the golden bough-第107章

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　the　Samorin　had　to　cut　his　throat　in　public　at　the　end　of　a　twelve　years'　reign。　But　towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century　the　rule　had　been　modified　as　follows：　Many　strange　customs　were　observed　in　this　country　in　former　times；　and　some　very　odd　ones　are　still　continued。　It　was　an　ancient　custom　for　the　Samorin　to　reign　but　twelve　years；　and　no　longer。　If　he　died　before　his　term　was　expired；　it　saved　him　a　troublesome　ceremony　of　cutting　his　own　throat；　on　a　publick　scaffold　erected　for　the　purpose。　He　first　made　a　feast　for　all　his　nobility　and　gentry；　who　are　very　numerous。　After　the　feast　he　saluted　his　guests；　and　went　on　the　scaffold；　and　very　decently　cut　his　own　throat　in　the　view　of　the　assembly；　and　his　body　was；　a　little　while　after；　burned　with　great　pomp　and　ceremony；　and　the　grandees　elected　a　new　Samorin。　Whether　that　custom　was　a　religious　or　a　civil　ceremony；　I　know　not；　but　it　is　now　laid　aside。　And　a　new　custom　is　followed　by　the　modern　Samorins；　that　jubilee　is　proclaimed　throughout　his　dominions；　at　the　end　of　twelve　years；　and　a　tent　is　pitched　for　him　in　a　spacious　plain；　and　a　great　feast　is　celebrated　for　ten　or　twelve　days；　with　mirth　and　jollity；　guns　firing　night　and　day；　so　at　the　end　of　the　feast　any　four　of　the　guests　that　have　a　mind　to　gain　a　crown　by　a　desperate　action；　in　fighting　their　way　through　30　or　40；000　of　his　guards；　and　kill　the　Samorin　in　his　tent；　he　that　kills　him　succeeds　him　in　his　empire。　In　anno　1695；　one　of　those　jubilees　happened；　and　the　tent　pitched　near　Pennany；　a　seaport　of　his；　about　fifteen　leagues　to　the　southward　of　Calicut。　There　were　but　three　men　that　would　venture　on　that　desperate　action；　who　fell　in；　with　sword　and　target；　among　the　guard；　and；　after　they　had　killed　and　wounded　many；　were　themselves　killed。　One　of　the　desperados　had　a　nephew　of　fifteen　or　sixteen　years　of　age；　that　kept　close　by　his　uncle　in　the　attack　on　the　guards；　and；　when　he　saw　him　fall；　the　youth　got　through　the　guards　into　the　tent；　and　made　a　stroke　at　his　Majesty's　head；　and　had　certainly　despatched　him　if　a　large　brass　lamp　which　was　burning　over　his　head　had　not　marred　the　blow；　but；　before　he　could　make　another；　he　was　killed　by　the　guards；　and；　I　believe；　the　same　Samorin　reigns　yet。　I　chanced　to　come　that　time　along　the　coast　and　heard　the　guns　for　two　or　three　days　and　nights　successively。

The　English　traveller；　whose　account　I　have　quoted；　did　not　himself　witness　the　festival　he　describes；　though　he　heard　the　sound　of　the　firing　in　the　distance。　Fortunately；　exact　records　of　these　festivals　and　of　the　number　of　men　who　perished　at　them　have　been　preserved　in　the　archives　of　the　royal　family　at　Calicut。　In　the　latter　part　of　the　nineteenth　century　they　were　examined　by　Mr。　W。　Logan；　with　the　personal　assistance　of　the　reigning　king；　and　from　his　work　it　is　possible　to　gain　an　accurate　conception　both　of　the　tragedy　and　of　the　scene　where　it　was　periodically　enacted　down　to　1743；　when　the　ceremony　took　place　for　the　last　time。

The　festival　at　which　the　king　of　Calicut　staked　his　crown　and　his　life　on　the　issue　of　battle　was　known　as　the　Great　Sacrifice。　It　fell　every　twelfth　year；　when　the　planet　Jupiter　was　in　retrograde　motion　in　the　sign　of　the　Crab；　and　it　lasted　twenty…eight　days；　culminating　at　the　time　of　the　eighth　lunar　asterism　in　the　month　of　Makaram。　As　the　date　of　the　festival　was　determined　by　the　position　of　Jupiter　in　the　sky；　and　the　interval　between　two　festivals　was　twelve　years；　which　is　roughly　Jupiter's　period　of　revolution　round　the　sun；　we　may　conjecture　that　the　splendid　planet　was　supposed　to　be　in　a　special　sense　the　king's　star　and　to　rule　his　destiny；　the　period　of　its　revolution　in　heaven　corresponding　to　the　period　of　his　reign　on　earth。　However　that　may　be；　the　ceremony　was　observed　with　great　pomp　at　the　Tirunavayi　temple；　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Ponnani　River。　The　spot　is　close　to　the　present　railway　line。　As　the　train　rushes　by；　you　can　just　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　temple；　almost　hidden　behind　a　clump　of　trees　on　the　river　bank。　From　the　western　gateway　of　the　temple　a　perfectly　straight　road；　hardly　raised　above　the　level　of　the　surrounding　rice…fields　and　shaded　by　a　fine　avenue；　runs　for　half　a　mile　to　a　high　ridge　with　a　precipitous　bank；　on　which　the　outlines　of　three　or　four　terraces　can　still　be　traced。　On　the　topmost　of　these　terraces　the　king　took　his　stand　on　the　eventful　day。　The　view　which　it　commands　is　a　fine　one。　Across　the　flat　expanse　of　the　rice…fields；　with　the　broad　placid　river　winding　through　them；　the　eye　ranges　eastward　to　high　tablelands；　their　lower　slopes　embowered　in　woods；　while　afar　off　looms　the　great　chain　of　the　western　Ghauts；　and　in　the　furthest　distance　the　Neilgherries　or　Blue　Mountains；　hardly　distinguishable　from　the　azure　of　the　sky　above。

