veries. After making his humble reverence,
he presented a black Arabian horse, splendidly caparisoned, all his
furniture being studded with flowers of enamelled gold, and set with
small precious stones. According to custom, the prince returned a
turban, a vest, and a girdle.

Still persisting in his purpose of personally finishing the war in the
Deccan, he would give no answer to the ambassadors from that country,
but detained them till he should come to the frontiers. Being now about
to depart, he and his party thought themselves not secure if Sultan
Cuserou remained under the safeguard of Anna-Rah, lest, during the
absence of Churrum, the king might be reconciled to Cuserou, by whose
liberty all the hopes and power of their faction would be overthrown, in
which case their ambition and the injuries they had done could hardly
escape punishment. In this view they continued to urge the king to
deliver Sultan Cuserou into the custody of Asaph Khan, as deputy on that
occasion to Churrum, under pretence that this measure would intimidate
Khan-Khannan and the Deccan princes, when they shall learn that Sultan
Churrum is so favoured that the king has delivered his eldest son into
his keeping, giving him as it were present possession of the kingdom,
and the certain prospect of succession. Accordingly, on the 17th of
October, Sultan Cuserou was delivered up as they desired, the soldiers
of Anna-rah were discharged, and those of Asaph Khan placed over him,
assisted by 200 horse belonging to the prince. The sister of Sultan
Cuserou, and several other women in the seraglio, have put themselves in
mourning, refuse to take their food, and openly exclaim against the
dotage and cruelty of the king; declaring, if Cuserou should die, that
an hundred of his kindred would devote themselves to the flames, in
memory of the king's cruely to the worthiest of his sons.

The king endeavoured to sooth them by fair words, protesting that he had
no evil intentions towards his son, whom he promised speedily to deliver
from captivity, and even sent his favourite Nourmahal to endeavour to
appease the enraged and disconsolate ladies; but they refused to admit
her visit, loading her with curses and threatnings. The common people
universally condemn the king's conduct, saying, that he has not only
delivered his son's life, but his own into the keeping of an ambitious
prince and treacherous faction, and that Cuserou cannot perish without
extreme scandal t