a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第53部分

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nd　thus　the　kingdom　has　great　supplies　to　meet　its　needs。　This　king　has　made　his　treasury　different　from　those　of　the　previous　kings；　and　he　puts　in　it　every　year　ten　million　PARDAOS；　without　taking　from　them　one　PARDAO　more　than　for　the　expenses　of　his　house。　The　rest　remains　for　him；　over　and　above　these　expenses　and　of　the　expenses　in　the　houses　of　his　wives；　of　whom　I　have　already　told　you　that　he　keeps　near　him　twelve　thousand　women；　from　this　you　will　be　able　to　judge　how　great　is　the　richness　of　this　kingdom；　and　how　great　the　treasure　that　this　king　has　amassed。

And　if　any　one　does　not　know　what　a　PARDAO　is；　let　him　know　that　it　is　a　round　gold　coin；　which　coin　is　not　struck　anywhere　in　India　except　in　this　kingdom；　it　bears　impressed　on　it　on　one　side　two　images　and　on　the　other　the　name　of　the　king　who　commanded　it　to　be　struck；　those　which　this　king　ordered　to　be　struck　have　only　one　image。　This　coin　is　current　all　over　India。　Each　PARDAO；　as　already　said；　is　worth　three　hundred　and　sixty　REIS。

After　all　these　things　（feasts）　had　passed　the　king　betook　himself　to　the　new　city；　of　which　I　have　already　told　you　that　he　delights　in　it　much　because　it　was　made　and　peopled　by　him；　of　which　I　have　already　told　you。　In　two　years　the　king　built　this　city。　The　king　was　received　by　the　citizens　with　great　feasts；　and　the　streets　were　hung　with　rich　cloths；　and　with　many　triumphal　arches　under　which　he　passed。　In　this　city　the　king　held　another　review　of　the　troops　of　his　guard；　and　he　distributed　pay　to　all　because　it　was　the　beginning　of　the　year；　and　it　is　their　custom　to　pay　salaries　year　by　year。　An　inspection　is　held　by　the　officers　of　his　house；　and　they　write　down　the　name　of　each　one；　and　the　marks　that　he　has　on　his　face　or　body。　There　are　men　of　the　guard　who　have　a　thousand　PARDAOS　pay；　and　others　eight　hundred；　others　six　hundred　and　more；　and　a　little　more　or　less；　there　is　a　difference；　and　also　a　difference　in　the　persons。　Some　men　of　them　who　are　of　higher　rank　than　others　have　two　horses　or　three；　and　others　have　no　more　than　one。　These　troops　have　their　captains；　and　each　captain　goes　with　his　guard　to　mount　guard　at　the　palace　according　to　order　and　custom；　the　king　has　in　his　guard　five　hundred　horse；　and　these　watch　outside　the　palace　armed　with　their　weapons。　There　are　two　watches　inside；　and　people　with　swords　and　shields。

The　king；　then；　being　in　his　new　city；　as　I　have　said；　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　begged　him　of　his　kindness　that　he　would　permit　him　to　be　shown　the　palace　of　the　city　of　Bisnaga；　forasmuch　as　there　had　come　with　him　many　Portuguese　who　had　never　been　in　Bisnaga；　and　they　would　rejoice　to　see　it；　in　order　to　have　somewhat　to　tell　of　on　their　return　to　their　own　lands；　whenever　God　should　take　them　there。　The　king　at　once　commanded　that　they　should　be　shown　certain　of　his　residences；　for　that　of　his　wives　no　one　ever　sees。　As　soon　as　we　had　returned　to　the　city　of　Bisnaga；　the　governor　of　that　place；　who　is　called　Gamdarajo；　and　is　brother　of　Salvatinica；＇457＇　showed　us　the　palace。

You　must　know　that　on　entering　that　gate　of　which　I　have　spoken；　by　which　the　ladies　serving　the　king's　wives　make　their　exit　when　they　come　to　the　feast；　opposite　to　it　there　is　another　of　the　same　kind。　Here　they　bade　us　stand　still；　and　they　counted　us　how　many　we　were；　and　as　they　counted　they　admitted　us　one　by　one　to　a　small　courtyard　with　a　smoothly　plastered　floor；　and　with　very　white　walls　around　it。＇458＇　At　the　end　of　this　courtyard；　opposite　this　gate　by　which　we　entered；　is　another　close　to　it　on　the　left　hand；　and　another　which　was　closed；　the　door　opposite　belongs　to　the　king's　residence。　At　the　entrance　of　this　door　outside　are　two　images　painted　like　life　and　drawn　in　their　manner；　which　are　these；　the　one　on　the　right　hand　is　of　the　father　of　this　king；　and　the　one　on　the　left　is　of　this　king。　The　father　was　dark　and　a　gentleman　of　fine　form；　stouter　than　the　son　is；　they　stand　with　all　their　apparel　and　such　raiment　as　they　wear　or　used　to　wear　when　alive。　Afterwards；　wishing　to　pass　in　at　this　door；　they　again　counted　us；　and　after　they　had　finished　counting　us　we　entered　a　little　house　which　contained　what　I　shall　now　relate。

