_ 182 _ were most well-favoured, and now only Father Rodolfo(A)is there, since the King ordered two ambassadors to go to Portugal to visit the King and discuss agreements. He sent Father Monserrate(B) with them, wishing him to go with them to Portugal, telling him of all the secret negotiations he wished to discuss with the King and the Viceroy(C). Up to now no-one speaks of conversions in the court of the Mogul, nor has the King given his permission since his states are not peaceful at the moment(D). Now it is quiet and he has ordered a great man of letters and virtue among them to be summoned to negotiate with Father Rodolfo(E). This man had such a good impression of our faith that he asked for baptism; the King gave his permission, which is a most unusual thing among the Moors. It may be that the way will be opened for what Our Lord had planned for this mission. May he make it very wide in his infinite mercy. Amen. (A) Acquaviva. (B) Antonio Monserrate (cf doc 113, 16). (C) One of them was called Saiyd Muzaffar, who went to Surat against his will and ‘secretly fled to the kingdom of Sedan (which is now called Decan) having abandoned all his property. But in fact Ebadullas [Abdullah], the other legate, came to Daman, from where he sailed with the priest [Monserrate] to Goa’ (Monserrate, Commentarius 637). (D) The troubled regions were mainly in Afghanistan and Bengal. (E) Cf doc 109, 2.
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