the golden bough-第94节

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remains　of　the　late　Matiamvo；　after　which　I　retire　to　his　capital　and　proclaim　the　new　government。　I　then　return　to　where　the　head；　legs；　and　arms　have　been　deposited；　and；　for　forty　slaves；　I　ransom　them；　together　with　the　merchandise　and　other　property　belonging　to　the　deceased；　which　I　give　up　to　the　new　Matiamvo；　who　has　been　proclaimed。　This　is　what　has　happened　to　many　Matiamvos；　and　what　must　happen　to　the　present　one。

It　appears　to　have　been　a　Zulu　custom　to　put　the　king　to　death　as　soon　as　he　began　to　have　wrinkles　or　grey　hairs。　At　least　this　seems　implied　in　the　following　passage　written　by　one　who　resided　for　some　time　at　the　court　of　the　notorious　Zulu　tyrant　Chaka；　in　the　early　part　of　the　nineteenth　century：　The　extraordinary　violence　of　the　king's　rage　with　me　was　mainly　occasioned　by　that　absurd　nostrum；　the　hair　oil；　with　the　notion　of　which　Mr。　Farewell　had　impressed　him　as　being　a　specific　for　removing　all　indications　of　age。　From　the　first　moment　of　his　having　heard　that　such　a　preparation　was　attainable；　he　evinced　a　solicitude　to　procure　it；　and　on　every　occasion　never　forgot　to　remind　us　of　his　anxiety　respecting　it；　more　especially　on　our　departure　on　the　mission　his　injunctions　were　particularly　directed　to　this　object。　It　will　be　seen　that　it　is　one　of　the　barbarous　customs　of　the　Zoolas　in　their　choice　or　election　of　their　kings　that　he　must　neither　have　wrinkles　nor　grey　hairs；　as　they　are　both　distinguishing　marks　of　disqualification　for　becoming　a　monarch　of　a　warlike　people。　It　is　also　equally　indispensable　that　their　king　should　never　exhibit　those　proofs　of　having　become　unfit　and　incompetent　to　reign；　it　is　therefore　important　that　they　should　conceal　these　indications　so　long　as　they　possibly　can。　Chaka　had　become　greatly　apprehensive　of　the　approach　of　grey　hairs；　which　would　at　once　be　the　signal　for　him　to　prepare　to　make　his　exit　from　this　sublunary　world；　it　being　always　followed　by　the　death　of　the　monarch。　The　writer　to　whom　we　are　indebted　for　this　instructive　anecdote　of　the　hair　oil　omits　to　specify　the　mode　in　which　a　grey…haired　and　wrinkled　Zulu　chief　used　to　make　his　exit　from　this　sublunary　world；　but　on　analogy　we　may　conjecture　that　he　was　killed。

The　custom　of　putting　kings　to　death　as　soon　as　they　suffered　from　any　personal　defect　prevailed　two　centuries　ago　in　the　Caffre　kingdom　of　Sofala。　We　have　seen　that　these　kings　of　Sofala　were　regarded　as　gods　by　their　people；　being　entreated　to　give　rain　or　sunshine；　according　as　each　might　be　wanted。　Nevertheless　a　slight　bodily　blemish；　such　as　the　loss　of　a　tooth；　was　considered　a　sufficient　cause　for　putting　one　of　these　god…men　to　death；　as　we　learn　from　the　following　passage　of　an　old　Portuguese　historian：　It　was　formerly　the　custom　of　the　kings　of　this　land　to　commit　suicide　by　taking　poison　when　any　disaster　or　natural　physical　defect　fell　upon　them；　such　as　impotence；　infectious　disease；　the　loss　of　their　front　teeth；　by　which　they　were　disfigured；　or　any　other　deformity　or　affliction。　To　put　an　end　to　such　defects　they　killed　themselves；　saying　that　the　king　should　be　free　from　any　blemish；　and　if　not；　it　was　better　for　his　honour　that　he　should　die　and　seek　another　life　where　he　would　be　made　whole；　for　there　everything　was　perfect。　But　the　Quiteve　（king）　who　reigned　when　I　was　in　those　parts　would　not　imitate　his　predecessors　in　this；　being　discreet　and　dreaded　as　he　was；　for　having　lost　a　front　tooth　he　caused　it　to　be　proclaimed　throughout　the　kingdom　that　all　should　be　aware　that　he　had　lost　a　tooth　and　should　recognise　him　when　they　saw　him　without　it；　and　if　his　predecessors　killed　themselves　for　such　things　they　were　very　foolish；　and　he　would　not　do　so；　on　the　contrary；　he　would　be　very　sorry　when　the　time　came　for　him　to　die　a　natural　death；　for　his　life　was　very　necessary　to　preserve　his　kingdom　and　defend　it　from　his　enemies；　and　he　recommended　his　successors　to　follow　his　example。

The　king　of　Sofala　who　dared　to　survive　the　loss　of　his　front　tooth　was　thus　a　bold　reformer　like　Ergamenes；　king　of　Ethiopia。　We　may　conjecture　that　the　ground　for　putting　the　Ethiopian　kings　to　death　was；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Zulu　and　Sofala　kings；　the　appearance　on　their　person　of　any　bodily　defect　or　sign　of　decay；　and　that　the　oracle　which　the　priests　alleged　as　the　authority　for　the　royal　execution　was　to　the　effect　that　great　calamities　would　result　from　the　reign　of　a　king　who　had　any　blemish　on　his　body；　just　as　an　oracle　warned　Sparta　against　a　lame　reign；　that　is；　the　reign　of　a　lame　king。　It　is　some　confirmation　of　this　conjecture　that　the　kings　of　Ethiopia　were　chosen　for　their　size；　strength；　and　beauty　long　before　the　custom　of　killing　them　was　abolished。　To　this　day　the　Sultan　of　Wadai　must　have　no　obvious　bodily　defect；　and　the　king　of　Angoy　cannot　be　crowned　if　he　has　a　single　blemish；　such　as　a　broken　or　a　filed　tooth　or　the　scar　of　an　old　wound。　According　to　the　Book　of　Acaill　and　many　other　authorities　no　king　who　was　afflicted　with　a　personal　blemish　might　reign　over　Ireland　at　Tara。　Hence；　when　the　great　King　Cormac　Mac　Art　lost　one　eye　by　an　accident；　he　at　once　abdicated。

