a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第42部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ya　as　being　his　successor；　and　as　such　he　was　at　once　proclaimed。　While　some　rejoiced；　others　were　displeased。

〃Three　days　later　the　King　died　at　the　age　of　sixty…seven　years。　His　body　was　burned　in　his　own　garden　with　sweet…scented　woods；　sandal；　aloes；　and　such　like；　and　immediately　afterwards　three　queens　burned　themselves；　one　of　whom　was　of　the　same　age　as　the　King；　and　the　other　two　aged　thirty…five　years。　They　showed　great　courage。　They　went　forth　richly　dressed　with　many　jewels　and　gold　ornaments　and　precious　stones；　and　arriving　at　the　funeral　pyre　they　divided　these；　giving　some　to　their　relatives；　some　to　the　Brahmans　to　offer　prayers　for　them；　and　throwing　some　to　be　scrambled　for　by　the　people。　Then　they　took　leave　of　all；　mounted　on　to　a　lofty　place；　and　threw　themselves　into　the　middle　of　the　fire；　which　was　very　great。　Thus　they　passed　into　eternity。

〃Then　the　new　King　began　to　rule；　compelling　some　of　the　captains　to　leave　the　fortress；　but　keeping　others　by　his　side；　and　all　came　to　him　to　offer　their　allegiance　except　three。　These　were　Jaga　Raya；　who　has　six　hundred　thousand　cruzados　of　revenue　and　puts　twenty　thousand　men　into　the　field；　Tima　Naique；　who　has　four　hundred　thousand　cruzados　of　revenue　and　keeps　up　an　army　of　twelve　thousand　men；　and　Maca　Raya；　who　has　a　revenue　of　two　hundred　thousand　cruzados　and　musters　six　thousand　men。　They　swore　never　to　do　homage　to　the　new　King；　but；　on　the　contrary；　to　raise　in　his　place　the　putative　son　of　the　dead　King；　the　nephew　of　Jaga　Raya；＇360＇　who　was　the　chief　of　this　conspiracy。　In　a　few　days　there　occurred　the　following　opportunity。

〃The　new　King　displeased　three　of　his　nobles；　the　first；　the　Dalavay；　who　is　the　commander　of　the　army　and　pays　a　tribute　of　five　hundred　thousand　cruzados；　because　he　desired　him　to　give　up　three　fortresses　which　the　King　wished　to　confer　on　two　of　his　own　sons；　the　second；　his　minister；　whom　he　asked　to　pay　a　hundred　thousand　cruzados；　alleging　that　he　had　stolen　them　from　the　old　King　his　uncle；　the　third；　Narpa　Raya；　since　he　demanded　the　jewels　which　his　sister；　the　wife　of　the　old　King；　had　given　to　Marpa。　All　these　three　answered　the　King　that　they　would　obey　his　commands　within　two　days；　but　they　secretly　plotted　with　Jaga　Raya　to　raise　up　the　latter's　nephew　to　be　King。　And　this　they　did　in　manner　following：　

〃Jaga　Raya　sent　to　tell　the　King　that　he　wished　to　do　homage　to　him；　and　so　also　did　Tima　Maique　and　Maca　Raya。　The　poor　King　allowed　them　to　enter。　Jaga　Raya　selected　five　thousand　men；　and　leaving　the　rest　outside　the　city　he　entered　the　fortress　with　these　chosen　followers。　The　two　other　conspirators　did　the　same；　each　of　them　bringing　with　them　two　thousand　selected　men。　The　fortress　has　two　walls。　Arrived　at　these；　Jaga　Raya　left　at　the　first　gate　a　thousand　men；　and　at　the　second　a　thousand。　The　Dalavay　seized　two　other　gates　of　the　fortress；　on　the　other　side。　There　being　some　tumult；　and　a　cry　of　treason　being　raised；　the　King　ordered　the　palace　gates　to　be　closed；　but　the　conspirators　as　soon　as　they　reached　them　began　to　break　them　down。　Maca　Raya　was　the　first　to　succeed；　crying　out　that　he　would　deliver　up　the　King　to　them；　and　he　did　so；　seeding　the　King　a　message　that　if　he　surrendered　he　would　pledge　his　word　to　do　him　no　ill；　but　that　the　nephew　of　Jaga　Raya　must　be　King；　he　being　the　son　of　the　late　King。

