a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第48章

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ng；　　〃Since　this　is　so；　how　dost　thou　propose　that　I　should　leave　this　place；　so　that　my　going　should　not　be　known　to　the　guards　and　to　the　20；000　men　who　surround　me　in　this　city？〃　〃Sire；〃　he　replied；　〃I　will　disclose　to　thee　a　very　good　plan；　thou　and　I　will　go　forth　by　this　thy　garden；　and　from　thence　by　a　postern　gate　which　is　in　the　city　（wall）；　and　which　I　know　well；　and　the　guards；　seeing　thee　alone　without　any　following；　will　not　know　that　it　is　thou；　the　King；　and　thus　we　shall　pass　to　the　outside　of　the　city；　where　I　will　have　horses　ready　that　will　take　us　whithersoever　it　seemeth　good　to　thee。〃　All　this　pleased　the　King　well；　and　he　placed　everything　in　his　hands；　and；　seeing　fulfilled　all　his　desire；　the　captain　spoke　with　those　men　who　guarded　that　part　of　the　garden　by　which　he　wished　that　the　King　should　fly；　and　which　was　near　the　King's　own　houses；　（for　into　this　garden　the　King　often　went　to　amuse　himself　with　his　wives；　which　garden　was　at　that　part　guarded　by　a　matter　of　300　armed　men）　and　to　these　men　he　spoke　thus；　saying　to　them：　　〃If　ye　shall　happen　to　see　me　pass　by　here　on　such　a　night　and　at　such　an　hour；　and　if　ye　shall　see　a　man　coming　with　me；　slay　him；　for　he　well　deserves　it　of　me；　and　I　will　reward　ye；〃　and　they　all　said　that　that　would　be　a　very　small　service　to　do　for　him。　When　that　day　had　passed　the　traitor　went　to　the　King　and　said　to　him：　　〃Sire；　do　not　put　off　till　to…morrow　that　which　thou　hast　to　do　to…day；　for　I　have　the　horses　ready　for　thy　escape；　and　have　planned　so　to　escort　thee　forth　that　even　thy　ladies　shall　not　be　aware　of　thy　departure；　nor　any　other　person。　Come；　Sire；　to　the　garden；　where　I　will　await　thee。〃　The　King　replied　that　his　words　were　good　and　so　he　would　do；　and　as　soon　as　night　was　come　and　the　hour　arrived；　the　King　went　carefully　out；　and　still　more　careful　was　he　who　for　some　time　had　awaited　him；　and　he　gave　signal　to　the　armed　men；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　come　to　the　garden　he　passed　between　two　of　them　who　were　the　guards；　and　they　threw　themselves　on　the　King　and　slew　him；　and　forthwith　buried　him　at　the　foot　of　a　tree　in　the　same　garden。　And　this　being　accomplished　without　their　knowing　whom　they　had　slain；　the　traitor　gave　them　his　thanks；　and　returned　to　his　inn　to　make　ready　to　leave　the　city；　and　also　so　as　not　to　give　cause　for　talk　therein。　And　the　next　morning　it　was　found　that　the　King　was　missing；　and　though　searched　for　throughout　all　the　city　no　news　of　him　could　be　heard；　all　the　people　thinking　that　he　had　fled　somewhere；　whence　he　would　make　war　on　Narsenayque。　And　to　Narsenayque　the　news　was　straightway　brought；　and　he；　feigning　much　sorrow　at　it；　yet　made　ready　all　his　horses　and　elephants　in　case　the　kingdom　should　be　plunged　into　some　revolution　by　the　death　of　the　king；　although　as　yet　he　knew　not　for　certain　how　the　matter　stood；　save　that　the　King　had　disappeared。　And　afterwards　the　man　came　who　had　killed　the　King；　and　told　him　how　it　had　been　done　and　how　secretly　he　had　been　slain；　so　that　even　the　very　men　who　had　killed　him　knew　not　who　it　was；　and　Narsenayque　bestowed　upon　him　rich　reward。　And　since　there　was　no　news　of　the　King；　and　he　holding　everything　now　under　his　hand；　he　was　raised　to　be　king　over　all　the　land　of　Narsymga。

And　this　king　left　at　his　death　five　sons；　one　was　called　Busbalrao；　and　another　Crismarao；　and　another　Tetarao；　and　another　Ramygupa　and　another　Ouamysyuaya。＇512＇

