a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第57章

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hings。　There　is　a　woman　in　this　city　who　is　said　to　have　a　hundred　thousand　PARDAOS；＇447＇　and　I　believe　this　from　what　I　have　seen　of　them。

Then　the　wrestlers　begin　their　play。　Their　wrestling　does　not　seem　like　ours；　but　there　are　blows　（given）；　so　severe　as　to　break　teeth；　and　put　out　eyes；　and　disfigure　faces；　so　much　so　that　here　and　there　men　are　carried　off　speechless　by　their　friends；　they　give　one　another　fine　falls　too。　They　have　their　captains　and　judges；　who　are　there　to　put　each　one　on　an　equal　footing　in　the　field；　and　also　to　adjust　the　honours　to　him　who　wins。

In　all　this　portion　of　the　day　nothing　more　is　done　than　this　wrestling　and　the　dancing　of　the　women；　but　as　soon　as　ever　the　sun　is　down　many　torches　are　lit　and　some　great　flambeaux　made　of　cloth；　and　these　are　placed　about　the　arena　in　such　a　way　that　the　whole　is　as　light　as　day；　and　even　along　the　top　of　the　walls；　for　on　all　the　battlements　are　lighted　lamps；　and　the　place　where　the　king　sits　is　all　full　of　torches。　As　soon　as　these　are　all　lit　up　there　are　introduced　many　very　graceful　plays　and　contrivances；　but　these　do　not　stop　long；　they　only　approach　where　the　king　is　and　then　go　out。　Then　there　enter　others　in　other　fashion；　with　battles　of　people　on　horseback；　these　horses　are　like　the　hobby…horses　made　in　Portugal　for　the　feast　of　the　Corpo　de　Dios；　others　come　with　casting…nets；　fishing；　and　capturing　the　men　that　are　in　the　arena。　When　these　amusements　are　ended；　they　begin　to　throw　up　many　rockets　and　many　different　sorts　of　fires；　also　castles　that　burn　and　fling　out　from　themselves　many　bombs　（TIROS）　and　rockets。

When　these　fireworks　are　finished；　there　enter　many　triumphal　cars　which　belong　to　the　captains；　some　of　them　sent　by　those　captains　who　are　waging　war　in　foreign　parts；　and　they　enter　thus。　The　first　belongs　to　Salvatinica；　and　they　come　in　one　after　the　other。　Some　of　the　cars　appear　covered　with　many　rich　cloths；　having　on　them　many　devices　of　dancing…girls　and　other　human　figures；　there　are　other　cars　having　tiers　one　on　top　of　another；　and　others　all　of　one　kind；　and　so　in　their　order　they　pass　to　where　the　king　is。　When　the　cars　have　gone　out　they　are　immediately　followed　by　many　horses　covered　with　trappings　and　cloths　of　very　fine　stuff　of　the　king's　colours；　and　with　many　roses　and　flowers　on　their　heads　and　necks；　and　with　their　bridles　all　gilded；　and　in　front　of　these　horses　goes　a　horse　with　two　state…umbrellas　of　the　king；　and　with　grander　decorations　than　the　others；　and　one　of　the　lesser　equerries　leads　it　by　the　bridle。　In　front　of　this　horse　goes　another　caracoling　and　prancing；　as　do　all　horses　here；　being　trained　in　that　art。　You　must　know　that　this　horse　that　is　conducted　with　all　this　state　is　a　horse　that　the　king　keeps；　on　which　they　are　sworn　and　received　as　kings；　and　on　it　must　be　sworn　all　those　that　shall　come　after　them；　and　in　case　such　a　horse　dies　they　put　another　in　its　place。　If　any　king　does　not　wish　to　be　sworn　on　horseback；　they　swear　him　on　an　elephant；　which　they　keep　and　treat　with　equal　dignity。

These　horses；　then；　going　in　the　way　I　have　stated；　pass　twice　round　the　arena　and　place　themselves　in　the　middle　of　the　arena　in　five　or　six　lines；　one　before　the　other；　and　the　king's　horse　in　front　of　them；　all　facing　the　king；　they　stand　in　such　a　way　that　between　them　and　the　men　there　is　an　open　space　all　round。　As　soon　as　they　are　arranged　in　this　way　and　are　all　quiet　there　goes　out　from　the　inside　of　the　palace　a　Brahman；　the　highest　in　rank　of　those　about　the　king；　and　two　others　with　him；　and　this　chief　Brahman　carries　in　his　hands　a　bowl　with　a　cocoanut　and　some　rice　and　flowers；　while　others　carry　a　pot　of　water；　and　they　pass　round　by　the　back　of　the　horses；　which　all　stand　facing　the　king；　and　after　performing　his　ceremonies　there；　he　returns　to　the　palace。

