a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第52节

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urs　they　have；　shield…men　with　their　shields；　with　many　flowers　of　gold　and　silver　on　them；　others　with　figures　of　tigers　and　other　great　beasts；　others　all　covered　with　silver　leaf…work　beautifully　wrought；　others　with　painted　colours；　others　black　and　（so　polished　that）　you　can　see　into　them　as　into　a　mirror；　and　their　swords　so　richly　ornamented　that　they　could　not　possibly　be　more　so。　Of　the　archers；　I　must　tell　you　that　they　have　bows　plated　with　gold　and　silver；　and　others　have　them　polished；　and　their　arrows　very　neat；　and　so　feathered　that　they　could　not　be　better；　daggers　at　their　waists　and　battle…axes；　with　the　shafts　and　ends　of　gold　and　silver；　then　you　see　musqueteers　with　their　musquets　and　blunderbusses　and　their　thick　tunics；　all　in　their　order；　with　their　。。。＇452＇　in　all　their　bravery；　it　was　indeed　a　thing　to　see。　Then　the　Moors　　one　must　not　forget　them　　for　they　were　there　also　in　the　review　with　their　shields；　javelins；　and　Turkish　bows；　with　many　bombs　and　spears　and　fire…missiles；　and　I　was　much　astonished　to　find　amongst　them　men　who　knew　so　well　how　to　work　these　weapons。

The　king　leaves　his　palace　riding　on　the　horse　of　which　I　have　already　told　you；　clothed　in　the　many　rich　white　cloths　I　have　mentioned；　with　two　umbrellas　of　state　all　gilded　and　covered　with　crimson　velvet；　and　with　the　jewels　and　adornments　which　they　keep　for　the　purpose　of　wearing　at　such　times：　he　who　ever　wears　such　jewels　can　understand　the　sort　of　things　so　great　a　lord　would　wear。　Then　to　see　the　grandeur　of　the　nobles　and　men　of　rank；　I　cannot　possibly　describe　it　all；　nor　should　I　be　believed　if　I　tried　to　do　so；　then　to　see　the　horses　and　the　armour　that　they　wear；　you　would　see　them　so　covered　with　metal　plates　that　I　have　no　words　to　express　what　I　saw；　and　some　hid　from　me　the　sight　of　others；　and　to　try　and　tell　of　all　I　saw　is　hopeless；　for　I　went　along　with　my　head　so　often　turned　from　one　side　to　the　other　that　I　was　almost　falling　backwards　off　my　horse　with　my　senses　lost。　The　cost　of　it　all　is　not　so　much　to　be　wondered　at；　as　there　is　so　much　money　in　the　land；　and　the　chiefs　are　so　wealthy。

There　went　in　front　of　the　king　many　elephants　with　their　coverings　and　ornaments；　as　I　have　said；　the　king　had　before　him　some　twenty　horses　fully　caparisoned　and　saddled；　with　embroideries　of　gold　and　precious　stones；　that　showed　off　well　the　grandeur　and　state　of　their　lord。　Close　to　the　king　went　a　cage　such　as　is　seen　at　Lisbon　on　the　day　of　the　Corpo　de　Dios　festival；　and　it　was　gilded　and　very　large；　it　seemed　to　me　to　be　made　of　copper　or　silver；　it　was　carried　by　sixteen　men；　eight　on　each　side；　besides　others　who　took　their　turns；　and　in　it　is　carried　the　idol　of　which　I　have　already　spoken。　Thus　accompanied　the　king　passed　along　gazing　at　his　soldiers；　who　gave　great　shouts　and　cries　and　struck　their　shields；　the　horses　neighed；　the　elephants　screamed；　so　that　it　seemed　as　it　the　city　would　be　overturned；　the　hills　and　valleys　and　all　the　ground　trembled　with　the　discharges　of　arms　and　musquets；　and　to　see　the　bombs　and　fire…missiles　over　the　plains；　this　was　indeed　wonderful。　Truly　it　seemed　as　if　the　whole　world　were　collected　there。

In　this　way　it　went　on　till　the　king　arrived　at　the　place　where　the　tent　was　that　I　have　already　mentioned；　and　he　entered　his　and　performed　his　usual　ceremonies　and　prayers。　You　must　not　think　that　when　the　king　passed　the　troops　moved　from　their　positions；　on　the　contrary　they　stood　motionless　in　their　places　till　the　king　returned。　As　soon　as　the　king　had　finished　his　ceremonies　he　again　took　horse　and　returned　to　the　city　in　the　same　way　as　he　had　come；　the　troops　never　wearying　of　their　shouting；　as　soon　as　he　passed　by　them　they　began　to　march。　Then　to　see　those　who　were　on　the　hills　and　slopes；　and　the　descent　of　them　with　their　shouts　and　beating　of　shields　and　shaking　of　arrows　and　bows　that　were　without　count。　Truly；　I　was　so　carried　out　with　myself　that　it　seemed　as　if　what　I　saw　was　a　vision；　and　that　I　was　in　a　dream。　Then　the　troops　began　to　march　to　their　tents　and　pavilions　in　the　plains；　which　were　in　great　number；　and　all　the　captains　accompanied　the　king　as　far　as　the　palace；　and　thence　departed　to　rest　themselves　from　their　labour。

