BERNIER*S VOYAGE TO THE EAST INDIES.

I

9'8

whether it were himfelf, as indeed many Omrahs did doubt; and to take away all hopesfrom thofe,. who ftill preferred fome affection for him. The opinion of thele laft wasfollowed ; he was put on an elephant* his grandchild, Sepe-Chekouh, at his fide ; andbehind them was placed Bhadur-Kan, as an executioner. This was none of thofe braveelephants of Ceilan or Pegu, which he was wont to ride on, with gilt harnefs and em-broidered covers, and feats with canopies very handfomely painted and gilt* to defendthemfelves from the fun : it was an old caitiff animal, very dirty and nafty, with an old-torn cover, and a pitiful feat, all open. There was no more feen about him, that neck-lace of big pearls, which thofe princes are wont to wear, nor thofe rich turbans andveils embroidered. All his drefs was a veil of coarfe linen, all dirty, and a turban ofthe fame, with a wretched fcarf of Kachimere over his head, like a varlet; his grand-fon, Sepe-Chekouh, being in the fame equipage. In this miferable pollure he was madeto enter into the town, and to pafs through the greateft ftreets of merchandize, to theend that all the people might fee him, and entertain no doubt any more whether itwas he.

As for me, I fancied we went to fee fome ftrange maffacre, and was aftonifhed at theboldnefs of making him thus pafs through the town, and that the more, becaufe I knewthat he was very ill guarded, neither was I ignorant, that he was very much beloved bythe lower fort of people, who at that time exclaimed highly againft the cruelty and ty-ranny of Aureng-Zebe, as one that kept his father in prifon, as alfo his own fon Sultan-Mahmoud , and his brother Morad-Bakche. I was well prepared for it, and with a goodhorfe and two good men I went, together with two others of my friends, to place myfelfin the greateft ftreet where he was to pafs. But not one man had the boldnefs to drawhis fword, only there were fome of the Fakires , and with them fome poor people*who feeing that infamous Gion-Kan ride by his fide, began to rail and throw ftones athim, and to call him traitor. All the Ihops were ready to break for the crowd of fpec-tators, that wept bitterly ; and there was heard nothing but loud outcries and lamenta-tions, invedtives and curfes, heaped on Gion-Kan. In a word, men and women, greatand final! (fuch is the tendernefs of the hearts of the Indians) were ready to melt intotears for compaffion; but not one there was that durft ftir to refcue him. Now afterhe had thus paffed through the town, he was put into a garden called Heider-Abad.

There were not wanting to tell Aureng-Zebe, how the people at this fight had lamentedDara, and curfed the Patan that had delivered him ; and how the fame was in dangerto have been Honed to death, as alfo that there had been a great apprehenfion of fomefedition and mifchief. Hereupon another council was held, whether he fhould be car-ried to Goualeor, as had been concluded before ; or whether it were not more expe-dient to put him to death without more ado ? Some were of opinion, that he fhould 4go to Goualeor with a ftrong guard ; that that would be enough ; Danechmend-Kan,’though Dara’s old enemy, infilling much upon that. But Rauchenara-Begum, in pur-fuance of her hatred againft this brother of hers, pufhed Aureng-Zebe to make him away,without running the danger there was of fending him to Goualeor ; as alfo did all hisold enemies, Calil-ullah-Kan, and Chah-heft-Kan, and efpecially a certain flatterer, aphyfician, who fled out of Perfia, firft called Plakim-Daoud, and afterwards being be-come a great Omrah named Takarrub-Kan : this villain boldly rofe up in a full affem-bly, and cried out, that it was expedient for the fafety of the Hate, to put him to deathimmediately, and that the rather, becaufe he was no Muffulman; that long fiuce he wasturned Kafire, idolater, without religion, and that he would charge the fin of it uponhis own head ; of which imprecation he foon after felt the ftnart; for within a fhort timehe fell into difgrace,. and was treated like an infamous fellow, and died miferably. But

*5 Aureng-Zebe,