that Akbar tradition, and by imitating the ways followed had written him some letters, and among them by their fathers, ancestors, relatives and ac- one which he had sent by an Armenian Chrisquaintances, every one continues, without tian, [Domenico Perez ?] who had given him investigating the arguments and reasons, to suitable information about our power and follow the religion in which he was born and prosperity ; furthermore, that the said Akbar educated, thus excluding himself from the pos- wanted some men of letters to be sent to him, sibility of ascertaining the truth, which is the and complained of the early departure homenoblest aim of the human intellect. There- wards of the Jesuits sent to him by Manoel fore we associate at convenient seasons with Sousa Coutinho, when he was governor ; that learned men of all religions, and thus derive. he (d'Albuquerque] had considered this matter profit from their exquisite discoarses and with the prelates and monks, who were exalted aspirations. Our language, however, of opinion that two learned monks should be being different from yours, we hope that you sent; and that the Provincial of the Society will rejoice us by sending to these parts a man of Jesus forthwith offered his own ecclesiastics able to represent to us those sublime objects of with the same zeal for the service of God and research in an intelligible manner.
for mine, with which he had given the two "It has been brought to our notice, that the others, as well as a very learned layman. And revealed books, such as the Pentateuch, the I recommend you to thank the said Provincial Gospels, and the Psalms, have been translated on my part, as well as those of his order whom
This demand speaks badly for the scholarship of Padre Ridolfo. It would also appear that neither Domenico Perez, already alluded to above as having accompanied 'Abdu'llah, the ambassador of Akbar to Goe, and who is mentioned as an interpreter (Missione,&o.. p. 29), nor Padre Francisco Enrichez, who is by Daniello Bartoli alleged to have possessed some knowledge of Persian, could satisfy Akbar. Accordingly we may be allowed to doubt whether Padre Ridolfo made any great impres.
sion upon the mullas, although he is said immediately after his arrival at the Court of Akbar, to have convinced them in disputation (“Convince in disputa i Milassi; Missione al Gran Mogor, p. 20, et seg.)
. Quran, xx. 49, algo translated : "Peace be upon him who shall follow the true direction."
This month began on the 26th March, A.D. 1592.
Archivo Portugues Oriental (2nda Parte, Nro. 206, para. XY.).
