He then asked to know what were my demands? I answered, That his majesty
would be pleased to sanction by his royal signature, certain reasonable
conditions which I should propound, in confirmation of a league of
peace and amity, and for the security of our nation in their residence
and trade in his dominions; as they had hitherto been often wronged, and
could not continue on their present terms, of which I forbore to make
any specific complaint, because I hoped to procure amendment from his
majesty. At these words, Asaph Khan offered to pull away my interpreter,
but I held him fast, while Asaph Khan continued to make signs to him not
to interpret my words. On this the king became suddenly very angry,
pressing to know who had wronged us, and seemed in such fury, that I was
unwilling to follow it out, and spoke in broken Spanish to my
interpreter, desiring him to say, That I would not trouble his majesty
with what was past, but would seek justice of the prince his son, whose
favour I doubted not to obtain. Not attending to what my interpreter
said, but hearing the name of his son, the king mistakingly conceived I
accused him; and hastily saying _mio filio! mio filio_! he called for
the prince, who came in great fear, humbling himself. Asaph Khan
trembled, and all those present were amazed.

He chid the prince roundly, and he excused himself. But as I perceived
the king's error, I made both the king and prince understand the
mistake, by means of a Persian prince who offered himself as
interpreter, as my Italian understood Turkish better than Persian. By
this means I appeased the king, saying that I in no respect accused the
prince, but wished to inform his majesty that I should appeal to the
prince's justice, in regard to the past wrongs our nation had suffered
in those places which were under his government. The king then commanded
the prince, that he should give as effective justice. In his
justification, the prince said that he had already offered me a firmaun,
which I had refused. The king asked me the reason of this. To which I
answered, that I humbly thanked the prince, but he knew that it
contained a condition I could not accept; and besides, that I wished to
propound our own demands, in which I would insert all the desires of the
king my master at once, that I might not daily trouble his majesty and
the prince with complaints. And, when the conditions on both sides were
mutually agreed upon, I would reciprocally bin