After　this　is　over　you　will　see　issuing　from　inside　twenty…five　or　thirty　female　doorkeepers；　with　canes　in　their　hands　and　whips　on　their　shoulders；　and　then　close　to　these　come　many　eunuchs；　and　after　these　eunuchs　come　many　women　playing　many　trumpets　and　drums　and　pipes　（but　not　like　ours）　and　viols；　and　many　other　kinds　of　music；　and　behind　these　women　will　come　some　twenty　women…porters；　with　canes　in　their　hands　all　covered　with　silver；　and　close　to　them　come　women　clothed　in　the　following　manner。　They　have　very　rich　and　fine　silk　cloths；　on　the　head　they　wear　high　caps　which　they　call　COLLAES；＇448＇　and　on　these　caps　they　wear　flowers　made　of　large　pearls；　collars　on　the　neck　with　jewels　of　gold　very　richly　set　with　many　emeralds　and　diamonds　and　rubies　and　pearls；　and　besides　this　many　strings　of　pearls；　and　others　for　shoulder…belts；　on　the　lower　part　of　the　arms　many　bracelets；　with　half　of　the　upper　arm　all　bare；　having　armlets　in　the　same　way　all　of　precious　stones；　on　the　waist　many　girdles　of　gold　and　of　precious　stones；　which　girdles　hang　in　order　one　below　the　other；　almost　as　far　down　as　half　the　thigh；　besides　these　belts　they　have　other　jewels；　and　many　strings　of　pearls　round　the　ankles；　for　they　wear　very　rich　anklets　even　of　greater　value　than　the　rest。　They　carry　in　their　hands　vessels　of　gold　each　as　large　as　a　small　cask　of　water；　inside　these　are　some　loops　made　of　pearls　fastened　with　wax；　and　inside　all　this　a　lighted　lamp。　They　come　in　regular　order　one　before　the　other；　in　all　perhaps　sixty　women　fair　and　young；　from　sixteen　to　twenty　years　of　age。　Who　is　he　that　could　tell　of　the　costliness　and　the　value　of　what　each　of　these　women　carries　on　her　person？　So　great　is　the　weight　of　the　bracelets　and　gold　and　jewels　carried　by　them　that　many　of　them　cannot　support　them；　and　women　accompany　them　assisting　them　by　supporting　their　arms。　In　this　manner　and　in　this　array　they　proceed　three　times　round　the　horses；　and　at　the　end　retire　into　the　palace。　These　women　are　maids　of　honour　to　the　queens；　and　so　are　the　others　that　go　with　them；　on　each　day　of　these　nine　days　of　the　feast　one　of　the　queens　sends；　each　on　her　own　day；　her　ladies　with　the　others。　The　officials；　in　honour　of　the　feast；　have　the　days　divided　between　them　in　accordance　with　their　custom　as　already　arranged　by　the　king；　and　these　women　come　every　day　most　richly　attired；　taking　pleasure　in　strewing　themselves　in　such　things；　and　in　making　a　display　each　one　of　what　she　possesses。

When　these　women　retire　the　horses　also　go；　and　then　come　the　elephants；　and　after　making　their　salaam　they　too　retire。　As　soon　as　they　are　gone　the　king　retires　by　a　small　door　which　is　at　the　end　of　the　building。　Then　the　Brahmans　go　and　take　an　idol；　and　carry　it　to　the　House　of　Victory；　where　is　the　room　of　cloth　that　I　have　spoken　of；　and　the　king　at　once　comes　from　within；　and　goes　to　where　the　idol　is；　and　offers　his　prayers　and　performs　his　ceremonies。　Then　they　bring　there　more　buffaloes　and　sheep；　and　kill　them　in　the　same　way　as　before；　and　then　come　the　professional　women　to　dance。　As　soon　as　the　slaughter　of　the　buffaloes　and　sheep　is　over　the　king　retires；　and　goes　to　his　supper；　for　he　fasts　all　these　nine　days；　and　（each　day）　they　eat　nothing　until　all　is　finished；　and　their　hour　for　food　is　midnight。　The　bayaderes　remain　dancing　before　the　idol　a　long　time　after　all　this　is　done。

In　this　way　are　celebrated　these　festivals　of　nine　days；　on　the　last　day　there　are　slaughtered　two　hundred　and　fifty　buffaloes　and　four　thousand　five　hundred　sheep。

When　these　days　of　festival　are　past；　the　king　holds　a　review　of　all　his　forces；　and　the　review　is　thus　arranged。　The　king　commands　to　pitch　his　tent　of　Mecca　velvet　a　full　league　from　the　city；　at　a　place　already　fixed　for　that　purpose；　and　in　this　tent　they　place　the　idol　in　honour　of　which　all　these　festivals　are　celebrated。　From　this　tent　to　the　king's　palace　the　captains　range　themselves　with　their　troops　and　array；　each　one　in　his　place　according　to　his　rank　in　the　king's　household。　Thus　the　soldiers　stand　in　line；　but　it　does　not　appear　to　you　to　be　only　one　line　but　in　some　places　two　or　three；　one　behind　the　other。　Where　there　was　a　lake　it　was　surrounded　with　troops；　and　where　the　road　was　narrow　they　were　drawn　up　on　the　plain；　and　so　on　the　slope　of　the　hills　and　eminences；　in