But　it　was　not　to　the　distant　prospect　that　the　king's　eyes　naturally　turned　at　this　crisis　of　his　fate。　His　attention　was　arrested　by　a　spectacle　nearer　at　hand。　For　all　the　plain　below　was　alive　with　troops；　their　banners　waving　gaily　in　the　sun；　the　white　tents　of　their　many　camps　standing　sharply　out　against　the　green　and　gold　of　the　ricefields。　Forty　thousand　fighting　men　or　more　were　gathered　there　to　defend　the　king。　But　if　the　plain　swarmed　with　soldiers；　the　road　that　cuts　across　it　from　the　temple　to　the　king's　stand　was　clear　of　them。　Not　a　soul　was　stirring　on　it。　Each　side　of　the　way　was　barred　by　palisades；　and　from　the　palisades　on　either　hand　a　long　hedge　of　spears；　held　by　strong　arms；　projected　into　the　empty　road；　their　blades　meeting　in　the　middle　and　forming　a　glittering　arch　of　steel。　All　was　now　ready。　The　king　waved　his　sword。　At　the　same　moment　a　great　chain　of　massy　gold；　enriched　with　bosses；　was　placed　on　an　elephant　at　his　side。　That　was　the　signal。　On　the　instant　a　stir　might　be　seen　half　a　mile　away　at　the　gate　of　the　temple。　A　group　of　swordsmen；　decked　with　flowers　and　smeared　with　ashes；　has　stepped　out　from　the　crowd。　They　have　just　partaken　of　their　last　meal　on　earth；　and　they　now　receive　the　last　blessings　and　farewells　of　their　friends。　A　moment　more　and　they　are　coming　down　the　lane　of　spears；　hewing　and　stabbing　right　and　left　at　the　spearmen；　winding　and　turning　and　writhing　among　the　blades　as　if　they　had　no　bones　in　their　bodies。　It　is　all　in　vain。　One　after　the　other　they　fall；　some　nearer　the　king；　some　farther　off；　content　to　die；　not　for　the　shadow　of　a　crown；　but　for　the　mere　sake　of　approving　their　dauntless　valour　and　swordsmanship　to　the　world。　On　the　last　days　of　the　festival　the　same　magnificent　display　of　gallantry；　the　same　useless　sacrifice　of　life　was　repeated　again　and　again。　Yet　perhaps　no　sacrifice　is　wholly　useless　which　proves　that　there　are　men　who　prefer　honour　to　life。

It　is　a　singular　custom　in　Bengal；　says　an　old　native　historian　of　India；　that　there　is　little　of　hereditary　descent　in　succession　to　the　sovereignty　。　Whoever　kills　the　king；　and　succeeds　in　placing　himself　on　that　throne；　is　immediately　acknowledged　as　king；　all　the　amirs；　wazirs；　soldiers；　and　peasants　instantly　obey　and　submit　to　him；　and　consider　him　as　being　as　much　their　sovereign　as　they　did　their　former　prince；　and　obey　his　orders　implicitly。　The　people　of　Bengal　say；　'We　are　faithful　to　the　throne；　whoever　fills　the　throne　we　are　obedient　and　true　to　it。'　A　custom　of　the　same　sort　formerly　prevailed　in　the　little　kingdom　of　Passier；　on　the　northern　coast　of　Sumatra。　The　old　Portuguese　historian　De　Barros；　who　informs　us　of　it；　remarks　with　surprise　that　no　wise　man　would　wish　to　be　king　of　Passier；　since　the　monarch　was　not　allowed　by　his　subjects　to　live　long。　From　time　to　time　a　sort　of　fury　seized　the　people；　and　they　marched　through　the　streets　of　the　city　chanting　with　loud　voices　the　fatal　words；　The　king　must　die！　When　the　king　heard　that　song　of　death　he　knew　that　his　hour　had　come。　The　man　who　struck　the　fatal　blow　was　of　the　royal　lineage；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　done　the　deed　of　blood　and　seated　himself　on　the　throne　he　was　regarded　as　the　legitimate　king；　provided　that　he　contrived　to　maintain　his　seat　peaceably　for　a　single　day。　This；　however；　the　regicide　did　not　always　succeed　in　doing。　When　Fern？o　Peres　d'