And
doubtless, owing to their great numbers here in India, they hold
themselves able to withstand any other nation in the world.
I cannot,
however, say what may be the opinion of their states at home, and of the
wiser of their nation.[128]
[Footnote 128: In this business of the Dutch, wherein many shewed their
pride and ingratitude, as the fault I hope is not in their nation, but
only personal, I have mollified the author's style, and left out some
harsher censures. Beati pucifici. - Purch. in a side note.]
Always, a little before the shews began, the king was brought out from
his palace, sitting on a man's shoulders bestriding his neck, and the
man holding him by the legs. Many rich tirasols, [parasols or
umbrellas,] were carried over and round about him. His principal guard
walked before him, and was placed within the rails, round about the
pageant. After the king, a number of the principal people followed,
seeming to have their stated days of attendance. The shews were in this
manner: First came a crew armed with match-locks, led by some
gentleman-slave; then come the pike-men, in the middle of whom were
the colours and music, being ten or twelve pans of tomback, carried on a
staff between two people. These were tuneable like a peal of bells, each
a note above the other, and always two people walked beside them who
were skilled in the country music, and struck upon them with something
they held in their hands. There was another kind of music, that went
both before and after; but these pans or gongs formed the principal.
The pike-men were followed by a company of targeteers carrying darts.
Then followed many sorts of trees with their fruit hanging upon them;
and after these many sorts of beasts and birds, both alive, and also
artificially made, that they could not be distinguished from those that
were alive, unless one were near.
Then came a number of maskers, who danced and vaulted before the king,
shewing many strange tumbling tricks, some of these being men and others
women. After all these followed sometimes two hundred or even three
hundred women, all carrying presents of some kind; only that every ten
were headed by an old motherly woman empty handed, to keep them in order
like so many soldiers. These presents were commonly rice and
cashes[129] on frames of split canes, curiously laid out for show, and
adorned with gilt paper, but the present itself seldom exceeded the
value of twelve-pence. Then followed the rich presents, being commonly
some rich tuck,[130] or some fine cloth of the country fashion,
curiously wrought and gilded, or embroidered with gold, for the king's
own wearing. These were also carried by women, having two pikes borne
upright before them; and every present intended for the king's wearing
had a rich parasol carried over it. Last of all followed the heir to the
person sending the present, being his youngest son, if he had any, very
richly attired after their fashion, with many jewels at gold, diamonds,
rubies, and other precious stones, on their, arms and round their
waists, and attended by a number of men and women.
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