the golden bough-第99节

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eges　with　it；　for　the　holder　is　freed　from　taxes　thenceforward；　and　he　has　the　right　of　asking　a　favour　from　the　real　sultan。　That　favour　is　seldom　refused；　it　usually　consists　in　the　release　of　a　prisoner。　Moreover；　the　agents　of　the　student…sultan　levy　fines　on　the　shopkeepers　and　householders；　against　whom　they　trump　up　various　humorous　charges。　The　temporary　sultan　is　surrounded　with　the　pomp　of　a　real　court；　and　parades　the　streets　in　state　with　music　and　shouting；　while　a　royal　umbrella　is　held　over　his　head。　With　the　so…called　fines　and　free…will　offerings；　to　which　the　real　sultan　adds　a　liberal　supply　of　provisions；　the　students　have　enough　to　furnish　forth　a　magnificent　banquet；　and　altogether　they　enjoy　themselves　thoroughly；　indulging　in　all　kinds　of　games　and　amusements。　For　the　first　seven　days　the　mock　sultan　remains　in　the　college；　then　he　goes　about　a　mile　out　of　the　town　and　encamps　on　the　bank　of　the　river；　attended　by　the　students　and　not　a　few　of　the　citizens。　On　the　seventh　day　of　his　stay　outside　the　town　he　is　visited　by　the　real　sultan；　who　grants　him　his　request　and　gives　him　seven　more　days　to　reign；　so　that　the　reign　of　the　Sultan　of　the　Scribes　nominally　lasts　three　weeks。　But　when　six　days　of　the　last　week　have　passed　the　mock　sultan　runs　back　to　the　town　by　night。　This　temporary　sultanship　always　falls　in　spring；　about　the　beginning　of　April。　Its　origin　is　said　to　have　been　as　follows。　When　Mulai　Rasheed　II。　was　fighting　for　the　throne　in　1664　or　1665；　a　certain　Jew　usurped　the　royal　authority　at　Taza。　But　the　rebellion　was　soon　suppressed　through　the　loyalty　and　devotion　of　the　students。　To　effect　their　purpose　they　resorted　to　an　ingenious　stratagem。　Forty　of　them　caused　themselves　to　be　packed　in　chests　which　were　sent　as　a　present　to　the　usurper。　In　the　dead　of　night；　while　the　unsuspecting　Jew　was　slumbering　peacefully　among　the　packing…cases；　the　lids　were　stealthily　raised；　the　brave　forty　crept　forth；　slew　the　usurper；　and　took　possession　of　the　city　in　the　name　of　the　real　sultan；　who；　to　mark　his　gratitude　for　the　help　thus　rendered　him　in　time　of　need；　conferred　on　the　students　the　right　of　annually　appointing　a　sultan　of　their　own。　The　narrative　has　all　the　air　of　a　fiction　devised　to　explain　an　old　custom；　of　which　the　real　meaning　and　origin　had　been　forgotten。

A　custom　of　annually　appointing　a　mock　king　for　a　single　day　was　observed　at　Lostwithiel　in　Cornwall　down　to　the　sixteenth　century。　On　little　Easter　Sunday　the　freeholders　of　the　town　and　manor　assembled　together；　either　in　person　or　by　their　deputies；　and　one　among　them；　as　it　fell　to　his　lot　by　turn；　gaily　attired　and　gallantly　mounted；　with　a　crown　on　his　head；　a　sceptre　in　his　hand；　and　a　sword　borne　before　him；　rode　through　the　principal　street　to　the　church；　dutifully　attended　by　all　the　rest　on　horseback。　The　clergyman　in　his　best　robes　received　him　at　the　churchyard　stile　and　conducted　him　to　hear　divine　service。　On　leaving　the　church　he　repaired；　with　the　same　pomp；　to　a　house　provided　for　his　reception。　Here　a　feast　awaited　him　and　his　suite；　and　being　set　at　the　head　of　the　table　he　was　served　on　bended　knees；　with　all　the　rites　due　to　the　estate　of　a　prince。　The　ceremony　ended　with　the　dinner；　and　every　man　returned　home。

