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Dr. Charlotte Krause : Her Life & Literature
round of hearty bodily gymnastics. He repairs to his gymnasium, and engages, in several bouts of wrestling and boxing, followed by massage, till he feels pleasantly exhausted, and expert masseurs have to dispel his fatigue by rubbing him with refreshing, fragrant ointments, skilfully concocted from innumerable costly ingredients.
Then he enters the bagnio. Under the bath pavilion, the floor of which is a many-coloured mosaic of gems, and the windowgrating set with glimmering pearls, stands the jewel-decorated bathstool. There he takes his seat, to enjoy a hot shower-bath of fragrant, crystal-clear water, goes through a series of auspicious rites, dries his body with a beautiful, soft towel, and dresses in the typical twopiece garment of purest archaic style, made of richest material. Delightful sandal-paste covers his limbs, a garland of sweet-scented flowers in all the five colours adorns his breast, and the resplendent ornaments that deck him all over, glistening on his neck and chest, on his waist, his arms, his wrists and fingers, his ears and forehead, so that he looks like a walking wish-tree, are of so many shapes and varieties that their names and descriptions fill more than a page of the narrative. Thus adorned, he leaves his apartments moving under an amaranth-garlanded parasol, fanned with white chowries, hailed by victory-greetings, and accompanied by his splendid court, from the wise prime minister and his proud Sardars down to the dwarf and jester.
The procession moves to the Darbar hall, where the king holds his levee. On this particular occasion, he intends to consult with the astrologers of the town.
Sitting down on the throne, he orders eight seats of honour to be arranged, spread with white cloth, and strewn with auspicious white rape-seed and Dūrvā grass. Then he remembers that his consort will probably be interested in the proceedings, and arranges for her accommodation too. Part of the room is cut-off from the public gaze by a gem-embroidered, gorgeous curtain of exquisite material, that falls in heavy folds to the ground, and shows hundreds
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