Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/91

 72 time to time, with a view to defeat plots against his life.§ The king leaves his palace not only in time of war, but also for the purpose of judging causes. He then remains in court for the whole day, without allowing the business to be interrupted, even though the hour arrives when he must needs attend to his person, — that is, when he is to be rubbed with cylinders of wood. He con- tinues hearing cases while the friction, which is performed by four attendants, is still proceeding. Another purpose for which he leaves his palace is to offer sacrifice ; a third is to go to the chase, for which he departs in Bacchanalian fashion. Crowds of women surround him, and outside of this circle spearmen are ranged. The road is marked off with ropes, and it is death, for man and woman alike, to pass within the ropes. Men with drums and gongs lead the procession. The king hunts in the enclosures and shoots arrows from a platform. At his side stand two or three armed women. If he hunts in the open grounds he shoots from the back of an elephant. Of the women, some are in chariots, some on horses, and som^ even on elephants, and they are equipped with weapons § ** The present king of Ava, who evidently belongs to the Indo-Chinese type, although he claims a Eshatriya origin, l0ads a life of seclnsion very similar to that of Sandrokottos. He changes his bedroom every night, as a safeguard against sudden treachery." (Wheeler*s Hist, of India, vol. III. p. 182, note.) Digitized by Google