And　this　Busbalrao　inherited　the　kingdom　at　the　death　of　his　father　Narsenayque　and　reigned　six　years；　during　which　he　was　always　at　war；　for　as　soon　as　his　father　was　dead　the　whole　land　revolted　under　its　captains；　who　in　a　short　time　were　destroyed　by　that　King；　and　their　lands　taken　and　reduced　under　his　rule。　During　these　six　years　the　King　spent；　in　restoring　the　country　to　its　former　condition；　eight　million　gold　PARDAOS。　This　King　died　of　his　sickness　in　the　city　of　Bisnaga；　and　before　he　died　he　sent　for　Salvatimya；　his　minister；＇513＇　and　commanded　to　be　brought　to　him　his　（the　King's）　son；　eight　years　old；　and　said　to　Sallvatina　that　as　soon　as　he　was　dead　he　must　raise　up　this　son　to　be　king　（though　he　was　not　of　an　age　for　that；　and　though　the　kingdom　ought　perhaps　to　belong　to　his　brother　Crisnarao）　and　that　he　must　put　out　the　eyes　of　the　latter　and　must　bring　them　to　show　him；　in　order　that　after　his　death　there　should　be　no　differences　in　the　kingdom。　Salvatina　said　that　he　would　do　so　and　departed；　and　sent　to　call　for　Crisnarao；　and　took　him　aside　to　a　stable；　and　told　him　how　his　brother　had　bade　him　put　out　his　eyes　and　make　his　son　king。　When　he　heard　this；　Crisnarao　said　that　he　did　not　seek　to　be　king；　nor　to　be　anything　in　the　kingdom；　even　though　it　should　come　to　him　by　right；　that　his　desire　was　to　pass　through　this　world　as　a　JOGI　（ascetic；　recluse）；　and　that　he　should　not　put　his　eyes　out；　seeing　that　he　had　not　deserved　that　of　his　brother。　Sallvatina；　hearing　this；　and　seeing　that　Crisnarao　was　a　man　of　over　twenty　years　and　therefore　more　fit　to　be　king；　as　you　will　see　farther　on；　than　the　son　of　Busbalrao　who　was　only　eight　years　old；　commanded　to　bring　a　she…goat；　and　he　put　out　its　eyes；　and　took　them　to　show　the　King；　for　already　he　was　at　the　last　hour　of　his　life；　and　he　presented　them　to　him；　and　as　soon　as　the　King　was　dead　his　brother　Crisnarao　was　raised　to　be　king；　whose　eyes　the　late　King　had　ordered　to　be　torn　out。


CHAPTER　5


Of　the　things　done　by　King　Crisnarao　after　he　was　raised　to　the　throne。

As　soon　as　Crisnarao　was　raised　to　be　King　and　was　obeyed　throughout　all　his　kingdom；　　Salvatine　being　his　minister；　who　had　been　the　same　for　his　brother　Busbalrao；＇514＇　　he　without　delay　sent　his　nephew；　son　of　Busbalrao　his　brother；　together　with　his　own　three　brothers；　to　a　fortress　called　Chaodegary；　the　nephew　remained　there　till　he　died。　And　after　the　King　had　done　this　for　his　own　safety　he　stayed　in　the　city　of　Bisnaga　for　a　year　and　a　half　without　going　outside　of　it；　learning　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom　and　looking　at　the　testaments　of　past　kings。　Amongst　these　he　found　one　of　king　Narsymga；　whose　minister　his　father　Narsenayque　had　been；　in　which　that　King　desired　that　his　sons；　or　whoever　should　inherit　this　kingdom　of　Narsymga　which　he　had　gained　by　force　of　arms；　should　capture　three　fortresses　that　at　his　death　remained　in　revolt　against　him；　the　which　he　had　not　himself　taken　because　time　failed　him；　one　of　them　was　called　Rracholl；＇515＇　and　another　Medegulla。＇516＇

Crisnarao；　seeing　this　testament　and　seeing　how　badly　the　kings　his　predecessors　had　acted　in　what　had　been　enjoined　on　them；　determined　at　once　to　prepare　armies　and　to　go　against　these　places；　and　one　of　these　fortresses　was　called　Odigair；　and　it　belonged　to　the　King　of　Orya。　And；　determining　to　go　first　against　this；　he　collected　（an　army　of）　thirty…four　thousand　foot　and　eight　hundred　elephants；　and　arrived　with　this　force　at　the　city　of　Digary；＇517＇　in　which　there　were　ten　thousand　foot　soldiers　and　four　hundred　horse；　for　the　fortress　had　no　necessity　for　more　by　reason　of　its　great　strength；　because　it　could　not　be　taken　except　by　being　starved　out。

And　the　King　laid　siege　to　it　for　a　year　and　a　half；　in　which　time　he　made　many　paths　across　rocky　hills；　breaking　up　many　great　boulders　in　order　to　make　a　road　for　his　soldiers　to　approach　the　towers　of　the　fortress。　The　place　at　this　time　was　so　strong　that　they　could　not　approach　it　except　by　one　way　which　was　so　narrow　that　men　could　only　pass　along　it　one　at　a　time；　and　in　this　place　he　made　a　broad　road；　and　many　others　also；　so　that　he　could　come　close　to　the　fortress。