Many　days'　journey　to　the　north…east　of　Abomey；　the　old　capital　of　Dahomey；　lies　the　kingdom　of　Eyeo。　The　Eyeos　are　governed　by　a　king；　no　less　absolute　than　the　king　of　Dahomey；　yet　subject　to　a　regulation　of　state；　at　once　humiliating　and　extraordinary。　When　the　people　have　conceived　an　opinion　of　his　ill…government；　which　is　sometimes　insidiously　infused　into　them　by　the　artifice　of　his　discontented　ministers；　they　send　a　deputation　to　him　with　a　present　of　parrots'　eggs；　as　a　mark　of　its　authenticity；　to　represent　to　him　that　the　burden　of　government　must　have　so　far　fatigued　him　that　they　consider　it　full　time　for　him　to　repose　from　his　cares　and　indulge　himself　with　a　little　sleep。　He　thanks　his　subjects　for　their　attention　to　his　ease；　retires　to　his　own　apartment　as　if　to　sleep；　and　there　gives　directions　to　his　women　to　strangle　him。　This　is　immediately　executed；　and　his　son　quietly　ascends　the　throne　upon　the　usual　terms　of　holding　the　reins　of　government　no　longer　than　whilst　he　merits　the　approbation　of　the　people。　About　the　year　1774；　a　king　of　Eyeo；　whom　his　ministers　attempted　to　remove　in　the　customary　manner；　positively　refused　to　accept　the　proffered　parrots'　eggs　at　their　hands；　telling　them　that　he　had　no　mind　to　take　a　nap；　but　on　the　contrary　was　resolved　to　watch　for　the　benefit　of　his　subjects。　The　ministers；　surprised　and　indignant　at　his　recalcitrancy；　raised　a　rebellion；　but　were　defeated　with　great　slaughter；　and　thus　by　his　spirited　conduct　the　king　freed　himself　from　the　tyranny　of　his　councillors　and　established　a　new　precedent　for　the　guidance　of　his　successors。　However；　the　old　custom　seems　to　have　revived　and　persisted　until　late　in　the　nineteenth　century；　for　a　Catholic　missionary；　writing　in　1884；　speaks　of　the　practice　as　if　it　were　still　in　vogue。　Another　missionary；　writing　in　1881；　thus　describes　the　usage　of　the　Egbas　and　the　Yorubas　of　West　Africa：　Among　the　customs　of　the　country　one　of　the　most　curious　is　unquestionably　that　of　judging；　and　punishing　the　king。　Should　he　have　earned　the　hatred　of　his　people　by　exceeding　his　rights；　one　of　his　councillors；　on　whom　the　heavy　duty　is　laid；　requires　of　the　prince　that　he　shall　'go　to　sleep；'　which　means　simply　'take　poison　and　die。'　If　his　courage　fails　him　at　the　supreme　moment；　a　friend　renders　him　this　last　service；　and　quietly；　without　betraying　the　secret；　they　prepare　the　people　for　the　news　of　the　king's　death。　In　Yoruba　the　thing　is　managed　a　little　differently。　When　a　son　is　born　to　the　king　of　Oyo；　they　make　a　model　of　the　infant's　right　foot　in　clay　and　keep　it　in　the　house　of　the　elders　（ogboni）。　If　the　king　fails　to　observe　the　customs　of　the　country；　a　messenger；　without　speaking　a　word；　shows　him　his　child's　foot。　The　king　knows　what　that　means。　He　takes　poison　and　goes　to　sleep。　The　old　Prussians　acknowledged　as　their　supreme　lord　a　ruler　who　governed　them　in　the　name　of　the　gods；　and　was　known　as　God's　Mouth。　When　he　felt　himself　weak　and　ill；　if　he　wished　to　leave　a　good　name　behind　him；　he　had　a　great　heap　made　of　thorn…bushes　and　straw；　on　which　he　mounted　and　delivered　a　long　sermon　to　the　people；　exhorting　them　to　serve　the　gods　and　promising　to　go　to　the　gods　and　speak　for　the　people。　Then　he　took　some　of　the　perpetual　fire　which　burned　in　front　of　the　holy　oak…tree；　and　lighting　the　pile　with　it　burned　himself　to　death。

3。　Kings　killed　at　the　End　of　a　Fixed　Term。

IN　THE　CASES　hitherto　described；　the　divine　king　or　priest　is　suffered　by　his　people　to　retain　office　until　some　outward　defect；　some　visible　symptom　of　failing　health　or　advancing　age；　warns　them　that　he　is　no　longer　equal　to　the　discharge　of　his　divine　duties；　but　not　until　such　symptoms　have　made　their　appearance　is　he　put　to　death。　Some　peoples；　however；　appear　to　have　thought　it　unsafe　to　wait　for　even　the　slightest　symptom　of　decay　and　have　preferred　to　kill　the　king　while　he　was　still　in　the　full　vigour　of　life。　Accordingly；　they　have　fixed　a　term　beyond　which　he　might　not　reign；　and　at　the　close　of　which　he　must　die；　the　term　fixed　upon　being　short　enoug