DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4651#0124
114 JOURNAL OF A RESIDENCE
common artists, or rather, so deficient are they in
rewarding ingenuity, that talents are shrouded
under pretended ignorance, to prevent trouhle.
The rayhoon dined with me, and endeavoured to
persuade me to send some presents to the queens.
This I, however, declined doing, telling him I
had already swerved from my original intentions,
in making any presents before my business was
settled; that, making presents beforehand, had
the appearance of a design to bribe, or interest
the court in my favour; an accusation I was de-
termined not to afford grounds for to my enemies ;
that my business required no such fallacious sup-
port ; that I had no favours to beg, but rather
came to confer benefits, by promoting the in-
terests of the Burmhan nation. He then tried to
work on my vanity, by informing me that his
majesty had directed the whoonghees to publish,
that I should be received every where as Re-
sident at Rangoon, agreeably to the Governor-
General's letters; that I should have a title, and
the same insignia carried in my train as the
first ministers were allowed; that the whoon-
ghees, after leaving the presence, held a council,
to debate on the propriety of acceding to his
majesty's wishes, and to search the records for
a precedent; after a long search they could find
no precedent to countenance so great an ex-
tension of his majesty's favour to a stranger,
common artists, or rather, so deficient are they in
rewarding ingenuity, that talents are shrouded
under pretended ignorance, to prevent trouhle.
The rayhoon dined with me, and endeavoured to
persuade me to send some presents to the queens.
This I, however, declined doing, telling him I
had already swerved from my original intentions,
in making any presents before my business was
settled; that, making presents beforehand, had
the appearance of a design to bribe, or interest
the court in my favour; an accusation I was de-
termined not to afford grounds for to my enemies ;
that my business required no such fallacious sup-
port ; that I had no favours to beg, but rather
came to confer benefits, by promoting the in-
terests of the Burmhan nation. He then tried to
work on my vanity, by informing me that his
majesty had directed the whoonghees to publish,
that I should be received every where as Re-
sident at Rangoon, agreeably to the Governor-
General's letters; that I should have a title, and
the same insignia carried in my train as the
first ministers were allowed; that the whoon-
ghees, after leaving the presence, held a council,
to debate on the propriety of acceding to his
majesty's wishes, and to search the records for
a precedent; after a long search they could find
no precedent to countenance so great an ex-
tension of his majesty's favour to a stranger,