〃The　poor　surrounded　King；　seeing　himself　without　followers　and　without　any　remedy；　accepted　the　promise；　and　with　his　wife　and　sons　left　the　tower　in　which　he　was　staying。　He　passed　through　the　midst　of　the　soldiers　with　a　face　grave　and　severe；　and　with　eyes　downcast。　There　was　none　to　do　him　reverence　with　hands　（as　is　the　custom）　joined　over　the　head；　nor　did　he　salute　any　one。

〃The　King　having　left；　Jaga　Raya　called　his　nephew　and　crowned　him；　causing　all　the　nobles　present　to　do　him　homage；　and　he；　finding　himself　now　crowned　King；　entered　the　palace　and　took　possession　of　it　and　of　all　the　riches　and　precious　stones　that　he　found　there。　If　report　says　truly；　he　found　in　diamonds　alone　three　large　chests　full　of　fine　stones。　After　this　（Jaga　Raya）　placed　the　deposed　King　under　the　strictest　guard；　and　he　was　deserted　by　all　save　by　one　captain　alone　whose　name　was　Echama　Naique；　who　stopped　outside　the　fortress　with　eight　thousand　men　and　refused　to　join　Jaga　Raya。　Indeed；　hearing　of　the　treason；　he　struck　his　camp　and　shut　himself　up　in　his　own　fortress　and　began　to　collect　more　troops。

〃Jaga　Raya　sent　a　message　to　this　man　bidding　him　come　and　do　homage　to　his　nephew；　and　saying　that　if　he　refused　he　would　destroy　him。　Echama　Naique　made　answer　that　he　was　not　the　man　to　do　reverence　to　a　boy　who　was　the　son　of　no　one　knew　whom；　nor　even　what　his　caste　was；　and；　so　far　as　destroying　him　went；　would　Jaga　Raya　come　out　and　meet　him？　If　so；　he　would　wait　for　him　with　such　troops　as　he　possessed！

〃When　this　reply　was　received　Jaga　Raya　made　use　of　a　thousand　gentle　expressions；　and　promised　honours　and　revenues；　but　nothing　could　turn　him。　Nay；　Echama　took　the　field　with　his　forces　and　offered　battle　to　Jaga　Raya；　saying　that；　since　the　latter　had　all　the　captains　on　his　side；　let　him　come　and　fight　and　beat　him　if　he　could；　and　then　the　nephew　would　become　King　unopposed。　In　the　end　Jaga　Raya　despaired　of　securing　Echama　Naique's　allegiance；　but　he　won　over　many　other　nobles　by　gifts　and　promises。