Now　I　desire　you　to　know　that　this　king　has　continually　a　million　fighting　troops；＇453＇　in　which　are　included　35；000　cavalry　in　armour；　all　these　are　in　his　pay；　and　he　has　these　troops　always　together　and　ready　to　be　despatched　to　any　quarter　whenever　such　may　be　necessary。　I　saw；　being　in　this　city　of　Bisnaga；　the　king　despatch　a　force　against　a　place；　one　of　those　which　he　has　by　the　sea…coast；　and　he　sent　fifty　captains　with　150；000　soldiers；　amongst　whom　were　many　cavalry。　He　has　many　elephants；　and　when　the　king　wishes　to　show　the　strength　of　his　power　to　any　of　his　adversaries　amongst　the　three　kings　bordering　on　his　kingdom；　they　say　that　he　puts　into　the　field　two　million　soldiers；　in　consequence　of　which　he　is　the　most　feared　king　of　any　in　these　parts。　And　although　he　takes　away　so　many　men　from　his　kingdom；　it　must　not　be　thought　that　the　kingdom　remains　devoid　of　men；　it　is　so　full　that　it　would　seem　to　you　as　if　he　had　never　taken　away　a　man；　and　this　by　reason　of　the　many　and　great　merchants　that　are　in　it。　There　are　working　people　and　all　other　kinds　of　men　who　are　employed　in　business；　besides　those　who　are　obliged　to　go　into　the　field；　there　are　also　a　great　number　of　Brahmans。　In　all　the　land　of　the　heathen　there　are　these　Brahmans；　they　are　men　who　do　not　eat　anything　that　suffers　death；　they　have　little　stomach　for　the　use　of　arms。

Should　any　one　ask　what　revenues　this　king　possesses；　and　what　his　treasure　is　that　enables　him　to　pay　so　many　troops；　since　he　has　so　many　and　such　great　lords　in　his　kingdom；　who；　the　greater　part　of　them；　have　themselves　revenues；　I　answer　thus：　These　captains　whom　he　has　over　these　troops　of　his　are　the　nobles　of　his　kingdom；　they　are　lords；　and　they　hold　the　city；　and　the　towns　and　villages　of　the　kingdom；　there　are　captains　amongst　them　who　have　a　revenue　of　a　million　and　a　million　a　half　of　PARDAOS；　others　a　hundred　thousand　PARDAOS；　others　two　hundred；　three　hundred　or　five　hundred　thousand　PARDAOS；　and　as　each　one　has　revenue　so　the　king　fixes　for　him　the　number　of　troops　he　must　maintain；　in　foot；　horse；　and　elephants。＇454＇　These　troops　are　always　ready　for　duty；　whenever　they　may　be　called　out　and　wherever　they　may　have　to　go；　and　in　this　way　he　has　this　million　of　fighting　men　always　ready。　Each　of　these　captains　labours　to　turn　out　the　best　troops　he　can　get　because　he　pays　them　their　salaries；　and　in　this　review　there　were　the　finest　young　men　possible　to　be　seen　or　that　ever　could　be　seen；　for　in　all　this　array　I　did　not　see　a　man　that　would　act　the　coward。　Besides　maintaining　these　troops；　each　captain　has　to　make　his　annual　payments　to　the　king；　and　the　king　has　his　own　salaried　troops　to　whom　he　gives　pay。　He　has　eight　hundred　elephants　attached　to　his　person；　and　five　hundred　horses　always　in　his　stables；　and　for　the　expenses　of　these　horses　and　elephants　he　has　devoted　the　revenues　that　he　receives　from　this　city　of　Bisnaga。　You　may　well　imagine　how　great　these　expenses　may　be；　and　besides　these　that　of　the　servants　who　have　the　care　of　the　horses　and　elephants；　and　by　this　you　will　be　able　to　judge　what　will　be　the　revenue　of　this　city。

This　king　of　Bisnaga　has　five　kings　his　subjects　and　vassals；＇455＇　besides　other　captains　and　lords　having　large　territories　and　great　revenues；　whenever　a　son　happens　to　be　born　to　this　king；　or　a　daughter；　all　the　nobles　of　the　kingdom　offer　him　great　presents　of　money　and　jewels　of　price；　and　so　they　do　to　him　every　year　on　the　day　of　his　birth。

You　must　know　that　when　these　feasts　of　which　I　have　spoken　are　ended；　at　the　beginning　of　the　month　of　October；　when　eleven　of　its　days　are　past；　they　make　great　feasts；　during　which　every　one　puts　on　new；　and　rich；　and　handsome　cloths；　each　one　according　to　his　liking；　and　all　the　captains　give　their　men　handsome　cloths　of　many　colours；　each　one　having　his　own　colour　and　device。　On　the　same　day　they　give　great　gifts　of　money　to　the　king；　it　is　even　said　that　they　give　on　that　day　to　the　king　in　money　a　million　and　five　hundred　thousand　gold　PARDAOS；　and　each　PARDAO　is　worth　three　hundred　and　sixty　REIS；　and　from　this　you　will　be　able　to　know　how　many　REIS　there　will　be。　I　wish　you　to　know　that　on　this　day　begins　their　year；　it　is　their　New　Year's　Day；　and　for　this　they　make　the　feast　and　give　the　gifts；　and　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at；　for　we　also　do　the　same　on　New　Year's　Day。　They　begin　the　year　in　this　month　with　the　new　moon；　and　they　count　the　months　always　from　moon　to　moon。＇456＇

And　now　I　wish　you　to　know　that　the　previous　kings　of　this　place　for　many　years　past　have　held　it　a　custom　to　maintain　a　treasury；　which　treasury；　after　the　death　of　each；　is　kept　locked　and　sealed　in　such　a　way　that　it　cannot　be　seen　by　any　one；　nor　opened；　nor　do　the　kings　who　succeed　to　the　kingdom　open　them　or　know　what　is　in　them。　They　are　not　opened　except　when　the　kings　have　great　need；　and　thus　the　kingdom　has　great　supplies　to　meet　its　needs。　This　king　has　made　his　treasury　different