Page:Great & wonderful revolution in Siam (1690).pdf/5

ii dience of the Pope. In March following he was to have Embarqued the third time for SIAM; but what is become of him since, is not yet known.

In all these three Relations there is mention made of a young Princess, Daughter to the late King of SIAM, that was then alive, whereof there is no Notice taken in the following Account of the late Revolution; but in other Letters that are come into France from other hands, we find a no less Tragical Account of her Death, than that of her Unkles, and adopted Brother, the manner whereof they say was this: Opra Pitrachard having dispatched the King's two Brothers, and adopted Son, who were the only Princes that stood in his way to the Crown, caused the young Princess, the King's only Daughter, to be taken and thrust into a large velvet Sack, and her Brains to be knockt out with great Bars of the sweet and so much esteem'd Wood in all the Indies call'd Aquila and Calamboar; and then thrown into the River, it being accounted a prophane thing, and a violation of the Sacred Respect due to a Princess of the Royal Blood of SIAM, to be put to Death in the usual manner that others are; and therefore they did it with great Deference and distinguishing Ceremonies becoming her Quality, not suffering her Royal Person to be polluted with the touch of any vulgar Hand, or Instrument of Mortality.

The King of SIAM that died lately was about 59 years of Age; the Character that is given of him in all the printed Relations of the French is very advantageous: They say he was, without Contradiction, the greatest Prince that ever Reign'd in'' SIAM. ''He was of stature somewhat under the middle size, but strait and well shap'd. He had an engaging Air, a sweet and obliging Carriage, especially to Strangers. He was active and brisk, an Enemy of Idleness and Laziness, which seems to be so natural to the Eastern Princes, and is accounted by them as the Noblest Prerogative of their Crown. This Prince, on the