a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第46节

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t　is　filled　with　a　large　population　because　the　king　induces　many　honourable　merchants　to　go　there　from　his　cities；　and　there　is　much　water　in　it。　Besides　this　the　king　made　a　tank＇392＇　there；　which；　as　it　seems　to　me；　has　the　width　of　a　falcon…shot；＇393＇　and　it　is　at　the　mouth　of　two　hills；　so　that　all　the　water　which　comes　from　either　one　side　or　the　other　collects　there；　and；　besides　this；　water　comes　to　it　from　more　than　three　leagues　by　pipes　which　run　along　the　lower　parts　of　the　range　outside。　This　water　is　brought　from　a　lake　which　itself　overflows　into　a　little　river。　The　tank　has　three　large　pillars　handsomely　carved　with　figures；　these　connect　above　with　certain　pipes　by　which　they　get　water　when　they　have　to　irrigate　their　gardens　and　rice…fields。　In　order　to　make　this　tank　the　said　king　broke　down　a　hill　which　enclosed　the　ground　occupied　by　the　said　tank。　In　the　tank　I　saw　so　many　people　at　work　that　there　must　have　been　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　men；　looking　like　ants；　so　that　you　could　not　see　the　ground　on　which　they　walked；　so　many　there　were；　this　tank　the　king　portioned　out　amongst　his　captains；　each　of　whom　had　the　duty　of　seeing　that　the　people　placed　under　him　did　their　work；　and　that　the　tank　was　finished　and　brought　to　completion。

The　tank　burst　two　or　three　times；　and　the　king　asked　his　Brahmans　to　consult　their　idol　as　to　the　reason　why　it　burst　so　often；　and　the　Brahmans　said　that　the　idol　was　displeased；　and　desired　that　they　should　make　a　sacrifice；　and　should　give　him　the　blood　of　men　and　horses　and　buffaloes；　and　as　soon　as　the　king　heard　this　he　forthwith　commanded　that　at　the　gate　of　the　pagoda　the　heads　of　sixty　men　should　be　cut　off；　and　of　certain　horses　and　buffaloes；　which　was　at　once　done。

These　Brahmans　are　like　friars　with　us；　and　they　count　them　as　holy　men　　I　speak　of　the　Brahman　priests　and　the　lettered　men　of　the　pagodas　　because　although　the　king　has　many　Brahmans；　they　are　officers　of　the　towns　and　cities　and　belong　to　the　government　of　them；　others　are　merchants；　and　others　live　by　their　own　property　and　cultivation；　and　the　fruits　which　grow　in　their　inherited　grounds。　Those　who　have　charge　of　the　temples　are　learned　men；　and　eat　nothing　which　suffers　death；　neither　flesh　nor　fish；　nor　anything　which　makes　broth　red；　for　they　say　that　it　is　blood。　Some　of　the　other　Brahmans　whom　I　mentioned；　who　seek　to　serve　God；　and　to　do　penance；　and　to　live　a　life　like　that　of　the　priests；　do　not　eat　flesh　or　fish　or　any　other　thing　that　suffers　death；　but　only　vegetables＇394＇　and　butter　and　other　things　which　they　make　of　fruit；＇395＇　with　their　rice。　They　are　all　married；　and　have　very　beautiful　wives；　the　wives　are　very　retiring；　and　very　seldom　leave　the　house。　The　women　are　of　light　colour；　and　in　the　caste　of　these　Brahmans　are　the　fairest　men　and　women　that　there　are　in　the　land；　for　though　there　are　men　in　other　castes　commonly　of　light　complexion；　yet　these　are　few。　There　are　many　in　this　country　who　call　themselves　Brahmans；　but　they　lead　a　life　very　different　from　those　of　whom　I　have　spoken；　for　these　last　are　men　to　whom　the　king　pays　much　honour；　and　he　holds　them　in　great　favour。

This　new　city　that　the　king　made　bears　the　name　of　his　wife　for　love　of　whom　he　made　it；＇396＇　and　the　said　city　stands　in　a　plain；　and　round　it　the　inhabitants　make　their　gardens　as　the　ground　suits；　each　one　being　separate。　In　this　city　the　king　made　a　temple　with　many　images。　It　is　a　thing　very　well　made；　and　it　has　some　wells　very　well　made　after　their　fashion；　its　houses　are　not　built　with　stories　like　ours；　but　are　of　only　one　floor；　with　flat；　roofs　and　towers；＇397＇　different　from　ours；　for　theirs　go　from　storey　to　storey。　They　have　pillars；　and　are　all　open；　with　verandahs　inside　and　out；　where　they　can　easily　put　people　if　they　desire；　so　that　they　seem　like　houses　belonging　to　a　king。　These　palaces　have　an　enclosing　wall　which　surrounds　them　all；　and　inside　are　many　rows　of　houses。　Before　you　enter　the　place　where　the　king　is　there　are　two　gates　with　many　guards；　who　prevent　any　one　from　entering　except　the　captains　and　men　who　have　business　there；　and　between　these　two　gates　is　a　very　large　court　with　its　verandahs　round　it；　where　these　captains　and　other　honoured　people　wait　till　the　king　summons　them　to　his　presence。

