What to Get the King Who Has Everything, by Sir Thomas Roe

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So that in conclusion he accepted your presents well; but after the English were come away he asked the Jesuit* whether the King of England were a great King that sent presents of so small value, and that he looked for some jewels. To this purpose was I often felt by some, before I saw him, whither I had brought jewels or no. But rareties please as well, and if you were furnished yearly from Frankfurt, where are all knacks and new devices, 100l. would go farther then 500l. laid out in England, and here better acceptable. There is nothing more welcome here, nor ever saw I man so enamoured of drink as both the King and Prince are of red wine, wherof the Governor of Surat sent up some pottle.* Ever since, the King hath solicited for more. I think 4 or 5 handsome cases of that wine will be more welcome than the richest jewel in Cheapside.

by Sir Thomas Roe ?1551-1644

Spelling modernised.

A letter to the East India Company, sent from Adsmere (Ajmer, Rajasthan) on January 25th, 1615/16 (i.e. 1616 with New Year on January 1st), as given in ‘The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to India (1615-1619)’ Volume 1, edited by William Foster.

* The Portuguese interest at court was represented by the Roman Catholic Church, in the form of a Jesuit priest.

* A pottle is half a gallon, i.e. two quarts or four pints.

Précis

Jehangir wondered if the King of England was quite the potentate Roe had implied, since he sent no costly jewels. For his part, Roe asked the East India Company to send more presents, preferably wine from Surat and curios from Germany, because the curios were better value for money than English goods, and the wine even more welcome than jewels.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

Sevens

Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.

Why did the Emperor suspect that the King of England was not as wealthy as other European monarchs?

Suggestion

Because he did not give away jewels.

Jigsaws

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

Roe gave Jehangir a carriage. He made a copy. Roe could barely tell them apart.

See if you can include one or more of these words in your answer.

IAlike. IIExactly. IIISame.

Précis

Questions for Critics

Sevens

Jigsaws

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