Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/401

 SEQUEL OF JAVANESE HISTORY. 357 knew not how to resist it. ^'he chief was absent in his government, and a messenger was instantly dispatched to inform him that the Dutch had de- manded his life, but that if he chose to resist, he should be secretly abetted and assisted. The chief of Surabaya, clearly foreseeing that his resistance would involve the ruin, not only of himself, but of his whole family, came to the disinterested and noble resolution of sacrificing his own life to se- cure the safety of his friends and relations, and he proceeded forthwith to Cartasura, to submit to his fate. Here he had repeated audiences of the Su- sunan, who assured him of his thorough convic- tion of his innocence, promised to protect his fa- mily, and complied with his request to place his brother in his situation after his death. For a whole month he waited the arrival of the "warrant for his execution, if it be allowable to use, on such an occasion, a word which belongs to the language o/[;w5- tice. At length it arrived from Batavia. TheSusunan summoned the chief, who proceeded to the palace, clothed in white, the habit of resignation and devo- tion. His retainers were hindered from following him into the interior, and as the old man, for Jayeng Rono was much advanced in life, entered the outer court of the palace, he was met by the public execu- tioners, who dispatched him on the spot. The most formidable and destructive rebellion which has ever characterized the annals of Java was the consequence.