And　he　took　it　by　force　of　arms；　and　in　it　captured　an　aunt＇518＇　of　the　King　of　Orya；　who　was　taken　captive　and　carried　off　with　all　the　courtesy　that　he　could　show　her；　having　her　liberty；　and　he　took　her　along　with　himself。

And　after　this　was　done　he　called　Salvatinya　and　bade　him　see　how　well　he　had　performed　that　which　king　Narsymga　had　by　his　testament　enjoined　on　him；　and　yet　he　said　he　was　not　content　with　such　a　trivial　victory；　for＇519＇　he　desired　to　go　forward　a　hundred　leagues　into　the　kingdom　of　Orya；　and　he　ordered　him　to　make　ready　provisions　and　pay　fully　the　salaries　of　the　forces。

And　after　this　fortress　was　taken　he　departed　and　went　against　Comdovy；＇520＇　which　was　one　of　the　principal　cities　of　the　kingdom　of　Orya；　and　besieged　it；　and；　learning　this；　the　King　of　Orya　came　against　him　to　defend　his　territories；　and　brought　with　him　one　thousand　three　hundred　elephants；　and　twenty　thousand　horsemen；　and　he　brought　five　hundred　thousand　foot…soldiers。　Crisnarao；　being　aware　of　the　approach　of　the　king　of　Orya；　left　the　city　without　assaulting　it；　saying　that　he　preferred　to　fight　the　King　in　person　and　his　army　rather　than　to　attack　the　city；　and　that　there　would　be　plenty　of　time　afterwards　to　take　it；　and　he　went　forward　four　leagues　from　it；　leaving　a　force　to　prevent　the　escape　of　the　people　from　the　city　if　they　should　seek　to　flee　to　the　coast。　And　he　arrived　at　a　large　river　of　salt　water　crossed　by　a　ford；＇521＇　and　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　was　the　King　of　Orya　with　his　army。　King　Crisnarao　halted　his　army　on　this　side　of　the　river；　and　sent　the　King　a　message　that　if　he　desired　to　fight　with　him　he　would　retire　from　the　river　two　leagues；　so　that　he　（the　king　of　Orya）　might　pass　the　river　unmolested；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　passed　he　would　join　battle；　to　which　message　the　King　of　Orya　gave　no　reply；　but　on　the　contrary　made　ready　to　give　battle。　And　King　Crisnarao；　seeing　his　determination；　crossed　the　river　with　all　his　forces　and　elephants；　and　in　the　crossing　of　the　river　there　were　heavy　encounters　on　both　sides；　and　many　were　slain。　Notwithstanding　this；　King　Crisnarao　crossed　the　river；　and　on　the　bank　fought　so　bravely　that　he　defeated　the　King　of　Oria　and　put　him　to　flight；　in　which　defeat　he　took　many　horses　and　elephants。

And　after　the　King　had　done　this　he　told　Salvatinea　his　minister　that　he　purposed　to　turn　back　to　the　fortress；　which　had　not　yet　experienced　his　strength；　and　he　went　against　it；　and　stopped　there　two　months　besieging　it；　and　he　took　it。

And　he　gave　the　command　of　it　to　Salvatinea；　who　left　in　it；　from　his　army；　for　captain　one　of　his　brothers；　in　order　that　he　himself　might　go　forward　with　the　King　through　the　kingdom　of　Orya。　And　the　King；　passing　the　river　once　more　in　pursuit　of　the　King　of　Orya；　and　taking　and　ravaging　all　the　country　which　had　no　reason　for　expecting　him；　arrived　at　a　city　called　Comdepallyr；＇522＇　where　were　all　the　chiefs　of　the　kingdom；　it　being　the　chief　city　in　that　kingdom。　And　he　laid　siege　to　it；　and　remained　there　three　months　without　being　able　to　capture　it；　and　in　the　end　he　took　it　more　by　reason　of　his　numbers　than　by　force　of　arms；　in　which　fortress　he　found　many　people　of　high　rank　whom　he　made　captive；　amongst　whom　was　a　wife　of　the　King；　and　one　of　his　sons　who　was　a　prince；　and　seven　principal　captains　of　the　kingdom；　all　of　whom　he　sent　by　road　to　Bysnaga。

And　he　went　forward　a　hundred　leagues　into　the　kingdom；　finding　no　one　to　bar　his　progress　till　he　got　to　Symamdary；＇523＇　which　was　a　very　large　city；　in　which　he　halted　for　six　months；　waiting　for　the　King　of　Orya。　He　sent　many