An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous EscapeKnox, Robert
History
An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous Escape
Knox, Robert
Sri Lanka -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Sri Lanka -- Social life and customs
Hereby I was brought into a great danger, out of which I had much ado
to escape, and that with the loss of my Allowance for ever after. I
shall relate the manner of it in the next Chapter.
CHAP. VIII.
How the Author had like to have been received into the Kings Service,
and what means he used to avoid it. He meditates and attempts an
escape, but is often prevented.
[He voluntarily forgoes his pension.] This frequent Appearance at the
Court, and waiting there for my Tickets, brought me to be taken notice
of by the Great men: insomuch that they wondered I had been all this
while forgotten, and never been brought before the King, being so fit,
as they would suppose me, for his use and service, saying, That from
henceforward I should fare better than that Allowance amounted to, as
soon as the King was made acquainted with me. Which words of theirs
served instead of a Ticket, Whereupon fearing I mould suddainly
be brought in to the King, which thing I most of all feared, and
least desired, and hoping that out of sight might prove out of mind,
I resolved to forsake the Court, and never more to ask for Tickets,
especially seeing God had dealt so bountifully with me as to give me
ability to live well enough without them. As when Israel had eaten
of the Corn of the Land of Canaan, the Manna ceased; so when I was
driven to forego my Allowance that had all this while sustained me
in this wilderness, God otherways provided for me.
[Summoned before the King.] From this time forward to the time of
my Flight out of the Land, which was five years. I neither had nor
demanded any more Allowance, and glad I was that I could escape
so. But I must have more trouble first. For some four or five days
after my last coming from Court, there came a Soldier to me, sent
from the Adigar, with an Order in writing under his hand, that upon
sight thereof I should immediatly dispatch and come to the Court to
make my personal appearance before the King and in case of any delay,
the Officers of the Countrey, were thereby Authorized and Commanded
to assist the Bearer, and to see the same Order speedily performed.
The chief occasion of this had been a Person, not long before my near
Neighbour and Acquaintance, Oua Matteral by name, who knew my manner
of Life, and had often been at my House; but now was taken in and
employed at Court; and he out of friendship and good will to me was
one of the chief Actors in this business, that he might bring me to
Preferment at Court.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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