a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第69部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

and　on　their　backs　ride　men　of　high　estate。　He　has　in　front　of　him　twelve　destriers；　saddled；　and　in　front　of　these　horses　go　five　elephants；　specially　for　the　King's　person；　and　in　front　of　these　elephants　go　about　five…and…twenty　horsemen　with　banners　in　their　hands；　and　with　drums　and　trumpets　and　other　music　playing　so　loudly　that　you　can　hear　nothing。　Before　these　goes　a　great　drum　carried　by　men　at　the　sides；　and　they　go　now　and　then　striking　it；　the　sound　of　this　is　heard　a　long　distance　off；　and　this　drum　they　call　PICHA。　After　the　King　has　mounted　he　counts　the　two　hundred　horsemen　and　the　hundred　elephants　and　the　shield…bearers　of　the　guard；　and　whoever　is　missing　is　severely　punished　and　his　property　confiscated。


CHAPTER　22


Of　the　manner　in　which　obeisance　is　done　to　the　King；　&c。

The　manner　of　the　salaam　which　the　nobles　make　to　the　King　every　day　is　this：　　In　the　morning　the　nobles　go　to　the　palace　at　ten　or　eleven　o'clock；　at　which　hour　the　King　comes　out　from　within　where　his　wives　are；　and　after　he　has　taken　his　seat　they　open　to　the　nobles；　and　each　one　comes　by　himself　and　bows　his　head　and　raises　his　hands。　This　is　what　they　call　the　〃salaam〃　（SALEMA）。　With　the　king　are　about　ten　or　twelve　men　who　have　the　duty；　on　the　entrance　of　each　captain；　of　saying　to　the　King：　〃See；　your　Highness；　your　captain　so…and…so；　who　makes　salaam　to　you。〃

The　Kings　of　Bisnaga　have　always　liked；　for　show；　to　have　many　horses　in　their　stables；　and　they　always　had　eight　or　nine　hundred　horses　and　four　or　five　hundred　elephants；　on　account　of　which；　and　on　account　of　the　people　that　looked　after　them；　they　were　put　to　great　expense；　and　this　King　that　now　is　（Achyuta　Raya）　has　in　his　stable　seven　hundred　and　odd　horses　and　four　hundred　elephants。　He　spends　on　account　of　them　and　for　their　attendants；　to　whom　he　gives　food；　two　thousand　gold　PARDAOS　per　day。　And　of　horsemen　whom　the　King　pays　he　has　six　thousand；　and　all　of　them　are　on　the　stables　establishment　（？）　（COMEM　DA　ESTREBARYA）；　and　those　who　serve　them　are　paid　each　year；　some　a　thousand　PARDAOS；　some　five　hundred；　some　three　hundred；　and　those　who　have　less　pay　receive　not　less　than　a　hundred。　Of　these　six　thousand；　two　hundred　are　obliged　to　ride　with　the　King。

The　kings　of　this　country　are　able　to　assemble　as　many　soldiers　as　they　want；　as　they　have　them　there　in　their　kingdom　and　have　much　wealth　wherewith　to　pay　them。　This　King　Chitarao　has　foot…soldiers　paid　by　his　nobles；　and　they　are　obliged　to　maintain　six＇598＇　LAKHS　of　soldiers；　that　is　six　hundred　thousand　men；　and　twenty…four　thousand　horse；　which　the　same　nobles　are　obliged　to　have。　These　nobles　are　like　renters　who　hold　all　the　land　from　the　King；　and　besides　keeping　all　these　people　they　have　to　pay　their　cost；　they　also　pay　to　him　every　year　sixty　LAKHS　of　rents　as　royal　dues。　The　lands；　they　say；　yield　a　hundred　and　twenty　LAKHS　of　which　they　must　pay　sixty　to　the　King；　and　the　rest　they　retain　for　the　pay　of　the　soldiers　and　the　expenses　of　the　elephants　which　they　are　obliged　to　maintain。　For　this　reason　the　common　people　suffer　much　hardship；　those　who　hold　the　lands　being　so　tyrannical。　Of　these　sixty　LAKHS　that　the　king　has　of　revenue　every　year　he　does　not　enjoy　a　larger　sum　than　twenty…five　LAKHS；　for　the　rest　is　spent　on　his　horses；　and　elephants；　and　foot…soldiers；　and　cavalry；　whose　cost　he　defrays。

During　his　feasts　and　the　almsgiving　to　his　temples　all　these　captains；　who　are　thus　like　renters；　must　always　attend　the　court；　and　of　those　whom　this　King　always　has　about　him　and　by　whom　he　is　accompanied　in　his　court　there　are　more　than　two　hundred。　These　are　obliged　always　to　be　present　with　the　King；　and　must　always　maintain　the　full　number　of　soldiers　according　to　their　obligations；　for　if　he　finds　that　they　have　a　less　number　they　are　severely　punished　and　their　estates　confiscated。　These　nobles　are　never　suffered　to　settle　themselves　in　cities　or　towns　because　they　would　there　be　beyond　reach　of　his　hand；　they　only　go　thither　sometimes。　But　a　concession　is　granted　to　the　kings　that　are　subject　to　him；　namely　they　do　not　go　to　court　unless　they　are　summoned；　and　from　their　own　cities　they　send　to　him　their　rents　or　tributes；　yet　the　King　of　Bengapor　is　obliged　to　be　always　in　camp；　and　he　goes　to　court　twice　in　the　year。

The　kings　who　are　subject　are　these；　besides　this　King　of　Bengapor；　namely　the　King　of　Gasopa　and　the　King　of　Bacanor　and　the　King　of　Calecu　and　he　of　Batecala；＇599＇　and　these　when　they　come　to　the　Court　of　Bisnaga　are　not　held　in　higher　esteem　than　any　other　captains；　either　by　the　King　or　by　the　other　nobles。

