Ambassador from Foreign Countries
Ambassador from Foreign Countries
When ambassadors come from foreign countries, nobody is aware of their movements until they actually arrive at the city gates; nobody gives any information that they are coming and nobody makes any preparation for them; and they will surely attribute this to our negligence and indifference. So officers at the frontiers must be told that whenever anyone approaches their stations, they should at once dispatch a rider and find out who is coming, how many men there are with him, mounted and uncounted, how much baggage and equipment he has, and what is his business.
A trustworthy person must be appointed to accompany them and conduct them to the nearest big city; there he will hand them over to another agent who will likewise go with them to the next city (and district), and so on until they reach the court. Whenever they arrive at a place where there is cultivation, it must be a standing order that officers, tax-collectors and assignees should give them hospitality and entertain them well so that they depart satisfied.
When they return, the same procedure is to be followed. Whatever treatment is given to an ambassador, whether good or bad, it is as if it were done to the very king who sent him; and kings have always shown the greatest respect to one another and treated envoys well, for by this their own dignity has been enhanced. And if at any time there has been disagreement or enmity between kings, and if ambassadors have still come and gone as occasion requires, and discharged their missions according to their instructions, never have they been molested or treated with less than usual courtesy. Such a thing would be disgraceful, as God says, "The messenger has only to convey the message plainly."
It should also be realized that when kings send ambassadors to one another their purpose is not merely the message or the letter which they communicate openly, but secretly they have a hundred other points and objects in view. In fact they want to know about the state of roads, mountain passes, rivers and grazing grounds, to see whether an army can pass or not; where fodder is available and where not; who are the officers in every place; what is the size of that king's army and how well it is armed and equipped; what is (he standard of his table and company; what is the organization and etiquette of his court and audience hall; whether he plays polo and hunts; where his qualities and manners, his designs and intentions, his appearance and bearing arc; whether he is cruel or just, old or young; whether his country is flourishing or decaying; whether the peasants are rich or poor; whether he is greedy or generous; whether he is alert or negligent in affairs. The Lady of Shalott: A Comparison of the First and Second Edition ECOTOURISM What's Your Accommodation Choice During Travel - Hotel Or Apartment? Saint Augustine Hotels- Making Your Holiday More Enjoyable Ideas On Christmas Gifts For Her Bars to Visit When You Are Holidaying In Torquay HTC 7 Mozart deals: deals available with christmas offer Madrid Tourists Attractions Popular Diet Comparisons Best Locations to Find Villas for sale in Spain Panama Tourism: Enchanting tourists all over Gift For Halloween American Web Hosting Vs Canadian Web Hosting