to a small castle named
_Agea Gaurume_. The 12th, nine p. to a spring in the fields. The 13th,
three p. to _Beavas_. The 14th, four p. to _Goolabad_, whence Richard
Steel rode on to Ispahan, without waiting for the caravan. The 15th we
came to _Morea Shahabad_, five p. The 16th, to _Coopa_, five p. The
17th, to _Dea Sabs_, five p. The 18th, four p. and lay in the fields.
And on the 19th, after three p. we came to _Ispahan_.

Richard Steel reached this city on the 15th, at noon, and found Sir
Robert Shirley already provided with his dispatches from the king of
Persia as ambassador to the king of Spain. Sir Robert, attended by his
lady, a bare-footed friar as his chaplain, together with fifty-five
Portuguese prisoners, and his own followers, were preparing in all haste
to go to Ormus, and to embark thence for Lisbon. The purpose is, that
seeing the Portuguese not able to stand, the Spaniards may be brought
in.[157] Six friars remain as hostages for his safe return to Ispahan,
as otherwise the king has vowed to cut them all in pieces, which he is
likely enough to do, having put his own son to death, and committed a
thousand other severities.

[Footnote 157: The meaning of this passage is quite obscure in the
Pilgrims, and the editor does not presume upon clearing the
obscurity.--E.]

On his arrival at Ispahan, Richard Steel delivered his letters to Sir
Robert,[158] who durst hardly read them, except now and then, as by
stealth, fearing lest the Portuguese should know of them. He afterwards
said it was now too late to engage in the business of our nation, and
seemed much dissatisfied with the company, and with the merchants and
mariners who brought him out. But at length he said he was a
true-hearted Englishman, and promised to effect our desires. On the
19th, the friars being absent, he carried both of us to the master of
the ceremonies, or _Maimondare,_ and took us along with him to the Grand
Vizier, _Sarek Hogea_, who immediately called his scribes or
secretaries, and made draughts of what we desired: namely, three
_firmauns_, one of which John Crowther has to carry to Surat, one for
Richard Steel to carry to England, and the third to be sent to the
governor of _Jasques_, all sealed with the great seal of the king. The
same day that these firmauns were procured, being the last of September,
Sir Robert Shirley set out for Shiras in great pomp, and very honourably
attended.

[Footnote 158: Of the landing of Sir Rober