〃While　Jaga　Raya　was　so　engaged；　Echama　Naique　was　attempting　to　obtain　access　to　the　imprisoned　King　by　some　way　or　other；　but　finding　this　not　possible；　he　sought　for　a　means　of　at　least　getting　possession　of　one　of　his　sons。　And　he　did　so　in　this　manner。　He　sent　and　summoned　the　washerman　who　washed　the　imprisoned　King's　clothes；　and　promised　him　great　things　if　he　would　bring　him　the　King's　middle　son。　The　washerman　gave　his　word　that　he　would　so　do　if　the　matter　were　kept　secret。　When　the　day　arrived　on　which　it　was　the　custom　for　him　to　take　the　clean　clothes　to　the　King；　he　carried　them　（into　the　prison）　and　with　them　a　palm…leaf　letter　from　Echama　Naique；　who　earnestly　begged　the　King　to　send　him　one　at　least　of　the　three　sons　whom　he　had　with　him；　assuring　him　that　the　washerman　could　effect　his　escape。　The　King　did　so；　giving　up　his　second　son　aged　twelve　years；　for　the　washerman　did　not　dare　take　the　eldest；　who　was　eighteen　years　old。　He　handed　over　the　boy；　and　put　him　in　amongst　the　dirty　clothes；　warning　him　to　have　no　fear　and　not　to　cry　out　even　if　he　felt　any　pain。　In　order　more　safely　to　pass　the　guards；　the　washerman　placed　on　top　of　all　some　very　foul　clothes；　such　as　every　one　would　avoid；　and　went　out　crying　'TALLA！　TALLA！'　which　means　'Keep　at　a　distance！　keep　at　a　distance！'　All　therefore　gave　place　to　him；　and　he　went　out　of　the　fortress　to　his　own　house。　Here　he　kept　the　prince　in　hiding　for　three　days；　and　at　the　end　of　them　delivered　him　up　to　Echama　Naique；　whose　camp　was　a　league　distant　from　the　city；　and　the　boy　was　received　by　that　chief　and　by　all　his　army　with　great　rejoicing。

〃The　news　then　spread　abroad　and　came　to　the　ears　of　Jaga　Raya；　who　commanded　the　palace　to　be　searched；　and　found　that　it　was　true。　He　was　so　greatly　affected　that　he　kept　to　his　house　for　several　days；　but　he　doubled　the　guards　on　the　King；　his　prisoner；　closed　the　gates；　and　commanded　that　no　one　should　give　aught　to　the　King　to　eat　but　rice　and　coarse　vegetables。＇361＇

〃As　soon　as　it　was　known　that　Echama　Naique　had　possession　of　the　King's　son；　there　went　over　to　him　four　of　Jaga　Raya's　captains　with　eight　thousand　men；　so　that　he　had　in　all　sixteen　thousand；　and　now　had　good　hope　of　defending　the　rightful　King。　He　took；　therefore；　measures　for　effecting　the　latter's　escape。　He　selected　from　amongst　all　his　soldiers　twenty　men；　who　promised　to　attempt　to　dig　an　underground　passage　which　should　reach　to　where　the　King　lay　in　prison。　In　pursuance　of　this　resolve　they　went　to　the　fortress；　offered　themselves　to　the　Dalavay　as　entering　into　his　service；　received　pay；　and　after　some　days　began　to　dig　the　passage　so　as　to　gain　entrance　to　the　King's　prison。　The　King；　seeing　soldiers　enter　thus　into　his　apartment；　was　amazed；　and　even　more　so　when　he　saw　them　prostrate　themselves　on　the　ground　and　deliver　him　a　palm…leaf　letter　from　Echama　Naique；　in　which　he　begged　the　King　to　trust　himself　to　these　men；　as　they　would　escort　him　out　of　the　fortress。　The　King　consented。　He　took　off　his　robes　hastily　and　covered　himself　with　a　single　cloth；　and　bidding　farewell　to　his　wife；　his　sons；　and　his　daughters；　told　them　to　have　no　fear；　for　that　he；　when　free；　would　save　them　all。

〃But　it　so　happened　that　at　this　very　moment　one　of　the　soldiers　who　were　guarding　the　palace　by　night　with　torches　fell　into　a　hole；　and　at　his　cries　the　rest　ran　up；　and　on　digging　they　discovered　the　underground　passage。　They　entered　it　and　got　as　far　as　the　palace；　arriving　there　just　when　the　unhappy　King　was　descending　into　it　in　order　to　escape。　He　was　seized　and　the　alarm　given　to　Jaga　Raya；　who　sent　the　King　to　another　place　more　confined　and　narrower；　and　with　more　guards；　so　that　the　poor　prisoner　despaired　of　ever　escaping。

〃Echama　Naique；　seeing　that　this　stratagem　had　failed；　bribed　hea