Page:History of India Vol 1.djvu/158

118 The heroes of the Ramayana are somewhat tame and commonplace personages, very respectful to priests, very anxious to conform to the rules of decorum and duty, doing a vast amount of fighting work mechanically, but without the determination, the persistence of real fighters. A change had come over the spirit of the nation; princes and men had become more polished and law-abiding, but they had become less sturdy and heroic.