Sometimes　the　temporary　king　occupies　the　throne；　not　annually；　but　once　for　all　at　the　beginning　of　each　reign。　Thus　in　the　kingdom　of　Jambi　in　Sumatra　it　is　the　custom　that　at　the　beginning　of　a　new　reign　a　man　of　the　people　should　occupy　the　throne　and　exercise　the　royal　prerogatives　for　a　single　day。　The　origin　of　the　custom　is　explained　by　a　tradition　that　there　were　once　five　royal　brothers；　the　four　elder　of　whom　all　declined　the　throne　on　the　ground　of　various　bodily　defects；　leaving　it　to　their　youngest　brother。　But　the　eldest　occupied　the　throne　for　one　day；　and　reserved　for　his　descendants　a　similar　privilege　at　the　beginning　of　every　reign。　Thus　the　office　of　temporary　king　is　hereditary　in　a　family　akin　to　the　royal　house。　In　Bilaspur　it　seems　to　be　the　custom；　after　the　death　of　a　Rajah；　for　a　Brahman　to　eat　rice　out　of　the　dead　Rajah's　hand；　and　then　to　occupy　the　throne　for　a　year。　At　the　end　of　the　year　the　Brahman　receives　presents　and　is　dismissed　from　the　territory；　being　forbidden　apparently　to　return。　The　idea　seems　to　be　that　the　spirit　of　the　Rájá　enters　into　the　Bráhman　who　eats　the　khir　（rice　and　milk）　out　of　his　hand　when　he　is　dead；　as　the　Brahman　is　apparently　carefully　watched　during　the　whole　year；　and　not　allowed　to　go　away。　The　same　or　a　similar　custom　is　believed　to　obtain　among　the　hill　states　about　Kangra。　The　custom　of　banishing　the　Brahman　who　represents　the　king　may　be　a　substitute　for　putting　him　to　death。　At　the　installation　of　a　prince　of　Carinthia　a　peasant；　in　whose　family　the　office　was　hereditary；　ascended　a　marble　stone　which　stood　surrounded　by　meadows　in　a　spacious　valley；　on　his　right　stood　a　black　mother…cow；　on　his　left　a　lean　ugly　mare。　A　rustic　crowd　gathered　about　him。　Then　the　future　prince；　dressed　as　a　peasant　and　carrying　a　shepherd's　staff；　drew　near；　attended　by　courtiers　and　magistrates。　On　perceiving　him　the　peasant　called　out；　Who　is　this　whom　I　see　coming　so　proudly　along？　The　people　answered；　The　prince　of　the　land。　The　peasant　was　then　prevailed　on　to　surrender　the　marble　seat　to　the　prince　on　condition　of　receiving　sixty　pence；　the　cow　and　mare；　and　exemption　from　taxes。　But　before　yielding　his　place　he　gave　the　prince　a　light　blow　on　the　cheek。