The　captains　and　lords　of　this　kingdom　of　Bisnaga；　as　well　those　who　are　at　Court　as　those　who　are　away　from　it；　have　each　one　his　secretary　who　goes　to　the　palace　in　order　to　write　to　him　and　let　him　know　what　the　King　is　doing；　and　they　manage　so　that　nothing　takes　place　of　which　they　do　not　soon　know；　and　day　and　night　they　are　always　in　the　palace。　And　the　King　also；　when　he　leaves　the　palace；　takes　with　him　on　his　own　account　secretaries；　who　write　what　the　King　says；　and　the　favours　he　bestows；　and　with　whom　he　spoke；　and　upon　what　subject；　and　what　his　determination　was；　and　to　these　men　is　given　a　credit　equal　to　that　of　the　Evangelists；　because　they　say　that　whenever　the　King　speaks　there　must　be　something　worthy　to　be　recorded；　and　also　that　such　a　record　is　necessary　for　their　remembrance。　Thus　no　written　orders　are　ever　issued；　nor　any　charters　granted；　for　the　favours　he　bestows　or　the　commands　he　gives；　but　when　he　confers　a　favour　on　any　one　it　remains　written　in　the　registers　of　these　secretaries。　The　King　however　gives　to　the　recipient　of　the　favour　a　seal　impressed　in　wax　from　one　of　his　rings；　which　his　minister　keeps；　and　these　seals　serve　for　letters　patent。

These　Kings　of　Bisnaga　eat　all　sorts　of　things；　but　not　the　flesh　of　oxen　or　cows；　which　they　never　kill　in　all　the　country　of　the　heathen　because　they　worship　them。　They　eat　mutton；　pork；　venison；　partridges；　hares；　doves；　quail；　and　all　kinds　of　birds；　even　sparrows；　and　rats；　and　cats；　and　lizards；　all　of　which　are　sold　in　the　market　of　the　city　of　Bisnaga。

Everything　has　to　be　sold　alive　so　that　each　one　may　know　what　he　buys　　this＇600＇　at　least　so　far　as　concerns　game　　and　there　are　fish　from　the　rivers　in　large　quantities。　The　markets　are　always　overflowing　with　abundance　of　fruits；　grapes；　oranges；　limes；　pomegranates；　jack…fruit；　and　mangoes；　and　all　very　cheap。　It　is　said　that　in　the　markets　they　give　twelve　live　sheep　for　a　PARDAO；　and　in　the　hills　they　give　fourteen　or　fifteen　for　A　PARDAO。　The　King　drinks　water　which　they　bring　from　a　spring；　which　is　kept　enclosed　under　the　hand　of　a　man　in　whom　the　King　has　great　confidence；　and　the　vessels　in　which　they　draw　the　water　come　covered　and　sealed。　Thus　they　deliver　it　to　the　women　who　wait　on　him；　and　they　take　it　inside　to　the　other　women；　the　King's　wives。

The　greatest　mark　of　honour　that　this　King　of　Bisnaga　confers　on　a　noble　consists　of　two　fans　ornamented　with　gold　and　precious　stones；　made　of　the　white　tails　of　certain　cows；＇601＇　he　gives　them　bracelets　also。　Everything　which　the　noble　receives　is　placed　on　the　ground。　The　King　confers　very　high　honour；　too；　if　he　permits　a　certain　one　to　kiss　his　feet；　for　he　never　gives　his　hands　to　be　kissed　by　any　one。　When　he　wishes　to　please　his　captains；　or　persons　from　whom　he　has　received　or　wishes　to　receive　good　service；　he　gives　them　scarves　of　honour＇602＇　for　their　personal　use；　which　is　a　great　honour；　and　this　he　does　each　year　to　the　captains　at　the　time　that　they　pay　him　their　land…rents。　This　takes　place　in　the　month　of　September＇603＇　when　for　nine　days　they　make　great　feasts。　Some　say　that　they　do　this　in　honour　of　the　nine　months　during　which　Our　Lady　bore　her　Son　in　the　womb；　others　say　that　it　is　only　done　because　at　this　time　the　captains　come　to　pay　their　rents　to　the　King。　Which　feasts　are　conducted　in　the　following　manner。

The　first　day　they　put　nine　castles　in　a　piece　of　ground　which　is　in　front　of　the　palace；　which　castles　are　made　by　the　nine　principal　captains　in　the　kingdom。　They　are　very　lofty　and　are　hung　with　rich　cloths；　and　in　them　are　many　dancing…girls　and　also　many　kinds　of　contrivances。　Besides　these　nine　every　captain　is　obliged　to　make　each　one　his　castle；　and　they　come　to　show　these　to　the　King。　Each　one　has　his　separate　device；　and　they　all　come　like　this　during　the　nine　days　of　the　feast。　The　officers　of　the　city　are　bound　to　come　with　their　devices　each　day　at　night；　just　as　in　our　festivals；　and　in　these　nine　days　they　slaughter　animals　and　make　sacrifice。　The　first　day　they　kill　nine　male　buffaloes　and　nine　sheep　and　nine　goats；　and　thenceforward　they　kill　each　day　more；　always　doubling　the　number；　and　when　they　have　finished　slaying　these　beasts；　there　come　nine　horses　and　nine　elephants　of　the　King　and　these　come　before　the　king　covered　with　flowers　　roses　　and　with　rich　trappings。　Before　them　goes　the　chief　Master　of　the　Horse　with　many　attendants；　and　they　make　salaam　to　the　King。　And　when　these　have　finished　making　their　salaam　there　come　from　within　priests；　and　they　bring　rice　and　other　cooked　edibles；　and　water