This　king　is　of　medium　height；　and　of　fair　complexion　and　good　figure；　rather　fat　than　thin；　he　has　on　his　face　signs　of　small…pox。　He　is　the　most　feared　and　perfect　king　that　could　possibly　be；　cheerful　of　disposition　and　very　merry；　he　is　one　that　seeks　to　honour　foreigners；　and　receives　them　kindly；　asking　about　all　their　affairs　whatever　their　condition　may　be　He　is　a　great　ruler　and　a　man　of　much　justice；　but　subject　to　sudden　fits　of　rage；＇398＇　and　this　is　his　title　　〃Crisnarao　Macacao；＇399＇　king　of　kings；　lord　of　the　greater　lords　of　India；　lord　of　the　three　seas　and　of　the　land。〃　He　has　this　title＇400＇　because　he　is　by　rank　a　greater　lord　than　any；　by　reason　of　what　he　possesses　in　（？）　armies　and　territories；　but　it　seems　that　he　has　（in　fact）　nothing　compared　to　what　a　man　like　him　ought　to　have；　so　gallant　and　perfect　is　he　in　all　things。　This　king　was　constantly　at　war　with　the　king　of　Orya；　and　entered　his　kingdom；　taking　and　destroying　many　cities　and　towns；　he　put　to　rout　numbers　of　his　soldiers　and　elephants；　and　took　captive　his　son；　whom　he　kept　for　a　long　time　in　this　city　of　Bisnaga；　where　he　died；　and　in　order　to　make　a　treaty　and　（preserve）　peace；　the　king　of　Orya　gave　him　a　daughter　whom　the　king　of　Bisnaga　married　and　has　as　his　wife。

This　king　has　twelve　lawful　wives；　of　whom　there　are　three　principal　ones；　the　sons　of　each　of　these　three　being　heirs　of　the　kingdom；　but　not　these　of　the　others；　this　is　（the　case）　when　there　are　sons　to　all　of　them；　but　when　there　is　only　one　son；　whosesoever　he　may　be；　he　is　heir。　One　of　these　principal　wives　is　the　daughter　of　the　king　of　Orya；　and　others　daughters　of　a　king　his　vassal　who　is　king　of　Serimgapatao；　another　wife　is　a　courtezan　whom　in　his　youth　he　had　for　mistress　before　he　became　king；　and　she　made　him　promise　that　if　he　came　to　be　king　he　would　take　her　to　wife；　and　thus　it　came　to　pass　that　this　courtezan　became　his　wife。　For　love　of　her　he　built　this　new　city；　and　its　name　was　。。。　（SIC　IN　ORIG。）　。。。　Each　one　of　these　wives　has　her　house　to　herself；　with　her　maidens　and　women　of　the　chamber；　and　women　guards　and　all　other　women　servants　necessary；　all　these　are　women；　and　no　man　enters　where　they　are；　save　only　the　eunuchs；　who　guard　them。　These　women　are　never　seen　by　any　man；　except　perhaps　by　some　old　man　of　high　rank　by　favour　of　the　king。　When　they　wish　to　go　out　they　are　carried　in　litters　shut　up　and　closed；＇401＇　so　that　they　cannot　be　seen；　and　all　the　eunuchs　with　them　fully　three　or　four　hundred；　and　all　other　people　keep　a　long　distance　from　them。　They　told　us　that　each　of　these　queens　has　a　very　large　sum　of　money　and　treasure　and　personal　ornaments；　namely　armlets；　bracelets；　seed…pearls；＇402＇　pearls　and　diamonds；　and　that　in　great　quantity：　and　they　also　say　that　each　of　them　has　sixty　maidens　adorned　as　richly　as　could　possibly　be　with　many　jewels；　and　rubies　and　diamonds　and　pearls　and　seed…pearls。　These　we　afterwards　saw；　and　stood　astonished；　we　saw　them　at　certain　festivals　which　I　will　afterwards　speak　of；　and　of　the　manner　in　which　they　came。　Within；　with　these　maidens；　they　say　that　there　are　twelve　thousand　women；　for　you　must　know　that　there　are　women　who　handle　sword　and　shield；　and　others　who　wrestle；　and　others　who　blow　trumpets；　and　others　pipes；　and　others　instruments　which　are　different　from　ours；　and　in　the　same　way　they　have　women　as　bearers　（BOOIS）　and　washing…folk；　and　for　other　offices　inside　their　gates；　just　as　the　king　has　the　officers　of　his　household。　These　three　principal　wives　have　each　the　same；　one　as　much　as　the　other；　so　that　there　may　never　be　any　discord　or　ill　feeling　between　them；　all　of　them　are　great　friends；　and　each　one　lives　by　herself。　It　may　be　gathered　from　this　what　a　large　enclosure　there　must　be　for　these　houses　where　so　many　people　live；　and　what　streets　and　lanes　they　must　have。

The　king　lives　by　himself　inside　the　palace；　and　when　he　wishes　to　have　with　him　one　of　his　wives　he　orders　a　eunuch　to　go　and　call　her。　The　eunuch　does　not　enter　where　she　is；　but　tells　it　to　the　female　guards；　who　make　known　to　the　queen　that　there　is　a　message　from　the　king；　and　then　comes　one　of　her　maidens　or　chamber…women　and　learns　what　is　wanted；　and　then　the　queen　goes　where　the　king　is；　or　the　king　comes　where　she　is；　and　so　passes　the　time　as　it　seems　good　to　him　without　any　of　the　others　knowing。　Amongst　these　eunuchs　the　king　has　some　who　are　great　favourites；　and　who　sleep　where　he　sleeps；　they　receive　a　large　salary。

This　king　is　accustomed　every　day　to　drink　QUARTILHO　（three…quarter　pint）　of　oil　of　GINGELLY＇403＇　before　daylight；　and　anoints　himself　all　over　with　the　said　oil；　he　covers　his　loins　with　a　small　cloth；　and　takes　in　his　arms　great　weights　made　of　earthenware；　and　then；　taking　a　sword；　he　exercises　himself　with　it　till　he　has　sweated　out　all　the　oil；　and　then　he　wrestles　with　one　of　his　wrestlers。　After　this　labour　he　mounts　a　h