Some　points　about　these　temporary　kings　deserve　to　be　specially　noticed　before　we　pass　to　the　next　branch　of　the　evidence。　In　the　first　place；　the　Cambodian　and　Siamese　examples　show　clearly　that　it　is　especially　the　divine　or　magical　functions　of　the　king　which　are　transferred　to　his　temporary　substitute。　This　appears　from　the　belief　that　by　keeping　up　his　foot　the　temporary　king　of　Siam　gained　a　victory　over　the　evil　spirits；　whereas　by　letting　it　down　he　imperilled　the　existence　of　the　state。　Again；　the　Cambodian　ceremony　of　trampling　down　the　mountain　of　rice；　and　the　Siamese　ceremony　of　opening　the　ploughing　and　sowing；　are　charms　to　produce　a　plentiful　harvest；　as　appears　from　the　belief　that　those　who　carry　home　some　of　the　trampled　rice；　or　of　the　seed　sown；　will　thereby　secure　a　good　crop。　Moreover；　when　the　Siamese　representative　of　the　king　is　guiding　the　plough；　the　people　watch　him　anxiously；　not　to　see　whether　he　drives　a　straight　furrow；　but　to　mark　the　exact　point　on　his　leg　to　which　the　skirt　of　his　silken　robe　reaches；　for　on　that　is　supposed　to　hang　the　state　of　the　weather　and　the　crops　during　the　ensuing　season。　If　the　Lord　of　the　Heavenly　Hosts　hitches　up　his　garment　above　his　knee；　the　weather　will　be　wet　and　heavy　rains　will　spoil　the　harvest。　If　he　lets　it　trail　to　his　ankle；　a　drought　will　be　the　consequence。　But　fine　weather　and　heavy　crops　will　follow　if　the　hem　of　his　robe　hangs　exactly　half…way　down　the　calf　of　his　leg。　So　closely　is　the　course　of　nature；　and　with　it　the　weal　or　woe　of　the　people；　dependent　on　the　minutest　act　or　gesture　of　the　king's　representative。　But　the　task　of　making　the　crops　grow；　thus　deputed　to　the　temporary　kings；　is　one　of　the　magical　functions　regularly　supposed　to　be　discharged　by　kings　in　primitive　society。　The　rule　that　the　mock　king　must　stand　on　one　foot　upon　a　raised　seat　in　the　rice…field　was　perhaps　originally　meant　as　a　charm　to　make　the　crop　grow　high；　at　least　this　was　the　object　of　a　similar　ceremony　observed　by　the　old　Prussians。　The　tallest　girl；　standing　on　one　foot　upon　a　seat；　with　her　lap　full　of　cakes；　a　cup　of　brandy　in　her　right　hand　and　a　piece　of　elm…bark　or　linden…bark　in　her　left；　prayed　to　the　god　Waizganthos　that　the　flax　might　grow　as　high　as　she　was　standing。　Then；　after　draining　the　cup；　she　had　it　refilled；　and　poured　the　brandy　on　the　ground　as　an　offering　to　Waizganthos；　and　threw　down　the　cakes　for　his　attendant　sprites。　If　she　remained　steady　on　one　foot　throughout　the　ceremony；　it　was　an　omen　that　the　flax　crop　would　be　good；　but　if　she　let　her　foot　down；　it　was　feared　that　the　crop　might　fail。　The　same　significance　perhaps　attaches　to　the　swinging　of　the　Brahmans；　which　the　Lord　of　the　Heavenly　Hosts　had　formerly　to　witness　standing　on　one　foot。　On　the　principles　of　homoeopathic　or　imitative　magic　it　might　be　thought　that　the　higher　the　priests　swing　the　higher　will　grow　the　rice。　For　the　ceremony　is　described　as　a　harvest　festival；　and　swinging　is　practised　by　the　Letts　of　Russia　with　the　avowed　intention　of　influencing　the　growth　of　the　crops。　In　the　spring　and　early　summer；　between　Easter　and　St。　John's　Day　（the　summer　solstice）；　every　Lettish　peasant　is　said　to　devote　his　leisure　hours　to　swinging　diligently；　for　the　higher　he　rises　in　the　air　the　higher　will　his　flax　grow　that　season。

In　the　foregoing　cases　the　temporary　king　is　appointed　annually　in　accordance　with　a　regular　custom。　But　in　other　cases　the　appointment　is　made　only　to　meet　a　special　emergency；　such　as　to　relieve　the　real　king　from　some　actual　or　threatened　evil　by　diverting　it　to　a　substitute；　who　takes　his　place　on　the　throne　for　a　short　time。　The　history　of　Persia　furnishes　instances　of　such　occasional　substitutes　for