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Romance and Poetry: Magor

In the Harleian Collection is also" A true relation without all exception of Strange and Admirable Accidents which lately happened in the Kingdom of the Great Magor, or Mogul," 1622, in which we find " The Magor doth every year weigh himself in a balance made for that purpose, the scales of which are all of massive gold, richly beset with precious stones. First, he weigheth himself with weights of silver, next with weights of gold, and, lastly, with jewels and precious stones. His weight of silver and gold, he giveth away liberally at his pleasure; after he is weighed he mounteth unto his throne, and then he throweth amongst the standers by a great quantity of silver and gold, made hollow, like to the form of nutmegs, and such other spices, which his country doth afford. These ceremonies being ended, he beginneth to carouse and largely to drink with his nobles, till they all be drunk."

As a specimen of Oriental exaggeration we may instance the account given of the accumulated treasures of the Fatimites which fell to Saladin; among these were, we are assured, no less than seven hundred pearls, each of which was of a size that rendered it inestimable; an emerald a span long, and as thick as the finger.