“I have seen [ascetics] with nails unpared;
    I have seen [others] with hair thickly matted;
    I have seen jogis [211] with their ears split,
    Having their bodies covered with ashes;
    I have seen the maunis [212] who never speak;
    I have seen the sevras [213] with heads shaved;
    I have seen [the people] sporting,
    In the forest of Ban-khandi;
    I have seen the brave, I have seen heroes;
    I have seen the wise and the foolish, all;
    I have seen those filled with delusion,
    Continuing in forgetfulness amidst their wealth;
    I have seen those [who were] happy from first to last. 
    I have seen those [who were] afflicted from their birth;
    But never have I seen those [men]
    In whose minds avarice did not exist.”

On hearing these [lines], I replied, what you say is true, but I want nothing; if you will permit, I will write out a note and send it which will express my wish, and which you will convey to the presence of the princess, it will be [doing me] a great favour, as if I had received all the riches in the world.  The eunuch said, “I will do it with pleasure, there is no difficulty in it.”  I immediately wrote a note to the following purport:—­first, I began with the praise of God; I then related my circumstances and situation, saying, “that this creature of God had, some days since, arrived in the city, and from the munificence of her government, had been taken care of in every way; that I had heard such accounts of her highness’s generosity and munificence, as had raised in me an ardent desire to see her, and that I had found those qualities four-fold greater than they had been represented.  Your nobles now tell me to set forth before you whatever wants or wishes I may have; for this reason I beg to represent to you without ceremony the wishes of my heart.  I am not in want of the riches of this world.  I am also the king of my own country; my sole reason for coming so far and undergoing such fatigues, was the ardent desire I had to see you, which motive only has conducted me here in this manner quite alone.  I now hope through your benevolence to attain the wishes of my heart; I shall then be satisfied.  Any further favours will rest with your pleasure; but if the request of this wretch is not granted, then he will wander about in this same manner, encountering hardships, and sacrifice his restless life to the passion he feels for you.  Like Majnun and Farhad, [214] he will end his life in some forest or mountain.”

Having written my wishes, I gave the note to the eunuch; he carried it to the princess.  After a short while, he returned and called me, and conducted me to the door of the seraglio.  On arriving there, I saw an elderly and respectable woman dressed in jewels, sitting on a golden stool, and many eunuchs and other servants richly clothed, were standing before her with arms across.  I imagining her to be the superintendent of affairs, and regarding her as a venerable [person], made her my obeisance; the old lady returned my salute with much civility, and said, “Come and sit down, you are welcome; it is you who wrote an affectionate note to the princess.”  I feeling ashamed, hung down my head and remained sitting silent.