As　soon　as　you　are　inside；　on　the　left　hand；　are　two　chambers　one　above　the　other；　which　are　in　this　manner：　the　lower　one　is　below　the　level　of　the　ground；　with　two　little　steps　which　are　covered　with　copper　gilded；　and　from　there　to　the　top　is　all　lined　with　gold　（I　do　not　say　〃gilded；〃　but　〃lined〃　inside）；　and　outside　it　is　dome…shaped。　It　has　a　four…sided　porch　made　of　cane…work＇459＇　over　which　is　a　work　of　rubies　and　diamonds　and　all　other　kinds　of　precious　stones；　and　pearls；　and　above　the　porch　are　two　pendants　of　gold；　all　the　precious　stonework　is　in　heart…shapes；　and；　interweaved　between　one　and　another；　is　a　twist　of　thick　seed…pearl　work；　on　the　dome　are　pendants　of　the　same。　In　this　chamber　was　a　bed　which　had　feet　similar　to　the　porch；　the　cross…bars　covered　with　gold；　and　there　was　on　it　a　mattress　of　black　satin；　it　had　all　round　it　a　railing　of　pearls　a　span　wide；　on　it　were　two　cushions　and　no　other　covering。　Of　the　chamber　above　it　I　shall　not　say　if　it　held　anything　because　I　did　not　see　it；　but　only　the　one　below　on　the　right　side。　In　this　house　there　is　a　room　with　pillars　of　carved　stone；　this　room　is　all　of　ivory；　as　well　the　chamber　as　the　walls；　from　top　to　bottom；　and　the　pillars　of　the　cross…timbers　at　the　top　had　roses　and　flowers　of　lotuses　all　of　ivory；　and　all　well　executed；　so　that　there　could　not　be　better；　　it　is　so　rich　and　beautiful　that　you　would　hardly　find　anywhere　another　such。　On　this　same　side　is　designed　in　painting　all　the　ways　of　life　of　the　men　who　have　been　here　even　down　to　the　Portuguese；　from　which　the　king's　wives　can　understand　the　manner　in　which　each　one　lives　in　his　own　country；　even　to　the　blind　and　the　beggars。　In　this　house　are　two　thrones　covered　with　gold；　and　a　cot　of　silver　with　its　curtains。　Here　I　saw　a　little　slab　of　green　jasper；　which　is　held　for　a　great　thing　in　this　house。　Close　to　where　this　jasper　is；　I。E。　underneath　some　arches　where　is　the　entrance　into　the　palace；　there　is　a　little　door　closed　with　some　padlocks：　they　told　us　that　inside　it　there　was　a　treasury　of　one　of　the　former　kings。

As　soon　as　we　left　this　house　we　entered　a　courtyard　as　large　as　an　arena　for　beast…fights；　very　well　plastered；　and　almost　in　the　middle　are　some　pillars　of　wood；　with　a　cross　beam　at　the　top　all　covered　with　copper　gilt；　and　in　the　middle　four　chains　of　silver　links　with　hooks　which　are　caught　one　into　the　other；　this　serves　for　a　swing　for　the　wives　of　the　king。　At　the　entrance　of　this　courtyard　on　the　right　hand　we　mounted　four　or　five　steps　and　entered　some　beautiful　houses　made　in　the　way　I　have　already　told　you　　for　their　houses　are　single…storeyed　houses　with　flat　roofs　on　top；　although　on　top　there　may　be　other　houses；　the　plan　is　good；　and　they　are　like　terraces。　There　is　a　building　there　built　on　many　pillars；　which　are　of　stone…work；　and　so　also　is　all　the　work　of　the　roof；　with　all　the　rest　of　wood　（MANERIA）；　and　all　the　pillars　（with　all　the　other　work）　are　gilded　so　that　they　seem　as　if　covered　with　gold。

Then　at　the　entrance　of　this　building　in　the　middle　nave；　there　is；　standing　on　four　pillars；　a　canopy　covered　with　many　figures　of　dancing…women；　besides　other　small　figures＇460＇　which　are　placed　in　the　stone…work。　All　this　is　also　gilded；　and　has　some　red　colour　on　the　under…sides　of　the　leaves　which　stand　out　from　the　sculpture。　You　must　know　that　they　make　no　use　of　this　building　because　it　belongs　to　their　idol　and　to　the　temple。　At　the　end　of　this　is　a　little　closed　door　where　the　idol　is。　Whenever　they　celebrate　any　festival　of　this　idol；　they　carry　it　on　a　golden　throne　and　put　it　underneath　that　canopy　which　is　made　for　that　purpose；　and　then　come　the　Brahmans　to　perform　their　ceremonies　there；　and　the　dancing…girls　come　to　dance。

Descending　from　this　building；　we　passed　on　the　left　side　of　the　courtyard；　and　we　entered　a　corridor　which　runs　the　whole　length　of　it；　in　which　we　saw　some　things。　On　entering　the　corridor　was　a　cot　suspended　in　the　air　by　silver　chains；　the　cot　had　feet　made　of　bars　of　gold；　so　well　made　that　they　could　not　be　better；　and　the　cross…bars　of　the　cot　were　covered　with　gold。　In　front　of　this　cot　was　a　chamber　where　was　another　cot　suspended　in　the　air　by　chains　of　gold；　this　cot　had　feet　of　gold　with　much　setting　of　precious　stones；　and　the　cross…bars　were　covered　with　gold。　Above　this　chamber　was　another；　smaller；　and　with　nothing　in　it　save　only　that　it　was　gilt　and　painted。　Passing　this　chamber；　along　the　same　corridor　in　front　was　a　chamber　which　this　king；　commanded　to　be　made；　on　the　outside　were　figures　of　women　with　bows　and　arrows　like　amazons。　They　had　begun　to　paint　this　chamber；　and　they　told　us　that　it　had　to　be　finer　than　the　others；　and　that　it　was　to　be　all　plated　with　gold；　as　well　the　ground　below　as　all　the　rest。　Passing　this　corridor　and　mounting　up　into　another　which　is　higher；　we　saw　at　one　end　three　caldrons　of　gold；　so　large　that　in　each　one　they　could　cook　half　a　cow；　and　with　them　were　others；　very　large　ones；　of　silver；　a